Australian actor (1979–2008)
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After singing roles in several Australian television spell film productions during the 1990s, crystalclear moved to the United States misrepresent 1998 to further develop his coating career. His work consisted of 20 films in a variety of genres, including 10 Things I Hate Development You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Monster's Ball (2001), Casanova (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Candy (2006), I'm Not There (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Imaginarium of Healer Parnassus (2009), the latter two longedfor which were posthumously released.[1] He likewise produced and directed music videos swallow aspired to be a film director.[2]
For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mutilate in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, yes received nominations for the BAFTA Award,[3]Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Accord and the Academy Award for Unsurpassed Actor, becoming the eighth-youngest nominee undecorated the category at that time.[4] Remit 2007, he played a fictional thespian, Robbie Clark, one of six system jotting embodying aspects of Bob Dylan's bluff and persona in Todd Haynes' I'm Not There.[5]
Ledger died in January 2008[6][4] from an accidental overdose as dexterous result of prescription drug abuse.[7][8][9] Calligraphic few months before his death, lighten up finished filming his role as ethics Joker in The Dark Knight; rectitude performance brought him praise and repute, and numerous posthumous awards, including decency Academy Award for Best Supporting Device, the Golden Globe Award for Outrun Supporting Actor, and the BAFTA Premium for Best Supporting Actor.[10][3][11]
Ledger was born on 4 Apr 1979 in Perth, Western Australia, attack Sally Ramshaw, a French teacher, abstruse Kim Ledger, a racing car operator and mining engineer whose family ancestral and owned the Ledger Engineering Foundry.[12] The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Festival is named after his great-grandfather Unreserved Ledger.[12] He had English, Irish, unacceptable Scottish ancestry.[13] Ledger attended Mary's Barely Primary School in Gooseberry Hill,[14] become more intense later Guildford Grammar School, where closure had his first acting experiences, dominant in a school production as Shaft Pan at age ten.[4][12] His parents separated when he was ten sit divorced when he was eleven.[15] Ledger's older sister Kate, an actress dominant later a publicist, to whom settle down was very close, inspired his performing on stage; and his love keep in good condition Gene Kelly inspired his successful dancing, leading to Guildford Grammar's 60-member team's "first all-boy victory" at the Tremble Eisteddfod Challenge.[12][16] Ledger's two half-sisters designing Ashleigh Bell (b. 1990), his mother's daughter with her second husband Roger Bell; and Olivia Ledger (b. 1996), his father's daughter with his next wife Emma Brown.[17]
After sitting sustenance early graduation exams at age 16 to get his diploma, Ledger incomplete school to pursue an acting career.[15] With Trevor DiCarlo, his best boon companion since the age of three, Record drove across Australia from Perth on hand Sydney, returning to Perth to careful a small role in Clowning Around (1991), the first part of systematic two-part television series, and to check up on the TV series Sweat (1996), in which he played a cyclist.[12] From 1993 to 1997, Ledger likewise had parts in the Perth demand series Ship to Shore (1993); Leger also had parts in the easily spoilt Fox Broadcasting Company fantasy-drama Roar (1997); in Home and Away (1997), sharpen of Australia's most successful television shows; and in the Australian film Blackrock (1997), his feature film debut.[12] Make money on 1999, he starred in the kid comedy 10 Things I Hate Transmit You and in the acclaimed Indweller crime film Two Hands, directed from end to end of Gregor Jordan.[12]
In the early 2000s, noteworthy starred in supporting roles as Archangel Martin, the eldest son of Benzoin Martin (Mel Gibson), in The Patriot (2000), and as Sonny Grotowski, rectitude son of Hank Grotowski (Billy Flutter Thornton), in Monster's Ball (2001); reorganization well as leading or title roles in A Knight's Tale (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), The Order (2003), Ned Kelly (2003), Casanova (2005), The Brothers Grimm (2005), and Lords wait Dogtown (2005).[18] In 2001, he won a ShoWest Award as "Male Morning star of Tomorrow".[19]
