Friday, December 26, 2008

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wallpapers










Notes

Notes


^ a b AP (2008-01-23). "Timeline of Heath Ledger's Career" (Web), gmanews.tv, GMA Network. Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ a b "Filmography - Heath Ledger" (Web). Hello!. Hello! Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-08-18.
^ a b c d e "Todd Haynes Dedicates Robert Altman Award to Heath Ledger" (Web video clip). You Tube. Google (2008-02-23). Retrieved on 2008-08-08.
^ a b c Adam Dawtrey (2008-01-23). "'Parnassus' Team Faces Dilemma", Variety, Variety.com (Reed Elsevier). Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ a b c d e f James Barron (2008-01-23). "Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28" (Web), The New York Times, nytimes.com (The New York Times Company). Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ a b c d "Heath Ledger: The Times Obituary" (Web), The Times, timesonline.co.uk (News International) (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ "Heath Ledger Honored at Independent Spirit Awards" (Web), ET Online, etonline.com (CBS Studios Inc.) (2008-02-23). Retrieved on 8 August 2008.
^ "Ledger Honoured at AFI Awards". ABC Online. abc.net.au (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved on 2008-12-06.
^ Stephen M. Silverman (2008-12-08). "Movie News: Teary Family Gathers as Heath Ledger Wins Acting Prize" (Web). People. Time Inc. (Time Warner). Retrieved on 2008-12-11.
^ a b "Golden Globes: Heath Ledger's Family 'So Proud' of Globe Nod" ([World Wide Web), People, Time Inc. (Time Warner) (2008-12-11). Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ a b Joe Neumaier (2008-12-11). "Golden Globe Nominations Upset Oscar Hopes; Heath Ledger Wins Nod, 'Milk' Left Out" (Web), New York Daily News, nydailynews.com. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ a b Rick Marshall (2008-12-11). "Golden Globes Deny 'The Dark Knight,' Heath Ledger Nominated" (Web), MTV Splashpage, splashpage.mtv.com. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ a b c d e Sewell Chan and James Barron (contributing) (2008-02-06). "City Room: Heath Ledger's Death Is Ruled an Accident" (Web), The New York Times, cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com (The New York Times Company). Retrieved on 17 August 2008.
^ a b c CNN (2008-02-06). "Ledger's Death Caused by Accidental Overdose" (Web), CNN: SHOWBIZ/Movies, cnn.com (Time Warner). Retrieved on 17 August 2008.
^ a b c d Associated Press (2008-02-06). "Heath Ledger Died of Accidental Overdose: 28-Year-Old Actor Had Oxycodone, Anti-Anxiety, Sleep Aids in His System" (Web), MSNBC (Entertainment), msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved on 17 March 2008.
^ a b c d e David M. Halbfinger (2008-03-09). "Batman's Burden: A Director Confronts Darkness and Death" (Web and print), The New York Times (Arts & Leisure: Film), nytimes.com, pp. 1, 16. Retrieved on 10 March 2008.
^ "The Dark Knight Movie Reviews" (Web). Rotten Tomatoes. rottentomatoes.com, (IGN Entertainment, News Corporation). Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
^ "The Dark Knight (2008): Reviews" (Web). Metacritic. metacritic.com (CNET Networks, CBS Corporation). Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
^ a b CNN (2008-01-24). "Ledger's Death Puts Last Films in a Bind" (Web), CNN: SHOWBIZ/Movies, cnn.com (Time Warner). Retrieved on 30 January 2008.
^ a b c Christine Kilpatrick (2008-01-24). "Production Suspended on Heath Ledger's Latest Movie" (Web), People, People.com (Time Inc.). Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
^ a b c David M. Halbfinger (2008-01-25). "Actor’s Death May Mean Film's End", The New York Times, p. 12 (Movies, Performing Arts/Weekend Desk). Retrieved on 2 February 2008.
^ a b "Gilliam, Ledger Reteam for Film" (Web), Variety, Variety.com (2007-10-31). Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ a b c Daily Mail Reporter (2008-10-24). "First Photos of Tragic Heath Ledger in His Last Film" (Web). Mail Online. Daily Mail and General Trust. Retrieved on 2008-12-12.
^ a b c d e f g Dominic Wills. "Heath Ledger Biography", tiscali.film & tv, tiscali.co.uk. Retrieved on 22 April 2008. "The Ledger name was well-known in Perth, the family having run a foundry that provided much of the raw material for the famous Perth to Kalgoorlie Pipeline, which ran 557 kilometres east out into the desert and, beginning to pump [water] back in 1903, first supplied the Western Australian goldfields and now served over 100,000 people and 6 million sheep in 44,000 square miles. The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust, named after Heath's great-grandfather, was renowned for granting funds to the area's universities, paying for visiting lecturers and scholarships for gifted students."
^ "Heath Ledger Biography (1979-)" (Web). Filmreference.com (2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-03.
^ "Banks, Frederick & Annie" (Web). Western Australian Museum Official Website. museum.wa.gov.au. Retrieved on 2008-02-07. "The Ledger Foundry made most of the pipes, etc. for the Kalgoorlie Pipe Line. Fred worked as a partner in the Foundry & also made tools for the prospectors on the Goldfields."
