I loved Heath Ledger. He was an extremely talented individual, I believe, which could further be proved through his role as the Joker. He was a phenomenal Joker, if you ask me. I guess the SGA Awards must have agreed for they gave him a Posthumous award that Gary Oldman accepted on behalf of him (to be quite honest I didn't really recognize Oldman until he started speaking.)
A mini-bio:
Heath Andrew Ledger was born on April 4, 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, the son of French teacher Sally and Kim Ledger, a race car driver and mining engineer, whose family established and owned the well-known Ledger Engineering Foundry.
Heath attended Mary's Mount Primary School and later Guildford Grammar School, where he had his first acting experiences, starring in a school production as Peter Pan at age 10. His parents separated when he was 10 and divorced when he was 11. Ledger's older sister, Kate, an actress and later a publicist, with whom he was very close, inspired his acting on stage, and his love of Gene Kelly inspired his successful choreography leading to Guildford Grammar's 60-member team's "first all-boy victory" at the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge (an annual Australian music and dance spectacular for high schools). Heath's and Kate's other siblings include two half-sisters, Ashleigh Bell (b. 1989), his mother's daughter with her second husband and his stepfather Roger Bell, and Olivia Ledger (b. 1997), his father's daughter with second wife and his stepmother Emma Brown.
Heath was an avid chess player, winning Western Australia's junior chess championship at the age of 10. As an adult, he often played with other chess enthusiasts at Washington Square Park.
Whilst academically, Ledger was quite adept, he did not enjoy the routine and staidness of high school, choosing to leave at age 16, driving across the Nullarbor desert in a car with best friend Trevor DiCarlo to the bright lights of Sydney, hoping to become an actor.
Whilst he got a few small bit parts here and there early on, mixing this with work as a waiter, his first major role was in a Perth TV production called "Sweat", revolving around a sports institute training a group of Olympic-level athletes. In this series, Ledger portrayed a gay cyclist.
His next major production was in a Fox Broadcast Company cable production called "Roar", filmed in the Australian state of Queensland. Whilst this program was short-lived, it opened Ledger to movie heavyweights in the United States.
Ledger made his cinematic debut in the 1997 Australian movie titled "Blackrock". Around the same time, he also had a short-term role on long-running Australian soap "Home And Away", playing a high school bully who targeted popular long-time figure Sally Fletcher, after she rejected him following a drunken one-night stand.
Among his most noteworthy liaisons, Ledger dated American actress Heather Graham for almost a year between 2000 and 2001, before engaging in a long-term relationship with fellow Australian actor Naomi Watts, who was 10 years older than him. Their relationship took place between 2002 and 2004, the relationship ending reportedly due to Ledger's reluctance to settle down.
Ledger's next high-profile union came when he met former "Dawson's Creek" star Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain. Ledger and Williams moved in together in Brooklyn, New York soon after and had a daughter together, Matilda Rose, born on October 28, 2005 in New York City.
Ledger and Williams also shared a beachside apartment in Sydney, Australia, however Ledger demanded his father sell the home in a tearful phone call the night of the Australian premiere of Brokeback Mountain". At the premiere, Australian photographers had squirted Ledger and Williams with water pistols, in apparent payback for Ledger spitting on paparazzi photographing Ledger some months earlier whilst he was in Sydney filming the drug addict movie "Candy". The incident so humiliated Ledger, that he only returned to Australia at Christmas for a short holiday with his family.
In September 2007, it was confirmed publicly that Ledger and Williams had split, and Ledger was now renting an upscale apartment in Manhattan from 'tween queen Mary-Kate Olsen. Prior to Ledger's death, there were rumors that Ledger was romantically involved with Olsen, and the fact that she was one of the people called when Ledger was found motionless in his bed only fueled these rumors. Ledger was also linked to Danish supermodel Helena Christensen, and teen Australian model Gemma Ward, though there was no confirmation of any union in either case.
Some of the bigger awards Ledger won throughout his acting career included the "ShoWest Award for the Male Star of Tomorrow" in 2001, for his performance in The Patriot.
He also received "Best Actor of 2005" awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, both for his performance in Brokeback Mountain.
Hauntingly, one of Ledger's final projects was to create and act in a music video set to the late British singer-songwriter Nick Drake's song "Black-Eyed Dog", a song about depression. Drake died at just 26 from an overdose of anti-depressants. Ledger's video was shown only twice, first at the "Bumbershoot Festival" in Seattle in 2007; and secondly, as part of "A Place To Be: A Celebration of Nick Drake", with its screening of "Their Place: Reflections On Nick Drake", a series of short filmed homages to Nick Drake, also in 2007.
Ledger will fondly be remembered from his short, but exemplary body of work, and will always be known as an actor with immense talent. Rest in peace.
This information was compiled from a biography of Heath written by AJ Brady. Man that man does not shut up. I actually shortened the biography to include what I thought were the more important parts. Yes, I loved Heath, but I'm not here to tell you his life story. If you want to read that, do that on your own time. Apparently AJ Brady has too much tme on his hands.For the full article you can go here: http://www.helium.com/items/1129666-biography-heath-ledger.
Some trivia about the Australian Heart-throb:
- He and his older sister, Kate Ledger, are named after the two main romantic characters of the Emily Brontë novel, "Wuthering Heights".
- Concentrated on drama and sports in school. When asked to choose between the two, he picked drama. Attended a private all-boys school called Guildford Grammar.
- Was a men's-fashion judge at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November 2001.
- Most of his wardrobe was designed by his friend Shem.
- Was of Irish and Scottish ancestry.
- Chosen by Empire Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world (#79) 2007.
- In 2006, took a year off from acting to raise his daughter Matilda while his girlfriend at the time, Michelle Williams, worked.
- Was good friends with Joaquin Phoenix.
- "Brooklyn seems to me the closest thing in America to Europe. The neighbors and locals are beautiful people. It's like a village." -- a personal quote
Seriously, such a gifted actor. I was sad the day I found out about his death. Although, I can't say I shed tears like some of my friends did. It was sad, yes, but I didn't personally know him. I think it's different -- yes, actors are people, but they're not your people until you're one of them or you're famous. At least, that's an opinion of mine. . .
I was so excited when I read that he was friends with Joaquin Phoenix! I love Joaquin Phoenix. I don't know why, but ever since Gladiator my best friend and I have had a crush on him. My ex bashed him as "funny looking", but honestly a man does not have to be hot to be sexy. Voices can go a long way . . . I won't say anymore on that or else we'll get to a pet peeve of mine and I'm sure you don't want to hear me rant.
Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry I hadn't posted anything for the past three days. I was really slacking! Then again, I do have college and a play that I'm in not to mention a life. So yes, that is time consuming as one may imagine. R.I.P. Heath! We miss you! (Even if we never really knew you.)
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