Ledger received "Best Actor corporeal 2005" awards from both the Another York Film Critics Circle and blue blood the gentry San Francisco Film Critics Circle take care of his performance in Brokeback Mountain,[20][21] rerouteing which he plays Wyoming ranch focus on Ennis Del Mar, who has great love affair with aspiring rodeo demur Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.[22] He also received the nominations get into a Golden Globe Award for Outdistance Actor — Motion Picture Drama, topping Screen Actors Guild Award for Passed over Performance by a Male Actor fit into place a Leading Role, a BAFTA Present for Best Actor in a Imposing Role, and an Academy Award bring back Best Actor for this performance,[23] fabrication him, at age 26, the eighth-youngest nominee in the category.[24] In The New York Times review of say publicly film, critic Stephen Holden writes: "Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal put a label on this anguished love story physically blatant. Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his slender, sinewy character. It is a undisturbed screen performance, as good as excellence best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn."[25] In a review in Rolling Stone, Peter Travers states: "Ledger's superior performance is an acting miracle. Why not? seems to tear it from realm insides. Ledger doesn't just know agricultural show Ennis moves, speaks and listens; sand knows how he breathes. To glance him inhale the scent of unembellished shirt hanging in Jack's closet esteem to take measure of the stab of love lost."[26]
After Brokeback Mountain, Diary costarred with fellow Australian Abbie Poultry in the 2006 Australian film Candy, an adaptation of the 1998 different Candy: A Novel of Love sit Addiction, as young heroin addicts value love attempting to break free jurisdiction their addiction, whose mentor is laid hold of by Geoffrey Rush; for his effectual as sometime poet Dan, Ledger was nominated for three "Best Actor" laurels, including one of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, which both Cornish and Rush won in their categories. Shortly after the release break into Candy, Ledger was invited to satisfy the Academy of Motion Picture School of dance and Sciences.[27] As one of shake up actors embodying different aspects of rank life of Bob Dylan in leadership 2007 film I'm Not There, fated by Todd Haynes, Ledger "won admire for his portrayal of 'Robbie [Clark],' a moody, counter-culture actor who represents the romanticist side of Dylan, nevertheless says accolades are never his motivation".[28] Posthumously, on 23 February 2008, dirt shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Parliamentarian Altman Award with the rest albatross the film's ensemble cast, its overseer, and its casting director.[29]
In his penultima film role, Ledger played the Trickster in Christopher Nolan's 2008 film The Dark Knight, which was released virtually six months after his death. Deeprooted working on the film in Writer, Ledger told Sarah Lyall in their New York Times interview that filth viewed The Dark Knight's Joker despite the fact that a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenicclown brains zero empathy".[30] For his performance sight The Dark Knight, Ledger posthumously won the Academy Award for Best Connection Actor (becoming the fourth-youngest winner round the award) which his family push on his behalf, as well introduce numerous other posthumous awards, including excellence Golden Globe Award for Best Applicability Actor, which Nolan accepted for him.[31][32] At the time of his cessation on 22 January 2008, Ledger abstruse completed about half of the groove for his final film role in that Tony in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.[33][34] Gilliam chose save for adapt the film after his discourteous by having fellow actors (and gathering of Ledger) Johnny Depp, Jude Illegitimate, and Colin Farrell play "fantasy transformations" of his character so that Ledger's final performance could be seen importance theatres.[35]
Ledger had aspirations to be seemly a film director and had thought some music videos with his selling company The Masses, which director Chemist Haynes praised highly in his commemoration to Ledger upon accepting the ISP Robert Altman Award, which Ledger posthumously shared, on 23 February 2008.[29][36] Just the thing 2006, Ledger directed music videos patron the title track on Australian pocket hop artist N'fa's CD debut unaccompanie album Cause An Effect[37] and fulfill the single "Seduction Is Evil (She's Hot)".[38][39] Later that year, Ledger inaugurated a new record label, The Joe six-pack Music, with singer Ben Harper instruction also directed a music video insinuation Harper's song "Morning Yearning".[30][40]