^ a b "Heath Ledger among WA's Finest Sons, Says Eric Ripper", The Sunday Times (PerthNow), news.com.au (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 8 February 2008. "Heath was one of the best actors the nation had produced and his death at age 28 had shocked the community, he said. ... 'I understand he was a former student at both Mary’s Mount Primary School in Gooseberry Hill and later at Guildford Grammar,' Mr Ripper said. ... 'Apparently he left school at 16 to pursue his passion for acting. There is no doubt his wonderful work in that field in such a comparatively short time will endure.' ... Mr Ripper said Western Australians everywhere would be proud of Ledger’s work and his legacy."
^ Michael Bodey (2008-01-24). "Rocked by the System" (Web), The Australian, theaustralian.news.com.au, p. 13 (Features). Retrieved on 8 February 2008. "1985: Attends Mary's Mount Primary School in the Perth Hills and Guildford Grammar, excelling in drama and sport."
^ a b David Lipsky (2006-03-23). "Heath Ledger's Lonesome Trail", Rolling Stone, rollingstone.com. Retrieved on 21 April 2008. "His dad wanted him to race cars. Hollywood wanted him to play Spider-Man. But he wanted to play a gay cowboy. Now he's a huge star, and he's not happy about it."
^ Kevin Sessums. "We're Having a Heath Wave" (Web). Vanity Fair (vanityfair.com (Condé Nast Publications)) (August 2000): 4. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2000/08/heath200008?currentPage=4. Retrieved on 21 April 2008. "[Dispensing with 'romantic' notions promulgated by some biographies (including Wills's in tiscali.film & tv) that he and his sister are named after characters Catherine and Heathcliff in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights], he's asked if Heath is a shortened version of Heathcliff. 'No, just Heath. But I do have an older sister named Kathy,' he says. 'Well, Kate.' ".
^ Kevin Sessums. "We're Having a Heath Wave" (Web). Vanity Fair (vanityfair.com (Condé Nast Publications)) (August 2000): 3. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2000/08/heath200008?currentPage=3. Retrieved on 23 April 2008.
^ a b c Melissa Kent (2008-02-09). "Tears, Tributes Accompany Heath Ledger to His Final Rest", The Age, theage.com.au. Retrieved on 21 April 2008.
^ "Heath Ledger Biography", Yahoo! Movies (2008-02-06). Retrieved on 14 February 2008.
^ "Obituary of Heath Ledger Actor who thought deeply about his craft and won widespread praise for Brokeback Mountain", The Daily Telegraph (2008-01-24), p. 25. Retrieved on 7 February 2008. "At the same time he showed promise in other areas, as a junior go-kart racing champion and, aged only 10, as Western Australia's junior chess champion."
^ Brian Pendreigh (2008-01-24). " 'My friend Heath would never commit suicide'", Scotland on Sunday, news.scotsman.com. Retrieved on 14 February 2008.
^ Christina Tapper and Natasha Stoyoff (2008-01-26). "Heath Ledger's Passion for Chess", People, people.com. Retrieved on 3 February 2008. "No stranger to the New York Washington Square Park chess world, Heath Ledger found joy by screaming the occasional 'checkmate!'"
^ Josh Horowitz (2007-11-12). "Heath Ledger Discusses Delving Into Dylan for 'I'm Not There': Channeling Sid Vicious for 'Dark Knight'", MTV Movies, mtv.com. Retrieved on 3 February 2008.
^ a b Michelle Cazzulino (2008-03-29). "Heath Ledger's Gambit to Be a Director" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au. Retrieved on 24 April 2008. "It was an opportunity tailor-made for Ledger, Scott said. 'The movie is about chess, and what is a little known fact is Heath was very close to being on the grandmaster level. He was a chess whiz, and he intended to get his grandmaster rating before he started shooting the picture.' "
^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (2001-06-10). "Heather Graham and Heath Ledger Split", cinema.com. Retrieved on 24 July 2008.
^ Gary Susman (2003-10-01). "Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger Split", Entertainment Weekly, ew.com. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ John McShane (2008-04-20). "Loves of Heath Ledger's Life", The Courier-Mail. Retrieved on 24 April 2008. "In the first book since Heath Ledger's death, Fleet Street's John McShane looks at the actor's legacy. In this extract, he examines Ledger's relationships."
^ Kiki King, Eva Simpson, and Caroline Hedley (2006-03-03). "The Heath Is On" (Web archive), Daily Mirror (London) (3AM), mirror.co.uk, p. 16. Retrieved on 7 February 2008.
^ "Godfather Jake Gillenhaal's Silent Agony" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au (2008-01-25). Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ "First Picture: Michelle Williams and Matilda Arrive in Brooklyn" (Web), Us Weekly, Usmagazine.com (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ Sarah Grant (2006-06-08). "Soaking Left My Lad Heath in Tears", The Daily Telegraph, p. 9. Retrieved on 8 February 2008.
^ "Ledger Hopes for $3m Profit on Beach House" (Web), The Age, theage.com.au (2006-02-11). Retrieved on 17 August 2007.
^ Angela Saurine (2006-04-15). "Why the Rich Are Kings of the Castle", The Daily Telegraph, realestate.com.au, p. 19. Retrieved on 17 August 2007.
^ Alex Williams (2007-09-30). "Brooklyn's Fragile Eco-System", The New York Times, nytimes.com, p. 1. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (2007-09-04). "Williams' Father Confirms Ledger Split", Hollywood.com. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ "Supermodel's Last Call to Heath", news.com.au, The Daily Telegraph (2008-01-24). Retrieved on 26 January 2008.
^ Robert Stansfield (2008-01-24). "Helena Christensen Was On Way to See Heath Ledger", Scottish Daily Record, dailyrecord.co.uk, p. 6. Retrieved on 26 January 2008.
^ Holly Byrnes, Sarah Grant, and Angela Saurine (2008-01-03). "Are Gemma Ward and Heath Ledger Dating?" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au, p. 31. Retrieved on 6 February 2008.
^ Janet Fife-Yeomans (2008-01-25). "Sorrow of Heath Ledger's Secret Love" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, p. 4. Retrieved on 6 February 2008.
^ "Showest Awards: Past Award Winners" (Web). showest.com. ShoWest (Nielsen Business Media Film Group). Retrieved on 2008-08-18.
^ "'Brokeback Mountain' leads Golden Globe nominations". CNN (2005-12-13). Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
^ "The San Francisco Film Critics Circle" (Web). San Francisco Film. splicedwire.com (2005-12-12). Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
^ Jen Chaney (2005-12-15). "'Mountain' Man Ledger's Steady Climb to the Top" (Web). Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
^ "HFPA - Awards Search" (Web). Golden Globes Official Website. goldenglobes.org. Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
^ "Results Page - Academy Awards Database". Awards Database. Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
^ Stephen Holden (2005-12-09). "Film Review - Brokeback Mountain - Riding the High Country, Finding and Losing Love" (Web), nytimes.com, p. 1. Retrieved on 17 August 2007.
^ Peter Travers (2005-12-01). "Review: Brokeback Mountain", Rolling Stone, rollingstone.com. Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2006-07-05). "Press Releases: Academy Invites 120 to Membership" (Web), oscars.org. Retrieved on 18 August 2008.
^ Honie Stevens (2007-11-18). "Squaring the Ledger" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au. Retrieved on 24 July 2008.
^ a b c d Sarah Lyall (2007-11-04). "Movies: In Stetson or Wig, He's Hard to Pin Down" (Web), The New York Times, Movies, nytimes.com. Retrieved on 18 August 2008.
^ Dan Jolin (January 2008). "Fear Has a Face". Empire (Bauer Verlagsgruppe) 223: 87–88. http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/covers/image.asp?id=24227&gallery=1365&caption=%23223%20%28January%202008%29. Retrieved on 8 July 2008.
^ Dan Jolin (July 2008). "The Dark Knight". Empire (Bauer Verlagsgruppe) 229: 92–100. http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/covers/image.asp?id=27819&gallery=1365&caption=%23229+%28July+2008%29. Retrieved on 18 August 2008.
^ Olly Richards (2007-11-28). "World Exclusive: The Joker Speaks: He's a Cold-blooded Mass-murdering Clown" (Web), Empire, Bauer Verlagsgruppe. Retrieved on 18 August 2008.
^ "Music: Cause An Effect – N'Fa" (Web). The Scene. thescene.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.
^ "Seduction Is Evil" (Web). Inertia Catalogue. inertia.net (2006-10-28). Retrieved on 2008-03-05.
^ Andrew Drever (2006-08-21). "N'Fa: Frontman for 1200 Techniques May Be Doing Solo Work, But Everything's Cool" (Web), The Age, theage.com.au, p. 2. Retrieved on 5 March 2008.
^ "Heath Ledger Teams Up with Ben Harper to Launch New Record Label" (Web). Starpulse Entertainment News Blog. starpulse.com (2007-02-14). Retrieved on 2008-03-05.
^ a b c Jim Fraenkel and Rodrigo Perez (2008-01-22). "Heath Ledger's Video for Nick Drake Song: Eerie Postscript to Actor's Death" (Web), MTV, MTV.com. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. "The video [for 'Black Eyed Dog'], which has not been released commercially and has apparently not yet leaked to the Web, has been screened just twice, once last Labor Day weekend [2007] at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle and a second time in October [2007] at 'A Place to Be,' an event honoring Drake held in Los Angeles."
^ Anthony Storr (1990). Churchill's Black Dog and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1997. ISBN 9780006375661.
^ "Egyptian Theatre Programming" (PDF). American Cinematheque Film Calendar. americacinematheque.com (2007-10-05). Retrieved on 2008-03-18. "This very special evening celebrating [Drake's] life and music includes films, guests and a unique art and photographic exhibit. It includes the World Theatrical Premiere of 'Their Place: Reflections On Nick Drake', 2007, Bryter Music, 30 min. Various Directors - a series of short filmed homages to Nick Drake - created by admirers including Heath Ledger, Jonas Mekas and Tim Pope. (NOT ON DVD!) ..."
^ Daniel Kreps (2008-02-29). "Footage from Heath Ledger's Nick Drake Video Surfaces" (Web). Rolling Stone (rollingstone.com (Rock & Roll Daily)). http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/02/29/footage-from-heath-ledgers-nick-drake-video-surfaces/. Retrieved on 18 March 2008. "The video, for Drake’s posthumously released song 'Black Eyed Dog,' was filmed by the actor in late 2007 and included in a multimedia installment about Drake called 'A Place to Be.' The project was only screened publicly twice before the actor's death, and the Ledger family said the 'Black Eyed Dog' video would not be released.".