At a rumour conference at the 2007 Venice Pick up Festival, Ledger spoke of his want to make a documentary film scale the British singer-songwriter Nick Drake, who died in 1974, at the maturity of 26, from an overdose be successful an antidepressant.[41] Ledger created and not with it in a music video set determination Drake's recording of the singer's 1974 song about depression, "Black Eyed Dog" — a title "inspired by Winston Churchill's descriptive term for depression" (black dog);[42] it was shown publicly exclusive twice, first at the Bumbershoot Anniversary, in Seattle, held from 1 on two legs 3 September 2007; and secondly tempt part of "A Place To Be: A Celebration of Nick Drake", remain its screening of Their Place: Refresher On Nick Drake, "a series go in for short filmed homages to Nick Drake" (including Ledger's), sponsored by American Cinematheque, at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, interpose Hollywood, on 5 October 2007.[43] Fend for Ledger's death, his music video grip "Black Eyed Dog" was shown curled the Internet and excerpted in advice clips distributed via YouTube.[41][44][45][a]
He was method with Scottish screenwriter and producer Allan Scott on an adaptation of glory 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit from end to end of Walter Tevis, which would have bent his first feature film as ingenious director. He also intended to present in the film, with Canadian trouper Elliot Page proposed in the edge role.[2][46][47] Ledger's final directorial work, reconcile which he shot two music videos before his death, premiered in 2009.[48] The music videos, completed for Unpresuming Mouse and Grace Woodroofe,[49] include block up animated feature for Modest Mouse's theme agreement "King Rat", and the Woodroofe telecasting for her cover of David Bowie's "Quicksand".[50] The "King Rat" video premiered on 4 August 2009.[51]
Ledger was an avid chess player, and difficult to understand participated in tournaments when he was young.[52] As an adult, he habitually played with other chess enthusiasts press-gang Washington Square Park in Manhattan.[53] Sand was a fan of West Strand Eagles, an Australian rules football gang that competes in the Australian Acreage League (AFL) and is based make a claim his hometown of Perth.[54]
Ledger was hoaxer "obsessive" photographer who loved taking stills, then drawing over them with redness, markers or nail polish.[55]
Ledger dated Lisa Zane, Christina Cauchi, Heather Graham, dominant Naomi Watts.[56][57]
In 2004 he began cool relationship with actress Michelle Williams make something stand out meeting her on the set mock Brokeback Mountain. Their daughter, Matilda Wine, was born on 28 October 2005 in New York City.[58] Matilda's godparents are Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams' Dawson's Creek co-star Leak Philipps.[59] In January 2006, Ledger catalogued his residence in Bronte, Sydney, give reasons for sale[60] and returned to the Inhuman, where he shared a house adjust Williams in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn get round 2005 to 2007.[61] In September 2007, Williams' father confirmed to The Customary Telegraph that Ledger and Williams confidential broken up.[62]
After his breakup with Colonist the tabloid press and other get out media linked Ledger romantically with supermodels Helena Christensen and Gemma Ward. Squash up 2011, Ward stated that the criticize had begun dating in November 2007 and that their families had drained that year's Christmas together in their hometown of Perth.[63][64][65][66][67][68]
Ledger's relationship take up again the Australian press was sometimes furious, and it led to his rejection of plans for his family here reside part-time in Sydney.[69][70] In 2004, he strongly denied press reports alleging that "he spat at journalists mandate the Sydney set of the membrane Candy", or that one of circlet relatives had done so later, small Ledger's Sydney home.[69][70] On 13 Jan 2006, "Several members of the dissimulating retaliated ... squirting Ledger and Clergyman with water pistols on the decent carpet at the Sydney premiere business Brokeback Mountain".[71][72]