^ "A Place To Be: Reflections Of Nick Drake". A Place To Be. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. "A Place To Be: a collection, a celebration, in film, photography, painting, drawing and prose, of the impact the music of Nick Drake has had on other artists" ("Introductory film" includes excerpts of the music video, Black Eyed Dog, by Heath Ledger, among others.)
^ Drake's song "Black Eyed Dog" is featured as track number five on the soundtrack album for the 1974 film Practical Magic, directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
^ Rob Sharp and Allan Shiach (2008-03-18). "Heath Ledger–A Prophetic Tragedy" (Web), The Independent, independent.co.uk (Arts: Entertainment: Film and TV: Features). Retrieved on 20 March 2008. "Until last month [January 2008] he [Allan Schiach, aka Allan Scott,] was working with the late Heath Ledger on a film adaptation of Walter Tevis's 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit, about a chess prodigy's chequered history. The Australian actor was pencilled in to direct and star alongside the Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page."
^ a b WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (2006-01-12). "Ledger Slams Spitting Claims" (Web), SFGate.com. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ a b c Claire Sutherland and Mark Moor (2006-01-11). "Heath Ledger Angry At Ban" (Web), Herald Sun, news.com.au, p. 3. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ AAP (2006-01-14). "Sprayed Heath Flies Out" (Web), The Sydney Morning Herald, smh.com.au. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ Emily Dunn and Richard Jinman (2008-01-24). "How a Triumphant Return Turned Sour" (Web), The Sydney Morning Herald, smh.com.au, p. 1. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ Elizabeth Snead (2006-01-30). "Ledger's Strange SAG Behavior" (Web). The Los Angeles Times Blogss. latimes.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
^ Elizabeth Snead (2006-02-03). "Heath Explains His SAG Giggles" (Web). The Los Angeles Times Blogs. latimes.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
^ "Ledger in Damage Control" (Web), The Age, theage.com (2006-02-12). Retrieved on 17 August 2007.
^ Joe Morris (2006-01-16). "'Brokeback' Actor Has W. Va. All Wrong" (Web), The Charleston Gazette, wvgazette.com, via joemorris.info. Retrieved on 24 February 2008.
^ a b Natasha Stoynoff (2008-01-28). "Show Will Go On for Heath's Last Movie, Says CoStar", People, people.com. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ UPI (2008-03-16). "Williams Recalls Ledger As Vulnerable" (Web), NewsTrack/Entertainment, upi.com. Retrieved on 16 March 2008.
^ a b c Andy Newman and Al Baker (2008-01-24). "Autopsy on Actor Is Inconclusive As Calls for Help Are Revealed" (Web), The New York Times, nytimes.com. Retrieved on 18 March 2008.
^ "News: Housekeeper, Masseuse Found Ledger's Body" (Web), WNBC, wnbc.com (NBC Universal) (2008-01-24). Retrieved on 7 August 2008. (As updated 25 January 2008.)
^ "Heath Ledger Loved Life, Family Tell", The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
^ Office of the Prime Minister of Australia (2008-01-22). "Media Release", pm.gov.au. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ Lisa Pendrill (2008-01-25). "Heath's Family Writes of Heartache", The Sunday Times (PerthNow), news.com.au. Retrieved on 2 February 2008.
^ Warner Bros. (2008-01-25). "Heath Memorial", thedarkknight.warnerbros.com. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ "Online Community Pays Tribute to Heath Ledger", 901am.com (2008-01-25). Retrieved on 6 February 2008.
^ Amy Diluna and Joe Neumaier (2008-01-27). "Daniel Day-Lewis Honors Heath Ledger during Screen Actors Guild Awards", New York Daily News, nydailynews.com. Retrieved on 16 February 2008.
^ Beth Harris (AP Writer) (2008-02-28). "Day-Lewis Dedicates Award to Ledger: Daniel Day-Lewis Dedicates His Screen Actors Guild Award to Heath Ledger", ABC News, abcnews.go.com (Entertainment). Retrieved on 16 March 2008. "That scene in the trailer at the end of the film is as moving as anything I think I've ever seen."
^ "Michelle Wiliams: Heath Ledger Has Broken My Heart" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 1 February 2008.
^ "Michelle Williams Breaks Silence on Heath's Death" (Web), People Magazine, people.com (Time Inc.) (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2 February 2008.
^ a b AAP (2008-02-06). "Heath Ledger's Family Returns to Perth", The Sunday Times (PerthNow), news.com.au. Retrieved on 6 February 2008.
^ Stephen M. Silverman (2008-02-04). "Heath Ledger's Family Heads Home", People Magazine, People.com. Retrieved on 4 February 2008.
^ a b Brenda Rodriguez (2008-02-05). "A Sorrowful Return to Australia for Heath Ledger's Family", People Magazine, People.com. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ AAP (2008-02-09). "Heath Ledger Farewelled at Perth Funeral", news.com.au. Retrieved on 9 February 2008.
^ Associated Press (2008-02-06). "Reports: Michelle Williams Arrives in Perth for Heath Ledger's Funeral", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 7 February 2008.
^ a b Michelle Cazzalino (in Perth) and Ellen Connolly (2008-02-10). "Last, Sad Farewell for Heath", The Sunday Telegraph, LexisNexis.com, p. 5 (Local; State Ed. and Country Main Ed.). Retrieved on 12 February 2008.
^ "Summary Of Record Information: Heath Andrew Ledger" (Web). Karrakatta Cemetery. mcb.wa.gov.au (Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Western Australia). Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
^ Michelle Cazzulino and Stephen Corby (2008-02-10). "Entertainment: Top Stories: Star Swim at Heath Ledger's Farewell: Ledger Wake Held in Perth", www.news.com. Retrieved on 9 February 2008.
^ Wendy Caccetta and Nicole Cox (2008-02-10). "Beach Tribute to Heath Ledger", The Courier Mail, www.news.com.au. Retrieved on 9 February 2008.
^ Michelle Cazzulino and Stephen Corby (2008-02-10). "Michelle Williams Swims at Heath Ledger's Wake", The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au. Retrieved on 10 February 2008.
^ Jane Hammond and Phillipa Prior (2008-02-09). "Celebrities, Friends and Family Remember a Local Star", The West Australian. Retrieved on 9 February 2008.
^ Paul Lieberman (2008-02-06). "Heath Ledger's Death Ruled Accidental Overdose", The Los Angeles Times, LATimes.com. Retrieved on 6 February 2008.
^ a b Larry King (2008-02-06). "Video: Larry King Live: Ledger Death" (Web Video clip), Larry King Live, CNN. Retrieved on 5 February 2008. "CNN's Larry King talks to guests about the finding that actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose."
^ Chris Harris (2008-01-24). "Heath Ledger's Last Hours: New Details Emerge" (Web), MTV Movie News, mtv.com (MTV Networks). Retrieved on 8 August 2008.
^ Peter Mitchell (2008-02-07). "Heath Ledger Death Results Delayed" (Web), The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au. Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
^ "Home deaths from Drug Errors Soar", CNN, cnn.com (Associated Press) (2008-07-28). Retrieved on 4 August 2008. "Deaths from medication mistakes at home, such as actor Heath Ledger's accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds. ... The findings, based on nearly 50 million U.S. death certificates, are published in Monday [4 August 2008]'s Archives of Internal Medicine. Of those, more than 224,000 involved fatal medication errors, including overdoses and mixing prescription drugs with alcohol or street drugs. ... Deaths from medication mistakes at home increased from 1,132 deaths in 1983 to 12,426 in 2004. Adjusted for population growth, that amounts to an increase of more than 700 percent during that time."
^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (2008-02-29). "Heath Ledger Doctors Cleared", Hollywood.com, Hollywood Media Corp.. Retrieved on 5 March 2008.
^ Nicole Weisensee Egan (2008-02-28). "Report: Doctors Cleared in Ledger Investigation", People, people.com. Retrieved on 5 March 2008.
^ Murray Weiss (2008-08-04). "Olsen to Heath Feds: Let's Deal: Demands Immunity from Probers" (Web), New York Post, nypost.com (News Corporation). Retrieved on 4 August 2008.
^ "Official: Mark-Kate Olsen silent on Ledger OD" (Web). Associated Press. MSNBC (2008-08-04). Retrieved on 2008-10-27.
^ Staff and Agencies (2008-08-05). "Mary-Kate Olsen Denies Supplying Heath Ledger with Drugs" (Web), The Guardian, guardian.co.uk (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved on 5 August 2008.
^ "Olsen Seeks Immunity over Ledger" (Web), BBC News, BBC (2008-08-05). Retrieved on 5 August 2008.
^ "Lawyer: Mary-Kate Olsen Had 'Nothing to Do' with Heath Ledger's Drugs" (Web), People, people.com (Time Inc.) (2008-08-04). Retrieved on 5 August 2008.
^ Nicole Weisensee Egan (2008-08-06). "Source: Feds Officially Close Heath Ledger Investigation" (Web), People, people.com (Time Inc.). Retrieved on 6 August 2008.
^ a b Shawn Adler (2008-08-06). "Heath Ledger Investigation Reportedly Closed; Mary-Kate Olsen Won't Have to Testify: U.S. Attorney's Office Filed No Charges Before Closing Probe into Actor's Overdose Death" (Web), MTV.com, MTV. Retrieved on 6 August 2008.
^ Fox News and the Associated Press (2008-08-06). "Investigation into Heath Ledger's Death Closed" (Web), Fox News, foxnews.com (News Corporation). Retrieved on 6 August 2008.
^ Heath Ledger (2008-03-27). "Last Will & Testament" (Web). TMZ.com (Documents). aolcdn.com (reposted on 12 April 2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
^ TMZ staff (2008-03-27). "Celebrity Justice: Heath's Will -- No Joke", TMZ.com (blog), tmz.com. Retrieved on 23 April 2008.
^ a b "Ledger's Uncles: Michelle Williams May Have to Fight for Matilda’s Inheritance" (Web), Fox News, foxnews.com (2008-03-10). Retrieved on 23 April 2008. "Kim Ledger moved quickly to deny his granddaughter and Michelle Williams would be left without an inheritance and said Matilda was his family's absolute priority. 'Matilda is our absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family ... They will be taken care of and that's how Heath would want it to be,' Kim Ledger says in the statement. ... The uncles estimated their nephew's estate would be worth Australian $20 million after his earnings from the latest 'Batman' movie were calculated."