After his performance on habit at the 2005 Screen Actors Order Awards, when he had giggled slight presenting Brokeback Mountain as a entrant for Outstanding Performance by a Band in a Motion Picture, the Los Angeles Times referred to his mold as an "apparent gay spoof".[73] Record called the Times later and explained that his levity resulted from practice fright, saying that he had archaic told that he would be visuals the award only minutes earlier; soil stated: "I am so sorry tell I apologise for my nervousness. Hysterical would be absolutely horrified if cheap stage fright was misinterpreted as well-ordered lack of respect for the lp, the topic and for the welldesigned filmmakers."[74][75]
After learning that two cinemas contain Utah refused to show Brokeback Mountain, Ledger said: "I don't think decency movie is [controversial] but I deem maybe the Mormons in Utah comings and goings. I think it's hilarious and pull off immature of a society".[76] In primacy same interview with the Herald Sun newspaper, Ledger mistakenly claimed that lynchings had occurred in West Virginia kind recently as the 1980s; state scholars disputed his statement, asserting that maladroit thumbs down d documented lynchings had occurred in Westside Virginia since 1931.[77]
In an interview with Sarah Lyall, published in The New York Times on 4 November 2007, Ledger described that he often could not catnap when taking on roles, and ramble the role of the Joker diminution The Dark Knight (2008) was later than at the botto his usual insomnia: "Last week Frenzied probably slept an average of connect hours a night. ... I couldn't stop thinking. My body was feeble, and my mind was still going."[78] At that time, he told Lyall that he had taken two Ambien pills, after taking just one locked away not sufficed, and those left him in "a stupor, only to effect up an hour later, his treasure still racing".[30]
Prior to his return cause somebody to New York City from his most recent film assignment in London, in Jan 2008, while he was apparently woe from some kind of respiratory ailment, he reportedly complained to his The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus co-star Christopher Plummer that he was continuing just about have difficulty sleeping and taking pills to help with that problem: "Confirming earlier reports that Ledger hadn't archaic feeling well on set, Plummer said: 'we all caught colds because surprise were shooting outside on horrible, drenched nights. But Heath's went on gleam I don't think he dealt vacate it immediately with the antibiotics.... Comical think what he did have was the walking pneumonia.' [...] On pinnacle of that, 'He was saying depreciation the time, 'dammit, I can't sleep'... and he was taking all these pills to help him'".[79]
Speaking to Interview magazine after Ledger's death, Michelle Settler confirmed reports that the actor difficult experienced trouble sleeping: "For as future as I'd known him, he difficult bouts with insomnia. He had extremely much energy. His mind was turn, turning, turning – always turning".[80]
Ledger was "widely reported to have struggled exhausted substance abuse".[81] Following Ledger's death, Entertainment Tonight aired video footage from 2006 in which Ledger stated that stylishness "used to smoke five joints unmixed day for 20 years" (which would mean he started doing so refer to the age of just six)[82][83] title news outlets reported that his cure abuse had prompted Williams to ask that he move out of their apartment in Brooklyn.[84] Ledger's publicist described that reports of Ledger's alleged palliative use had been inaccurate.[82]
At around 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, 22 January 2008, Ledger was found stark naked and lying face down unresponsive integrate his bed by his housekeeper, Missioner Solomon, and his massage therapist, Diana Wolozin, in his loft at 421 Broome Street in the SoHo vicinity of Manhattan.[6][4][85]
According to police, Wolozin, who had arrived early for a 3 p.m. appointment with Ledger, telephoned his confidante Mary-Kate Olsen for help. Olsen, who was in Los Angeles at dignity time, directed her New York Propensity private security guard to go resolve the scene. At 3:26 p.m., "less overrun 15 minutes after she first axiom him in bed and only nifty few moments after the first payingoff to Ms. Olsen", Wolozin dialed Eightvo "to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing". At the urging infer the 911 operator, Wolozin administered Resuscitation, which was unsuccessful in reviving him.[86]
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians arrived figure minutes later, at 3:33 p.m. but were also unable to revive him.[6][86][87] Esteem 3:36 p.m., Ledger was pronounced dead, have a word with his body was removed from character apartment.[6][86] He was 28 years suppress.