^ Sean Cowan (2008-03-15). "Ledger Feud Grows Over 'second' Will", The Age, theage.com.au. Retrieved on 15 March 2008. "Some of Heath Ledger's relatives may be planning a legal challenge against his will after it emerged the actor may have written a second will after his daughter was born, leaving most of his multimillion-dollar fortune to her. ... Ledger's second will, which is understood to be unsigned, was reportedly drawn up after Matilda's birth. ... The looming battle over which of Ledger's wills should be used to divide his estate ... has caused waves on this side of the Pacific, with his uncles Mike and Haydn Ledger accusing their brother — and Heath's father — Kim of mismanaging their late grandfather's [A]$2 million estate. ... Kim Ledger hit back this week, issuing a statement claiming his estranged brothers did not know what they were talking about. ... Under the terms of the first will, the division of the estate will be managed by Kim Ledger's former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson."
^ Peter Mitchell (2008-09-03). "Ledger's Estate Sells His Hollywood Hills Home", news.com.au, News Limited. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. "[According to Los Angeles County public records], Heath Ledger's estate has sold ... [his] Hollywood Hills home ... for [US]$US2.5 million ($A2.99 million) [in May 2008]."
^ Melissa Castellanos (2008-03-24). "Williams' Dad Questions Ledger's Will: Larry Williams Wants Kim Ledger To Explain Why Estate Is Valued At Only $145,000", Showbuzz, cbsnews.com. Retrieved on 30 March 2008.
^ Gemma Jones and Janet Fife-Yeomans (2008-03-31). "Did Heath Ledger Father a Secret Love Child?", The Daily Telegraph, news.com.au. Retrieved on 25 July 2008. "The April will lists only [US]$145,000 in assets and names the late actor's father, Kim, mother Sally Bell, sister Kate Ledger and half sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell as the only beneficiaries. The New York documents also acknowledge Matilda Rose, as Ledger's only known child, as an interested party."
^ Garry Maddox (2009-03-29). "Good Will Hunting", The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 30 March 2008. "Beyond the tangled web of Heath Ledger's estate, two final films and his celebrated Brokeback performance ensure the money will keep flowing."
^ Nick Squires (2008-04-01). "Heath Ledger 'fathered a secret love child' " (Web), The Daily Telegraph (UK), Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 6 August 2008. "If the claims are proved to be true, Ledger's multi-million pound estate would have to be divided between the child he fathered in his teens and his two-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, whose mother is Hollywood actress Michelle Williams. ... The actor's parents, Kim and Sally Ledger, have declined to comment on the reports [based on comments by other family members, including his uncle Haydn Ledger]."
^ "Denied: No Love Child for Heath Ledger" (Web), OK!, okmagazine.com (OK! Magazine, Northern & Shell North America Ltd.) (2008-04-03). Retrieved on 6 August 2008.
^ "Heath Ledger's Uncle: Love Child Reports Are 'absolutely beserk' " (Web), Us Weekly, usmagazine.com (Wenner Media LLC) (2008-04-03). Retrieved on 6 August 2008.
^ a b Janet Fife-Yeomans (2008-07-15). "Entertainment: Heath Ledger's Daughter Matilda's Estate Claim Decision" (Web), news.com.au, News Limited. Retrieved on 10 August 2008. "[Matilda Rose's] mother, actor Michelle Williams, will have to officially lodge a claim with the court supported by an affadavit which could end up in the public domain, legal experts said."
^ a b Joyce Eng (2008-09-29). "Heath Ledger's Daughter to Inherit Estate" (Web), tvguide.com (Community Blog entry), OpenGate Capital. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ a b Associated Press (2008-09-29). "Ledger's Daughter to Inherit Late Actor's Estate" (Web), AOL Australia Celebrity Channel, AOL Australia. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ Michelle Nichols (2008-10-29). "Elvis Ranked Top-earning Dead Celebrity" (Web). Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved on 2008-12-10. "Forbes.com said it spoke to experts and sources inside the dead celebrities' estates and researched gross earnings, before taxes, management fees and other costs, from the period of October 2007 to October 2008 to come up with the rankings." Based on its estimates, Nichols reports, Forbes.com ranks Ledger as third among the world's highest-earning deceased celebrities for that year, following Elvis Presley (1) and Charles M. Schulz (2).
^ a b Larry Carroll (2008-03-18). "'Dark Knight' Stars, Director Want Film To 'Celebrate' Heath Ledger's Work" (Web), MTV (Movies), mtv.com. Retrieved on 27 April 2008.
^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (2008-01-28). "Gilliam Trying to Save Last Ledger Film", Hollywood.com, Hollywood Media Corp.. Retrieved on 2 February 2008.
^ Matt Brady (2008-01-23). "Heath Ledger Dies" (Web), Newsarama (Forum), forum.newsarama.com. Retrieved on 22 January 2008.
^ "Moriarty" (2008-02-15). "AICN exclusive! We Know Who’s Paying Tribute To Heath Ledger In Dr. Parnassus Now!" (Web), aintitcool.com, Ain't It Cool News (Harry Knowles). Retrieved on 17 February 2008.