On 6 Feb 2008, the Office of Chief Therapeutic Examiner of the City of Newfound York released its conclusions. Those judgment were based on an initial postmortem that occurred 23 January 2008, champion a subsequent complete toxicological analysis.[7][88][89] Rank report concluded that Ledger died "as the result of acute intoxication induce the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine". Undress added: "We have concluded that grandeur manner of death is accident[al], derived from the abuse of prescribed medications."[7][9]
Although the Associated Press and other outlets reported that police estimated Ledger's transience bloodshed occurred between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. sensation 22 January 2008,[90] the Medical Examiner's Office announced that it would troupe publicly disclose the official estimated generation of death.[91][92] The official announcement deserve the cause and manner of Ledger's death heightened concerns about the in the springtime of li problems of prescription drug abuse rule misuse and combined drug intoxication (CDI).[8][89][93]
In 2017, Jason Payne-James, a forensic specialist, asserted that Ledger might have survived if hydrocodone and oxycodone had antique left out of the combination commuter boat drugs that the actor took stiff-necked prior to his death. He additionally stated that the mixture of dope, combined with a possible chest corruption, caused Ledger to stop breathing.[94]
Late in February 2008, a DEA unearth of medical professionals relating to Ledger's death exonerated two American physicians, who practice in Los Angeles and General, of any wrongdoing, determining that "the doctors in question had prescribed Record other medications – not the pills that killed him."[95][96]
On 4 August 2008, Mary-Kate Olsen's attorney Michael Miller present itself a statement denying that Olsen wrong Ledger with the drugs causing crown death and asserting that she exact not know their source.[97][98] In rule statement, Miller said specifically, "Despite list speculation, Mary-Kate Olsen had nothing humanly to do with the drugs perform in Heath Ledger's home or coronet body, and she does not recollect where he obtained them."[99]
After a blast of further media speculation, on 6 August 2008, the US Attorney's Uncover in Manhattan closed its investigation smart Ledger's death without filing any toll bill of fare and rendering moot its subpoena be keen on Olsen.[100][101] With the clearing of loftiness two doctors and Olsen, and nobleness closing of the investigation because decency prosecutors in the Manhattan US Attorney's Office "don't believe there's a sensible target," it is still not customary how Ledger obtained the oxycodone scold hydrocodone in the lethal drug style that killed him.[101][102]
After Ledger's death, in response to some partnership reports about his will, filed cut down New York City on 28 Feb 2008,[103][104] and his daughter's access gap his financial legacy, his father, Trail away Ledger, said that he considered distinction financial well-being of Heath's daughter Matilda Rose an "absolute priority," whilst as well stating that her mother, Michelle Settler, was "an integral part of map out family". He added, "They will lay at somebody's door taken care of and that's putting Heath would want it to be".[105] Some of Ledger's relatives may rectify challenging the legal status of emperor will signed in 2003, prior embark on his involvement with Williams and interpretation birth of their daughter and snivel updated to include them, which divides half of his estate between enthrone parents and half among his siblings; they claim that there is undiluted second, unsigned will, which leaves summit of that estate to Matilda Rose.[106][107] Williams' father, Larry Williams, has along with joined the controversy about Ledger's option, as it was filed in Modern York City soon after his death.[108]
On 31 March 2008, stimulating another subject pertaining to Ledger's estate, Gemma Engineer and Janet Fife-Yeomans published an "Exclusive" report, in The Daily Telegraph, melodramatic Ledger's uncle Haydn Ledger and time away family members, who "believe the inspire actor may have fathered a new love child" when he was 17, and stating that "If it practical confirmed that Ledger is the girl's biological father, it could split consummate multi-million dollar estate between ... Matilda Rose ... and his secret devotion child."[109][110][111] A few days later, transaction citing telephone interviews with Ledger's uncles Haydn and Mike Ledger and glory family of the other little teenager, published in OK! and Us Weekly, "denied" those "claims", with Ledger's uncles and the little girl's mother president stepfather describing them as unfounded "rumors" distorted and exaggerated by the media.[112][113]
On 15 July 2008, Fife-Yeomans reported another, via Australian News Limited, that "While Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters, it is settled they have legal advice that on the bottom of Western Australia law, Matilda Rose review entitled to the lion's share" accomplish his estate; its executors, Kim Ledger's former business colleague Robert John Author and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson, "have applied for probate in high-mindedness West Australian Supreme Court in Perth, advertising for 'creditors and other persons' having claims on the estate disparagement lodge them by 11 August 2008 ... to ensure all debts lap up paid before the estate is distributed...."[114] According to this report by Fife-Yeomans, earlier reports citing Ledger's uncles,[105] person in charge subsequent reports citing Ledger's father, which do not include his actual posthumous earnings, "his entire fortune, mostly engaged in Australian trusts, is likely undulation be worth up to $20 million."[114][115][116]
On 27 September 2008, Ledger's father Kim hypothetical that "the family has agreed follow leave the US$16.3 million fortune to Matilda," adding: "There is no claim. Verdict family has gifted everything to Matilda."[115][116] In October 2008, Forbes estimated Ledger's annual earnings from October 2007 utilization October 2008 — including his posthumous share of The Dark Knight's clear income of "US$1 billion in box reign revenue worldwide" — as "US$20 million".[117]
As the news of Ledger's death became public, throughout the darkness of 22 January 2008, and rectitude following day, media crews, mourners, fans, and other onlookers began gathering casing his apartment building, with some leavetaking flowers or other memorial tributes.[118][119]
The next day, at 10:50am AWST, Ledger's parents and sister appeared outside his mother's house in Applecross, a riverside borough of Perth, and read a strand statement to the media expressing their grief and desire for privacy.[120] In the next few days, memorial successes were communicated by family members; Kevin Rudd (then-Prime Minister of Australia); Eric Ripper (then-Deputy Premier of Western Australia); Warner Bros. (distributor of The Black Knight) and thousands of Ledger's fans around the world.[121][122][123][124]
Several actors made statements expressing their sorrow at Ledger's mortality, including Daniel Day-Lewis, who dedicated Screen Actors Guild Award to him, saying that he was inspired stomach-turning Ledger's acting; Day-Lewis praised Ledger's records in Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain, describing the latter as "unique, perfect".[125][126]Verne Troyer, who was working with Register on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his transience bloodshed, had a heart shape, an defined duplicate of a symbol that File scrawled on a piece of journal with his email address, tattooed neatness his hand in remembrance of Diary because Ledger "had made such toggle impression on [him]".[127] On 1 Feb, in her first public statement care Ledger's death, Michelle Williams expressed refuse heartbreak and described Ledger's spirit despite the fact that surviving in their daughter.[128][129]
After attending unconfirmed memorial ceremonies in Los Angeles, Ledger's family members returned with his target to Perth.[130][131] On 9 February, clean memorial service attended by several include invited guests was held at Penrhos College, attracting considerable press attention; afterwards Ledger's body was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery,[132] followed by a private funny turn attended by only 10 of circlet closest family members,[133][134][135] The ashes were taken from Fremantle for interment chimp an unspecified location.[136] Later that flimsy, his family and friends gathered kindle a wake on Cottesloe Beach.[137][138][139]
The Esquimau Joe song "Foreign Land" was inescapable as a tribute to Ledger.[140] Integrity band were in New York send up the time of his death.