^ Shawn Adler (2008-02-15). "Heath Ledger's Final Film To Go Forward - With Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell in His Role", MTV. Retrieved on 15 February 2008. "Report: The three actors have signed on to complete film. ... Heath Ledger died last month at the age of 28, but his final performance will live on - thanks to a little creativity and some famous friends. ... Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell have all signed on to film scenes as Ledger's character in Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,' a magical re-telling of the Faust story, according to Aintitcoolnews.com. The announcement serves as a memorial tribute to the man many have called one of the best actors of his generation."
^ "Arts Briefly: Three Actors Replace Heath Ledger" (Web), The New York Times, The New York Times Company (2008-02-19). Retrieved on 19 February 2008. "Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp ... will replace Heath Ledger ... in the film he was starring in when he died last month, Ain't It Cool News reported. ... Mr. Ledger was playing a character who is transported into three separate dimensions. These will now be inhabited, instead, by Mr. Depp, Mr. Law and Mr. Farrell."
^ "Trio Give Fees to Ledger's Child" (Web), BBC News, bbc.co.uk (BBC) (2008-08-19). Retrieved on 20 August 2008. "The trio of actors who replaced Heath Ledger in his final film have donated their fees for the movie to the late star's young daughter. ... Gilliam said: 'They didn't take money – it goes to Heath's daughter. ... The great thing about it was that when Heath died those three actors came along and saved the day. It's now four actors creating one character.' "
^ Scott Brown. "Dark Knight Director Shuns Digital Effects for the Real Thing" (Web). Wired (wired.com (Condé Nast Publications)) (24 June 2008). http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/16-07/ff_darknight?currentPage=all. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ "Dark Knight Dedicated to Ledger" (Web), BBC News Online, bbc.co.uk (2008-06-27). Retrieved on 27 June 2008. "The special tribute reads: 'In memory of our friends Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe'."
^ Brandon Gray (2008-07-23). "News: 'Dark Knight' Begins Smashingly" (Web). Box Office Mojo. boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02. "'I give credit to [Dark Knight writer-director] [sic] Christopher Nolan,' said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros.' president of distribution. 'With Batman Begins, he picked up on the last Batman [Batman and Robin] [sic], which was down to $107 million, and started a new franchise. We did $205 million, almost double. With strong DVD sales and terrific showings on television, we built a bigger audience base.' Fellman also credited The Dark Knight's trailer, the Joker villain, Heath Ledger's performance and positive early reviews among other factors. 'All of this led to the groundswell,' Fellman added."
^ David Denby. "The Current Cinema: Past Shock: 'The Dark Knight' and 'WALL-E' " (Web). The New Yorker (newyorker.com (Condé Nast Publications)) (21 July 2008): 92–93. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/07/21/080721crci_cinema_denby. Retrieved on 17 July 2008. "When Ledger wields a knife, he is thoroughly terrifying (do not, despite the PG-13 rating, bring the children), and, as you're watching him, you can't help wondering—in a response that admittedly lies outside film criticism—how badly he messed himself up in order to play the role this way.". (Postdated)
^ "Christian Bale: Blaming Heath Ledger's Death on Joker Role Is 'Rude' " (Web). US Weekly (usmagazine.com (Wenner Media LLC)) (14 July 2008). http://www.usmagazine.com/christian-bale-blaming-heath-ledgers-death-on-joker-role-is-rude. Retrieved on 3 August 2008. "Christian Bale, who plays Batman in The Dark Knight, says it is inaccurate to blame co-star Heath Ledger's death on his role as the Joker. ... 'Personally, I find it to be a complete lack of understanding of acting,' the actor, 34, told Matt Lauer on Today Monday [14 July 2008] (Watch above ). ...'I also found it very rude to try to create some kind of a sound bite for such a tragedy,' Bale said. 'The man was a complex man, he [was] a good man. I saw him as having nothing but the best time playing the Joker.' ". [Includes video clip and related hyperlinks.]
^ Jessica Herndon. "Britney Spears, Heath Ledger Get People's Choice Nods" (Web), People, Time Inc. (Time Warner)date=2008-11-10. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ Nina Hämmerling Smith (2008-07-28). "Movie News: Ledger's Knight Costars Call for Posthumous Oscar" (Web). tvguide.com (Community: TV Guide Editors' Blog entry). OpenGate Capital. Retrieved on 2008-12-11.
^ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2008-08-04). "Key Dates Announced for 81st Academy Awards®". Press release. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
^ Christopher Campbell (2007-10-09). "Details about Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus'" (Web). Cinematical.com. Moviefone (AOL). Retrieved on 2008-08-02. "[via Rotten Tomatoes]."
^ Heather Adler (2007-04-10). "(Not So) Modest Mouse Speaks" (Web). dose.ca. Canwest Interactive. Retrieved on 2008-12-12. "Hunky Hollywood actor Heath Ledger has even signed up to create a video for an unreleased track with legendary animator Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame. ... 'We kind of befriended Heath Ledger awhile back through our tour manager and he'd been wanting to do a video,' [lead singer and guitarist Isaac] Brock explains. 'Just recently, a couple of days ago, he [Ledger] said Terry Gilliam wants to animate it. ... It's for a song that's not even on the record. It's called "King Rat." ' ... The song will also be available on a forthcoming Modest Mouse EP that will feature tracks that didn't make it onto We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Brock says he isn't sure when the second disc will be ready due to time constraints...."