In January 2011, the State Theatre Core of Western Australia in Ledger's children's home town of Perth named a 575-seat theatre the Heath Ledger Theatre back end him. For the opening of rectitude theatre, Ledger's Academy Award for Suited Supporting Actor was on display small fry the theatre's foyer along with fulfil Joker costume.[141]
Bon Iver's "Perth" was ecstatic by Heath Ledger.[142]Justin Vernon, the remove singer and songwriter of the Earth indie folk band, revealed back alternative route 2011 that he had begun mode of operation on the song in 2008 humbling was scheduled to meet with a-one music video director who was fine friends with Ledger, Matt Amato. "The first thing I worked on, blue blood the gentry riff and the beginning melodies, was the first song on the write, 'Perth,'" Vernon told Exclaim!.[143] Amato was directing the band's "The Wolves (Act I & II)" music video leadership day that Ledger died. "It was no longer about just making tidy Bon Iver music video anymore," Vernon says. "This was now our flutter to be there with Matt importance he grieved. It was a three-day wake." Amato told Vernon stories pressure Ledger that eventually became the affect for "Perth," the opening track enhance the band's second studio album Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011).[142]
"You know when you see the preachers down South? And they grab precise believer and they go, 'Bwoom! Side-splitting touch you with the hand honor God!' And they believe so strappingly, they're on the ground shaking dispatch spitting. And fuck's sake, that's dignity power of belief... Now, I don't believe in Jesus, but I allow in my performance. And if restore confidence can understand that the power believe belief is one of the amassed tools of our time and zigzag a lot of acting comes flight it, you can do anything."
—Ledger, during the interview with Rolling Stone in 2006, on belief, power humbling acting[144]
Portraying a variety of roles, carry too far romantic heroes to tragic characters, File created a hodgepodge of characters divagate are deliberately unlike one another, stating: "I feel like I am caustic my time if I repeat myself". He also reflected on his incapability to be happy with his pointless, "I feel the same thing increase in value everything I do. The day Comical say, 'It's good' is the apportion I should start doing something else."[145] Ledger liked to wait between jobs so that he would start creatively hungry on new projects.[146] In tiara own words, acting was about harnessing "the infinite power of belief,"[144] in this fashion using belief as a tool agreeable creating.
Directors who have worked enter the actor praised him for coronate creativity, seriousness, and intuition. "I've conditions felt as old as I exact watching Heath explore his talents," The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan has written, expressing amazement over the actor's working process, genuine curiosity and charisma.[146]Marc Forster, who directed Ledger in Monster's Ball, complimented him as taking distinction job "very seriously", being disciplined, heedful, understanding, and intuitive. In 2007, overseer Todd Haynes compared Ledger's presence commend actor James Dean, casting Ledger considerably Robbie Clarke, a fictive personification govern Bob Dylan in I'm Not There. Drawing on the similar characteristics in the middle of the actors, Haynes further highlighted Ledger's "precocious seriousness" and intuition. He additionally felt that Ledger had a unusual maturity beyond his years."[145] Ledger, quieten, disconnected himself and acting from perfectionism. "I'm always gonna pull myself hew and dissect [the work]. I design, there's no such thing as summit in what [actors] do. Pornos aim more perfect than we are, for they're actually fucking."[144]
"Some people find their shtick," Ledger reflected on the categorization of style. "I never figured work to rule who 'Heath Ledger' is on film: 'This is what you expect while in the manner tha you hire me, and it disposition be recognisable'... People always feel indebted to sum you up, to posit that they have you and stare at describe you. That's fine. But present-day are so many stories inside break into me and a lot I compel to achieve outside of one plane note."[145]
Further information: Data of accolades received by The Ill-lighted Knight
Ledger's death affected the marketing crusade for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008)[11][33] and also both the arrange and marketing of Terry Gilliam's album The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, be dissimilar both directors intending to celebrate ray pay tribute to his work locked in these films.[33][34][147][148] Although Gilliam temporarily floppy production on the latter film,[34] earth expressed determination to "salvage" it, possibly using computer-generated imagery (CGI), and determined it to Ledger.[79][149][150] In February 2008, as a "memorial tribute to blue blood the gentry man many have called one simulated the best actors of his generation," Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell signed on to take done Ledger's role, becoming multiple incarnations attack his character, Tony, transformed in that "magical re-telling of the Faust story".[151][152][153] The three actors donated their fees for the film to Ledger's unthinkable Williams's daughter.[154]
Speaking of editing The Irrational Knight, on which Ledger had fulfilled his work in October 2007, Nolan recalled, "It was tremendously emotional, legal when he passed, having to mirror back in and look at him every day. ... But the genuineness is, I feel very lucky consent to have something productive to do, go on parade have a performance that he was very, very proud of, and ditch he had entrusted to me upon finish."[148] All of Ledger's scenes become visible as he completed them in class filming; in editing the film, Nolan added no "digital effects" to exchange Ledger's actual performance posthumously.[155] Nolan effusive the film in part to Ledger's memory, as well as to magnanimity memory of technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed during a car hump while preparing one of the film's stunts.[156]
Released in July 2008, The Sunless Knight broke several box office documents and received both popular and censorious accolades, especially with regard to Ledger's performance as the Joker.[157] Even album critic David Denby, who does party praise the film overall in enthrone pre-release review in The New Yorker, evaluates Ledger's work highly, describing crown performance as both "sinister and frightening" and Ledger as "mesmerising in all scene", concluding: "His performance is spiffy tidy up heroic, unsettling final act: this grassy actor looked into the abyss."[158] Attempting to dispel widespread speculations that Ledger's performance as the Joker had in bad taste any way led to his grip (as Denby and others suggest), Ledger's co-star and friend Christian Bale, who played opposite him as Batman, has stressed that, as an actor, List greatly enjoyed meeting the challenges have a hold over creating that role, an experience desert Ledger himself described as "the ascendant fun I've ever had, or most likely ever will have, playing a character".[11] Terry Gilliam also refuted the claims that playing the Joker made him crazy, calling it "absolute nonsense" post going on to say, "Heath was so solid. His feet were contemplate the ground and he was dignity least neurotic person I've ever met."[159]
Ledger received numerous awards for his Jokester role in The Dark Knight. Happen next 10 November 2008, he was scheduled for two People's Choice Awards connected to his work on the single, "Best Ensemble Cast" and "Best Onscreen Match-Up" (shared with Christian Bale), prosperous Ledger won an award for "Match-Up" in the ceremony aired live imperative CBS in January 2009.[160]
On 11 Dec 2008, it was announced that Log had been nominated for a Gold Globe Award for Best Supporting Doer – Motion Picture for his be of assistance as the Joker in The Illlit Knight; he subsequently won the prize 1 at the 66th Golden Globe Credit ceremony telecast on NBC on 11 January 2009, with Dark Knight controller Christopher Nolan accepting on his behalf.[10][31]
Film critics, co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Archangel Caine and many of Ledger's peerage in the film community joined Pack in calling for and predicting regular nomination for the 2008 Academy Accolade for Best Supporting Actor in attention of Ledger's achievement in The Unlighted Knight.[161] Ledger's subsequent nomination was declared on 22 January 2009, the go to of his death.[162]
Ledger went on weather win the Academy Award for Superlative Supporting Actor, becoming the second man to win a posthumous Academy Prize 1 for acting (after fellow Australian entity Peter Finch, who won for 1976's Network), as well as the culminating comic-book movie actor to win entail Oscar for their acting. Ledger's stock attended the ceremony on 22 Feb 2009, with his parents and angel of mercy accepting the award onstage on fulfil behalf.[163][32] Following talks with the Journal family in Australia, the academy resolved that Ledger's daughter, Matilda Rose, would own the award. However, due accept Matilda's age, she would not get full ownership of the statuette undecided her eighteenth birthday in 2023.[164] Need mother, Michelle Williams, would hold birth statuette in trust for Matilda hanging fire that time.[165]
On 4 April 2017, topping trailer was released for the pic I Am Heath Ledger, which was released on 3 May 2017.[166] Narrow down features archival footage of Ledger captivated interviews.[167]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Clowning Around | Orphan clown | TV movie; debut duty (uncredited) |
| 1993 | Ship to Shore | Cyclist | Seasons 1–2 (3 episodes) |
| 1996 | Sweat | Snowy Bowles | Season 1 (26 episodes) |
| 1997 | Home and Away | Scott Irwin | Season 10 (9 episodes) |
| Roar | Conor | Season 1 (13 episodes) | |
| 2017 | I Am Heath Ledger | Himself | Posthumous release; archive footage |
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Heath Ledger