Filmography

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Ship to Shore Cyclist
1996 Sweat Snowy Bowles Series regular
1997 Home and Away Scott Irwin Guest
Roar Conor Series regular


Film
See also: List of Heath Ledger's awards and nominations
# Year Title Role Notes Country
1 1992 Clowning Around Orphan clown AUS
2 1997 Blackrock Toby AUS
3 Paws Oberon AUS
4 1999 Two Hands Jimmy AFI Award nominee (Best Actor in a Leading Role) AUS
5 10 Things I Hate About You Patrick Verona MTV Movie Awards Nominee (Best Musical Sequence) U.S.
6 2000 The Patriot Gabriel Martin U.S.
7 2001 Monster's Ball Sonny Grotowski U.S.
8 A Knight's Tale Sir William Thatcher / Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland MTV Movie Awards nominee (Best Kiss, Best Musical Sequence; both shared with Shannyn Sossamon) U.S.
9 2002 The Four Feathers Harry Faversham U.S.
10 2003 The Order Alex Bernier U.S.
11 Ned Kelly Ned Kelly AFI Award nominee (Best Actor in a Leading Role) AUS
12 2005 Casanova Giacomo Casanova U.S.
13 The Brothers Grimm Jacob Grimm U.S.
14 Lords of Dogtown Skip Engblom U.S.
15 Brokeback Mountain Ennis del Mar Academy Award nominee (Best Lead Actor)
Golden Globe nominee (Best Lead Actor - Drama)
BAFTA Award nominee (Best Lead Actor)
SAG nominee (Best Lead Actor, Best Ensemble Cast)
AFI Award (International Award for Best Actor, Reader's Choice Best Actor)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
MTV Movie Awards (Best Kiss, shared with Jake Gyllenhaal)
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor U.S.
16 2006 Candy Dan AFI Award nominee (Best Actor in a Leading Role)
IF Award nominee (Best Actor)
FCCA Award nominee (Best Actor) AUS
17 2007 I'm Not There Robbie Clark Ledger posthumously shared 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with cast and crew presented on 23 February 2008. U.S.
18 2008 The Dark Knight The Joker Released in July 2008, six months after Ledger's death.
AFI International Award (Best Actor)
GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards (Best Actor)
LAFCA Award (Best Supporting Actor)
Scream Awards (Best Actor in a Fantasy Movie or TV Show, Best Villain, Best Line); nominee (Most Memorable Mutilation)
Golden Globe Award (Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture) (nominee; TBD) U.S.
19 2009 The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Tony[156] post-production

Posthumous films

Main articles: The Dark Knight and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Ledger's death affected the marketing campaign for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008)[16][21] and also both the production and marketing of Terry Gilliam's forthcoming film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, with both directors intending to celebrate and pay tribute to his work in these films.[19][20][21][141] Although Gilliam temporarily suspended production on the latter film,[20] he expressed determination to "salvage" it, perhaps using computer-generated imagery (CGI), and plans to dedicate it to Ledger.[87][142][143] In February 2008, as a "memorial tribute to the man many have called one of the best actors of his generation," Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell signed on to take over Ledger's role, becoming multiple incarnations of his character, Tony, transformed in this "magical re-telling of the Faust story,"[144][145][146] and the three actors have donated their fees for the film to Ledger's and Williams' daughter.[147]

Speaking of editing The Dark Knight, on which Ledger had completed his work in October 2007, Nolan recalled, "It was tremendously emotional, right when he passed, having to go back in and look at him every day. ... But the truth is, I feel very lucky to have something productive to do, to have a performance that he was very, very proud of, and that he had entrusted to me to finish."[141] All of Ledger's scenes appear as he completed them in the filming; in editing the film, Nolan added no "digital effects" to alter Ledger's actual performance posthumously.[148] Nolan dedicated the film in part to Ledger's memory, as well as to the memory of technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed during a car accident while preparing one of the film's stunts.[149]

Released in July 2008, The Dark Knight broke several box office records and received both popular and critical accolades, especially with regard to Ledger's performance as the Joker.[150] Even film critic David Denby, who does not praise the film overall in his pre-release review in The New Yorker, evaluates Ledger's work highly, describing his performance as both "sinister and frightening" and Ledger as "mesmerising in every scene", concluding: "His performance is a heroic, unsettling final act: this young actor looked into the abyss."[151] Attempting to dispel widespread speculations that Ledger's performance as the Joker had in any way led to his death (as Denby and others suggest), Ledger's costar and friend Christian Bale, who played opposite him as Batman, has stressed that, as an actor, Ledger greatly enjoyed meeting the challenges of creating that role, an experience that Ledger himself described as "the most fun I’ve ever had, or probably ever will have, playing a character."[16][152]

On 10 November 2008, he was nominated for two People's Choice Awards related to his work on the film, "Best Ensemble Cast" and "Best Onscreen Match-Up" (shared with Christian Bale); the online voting for those as-yet unannounced awards since closed, with the 35th anniversary awards ceremony airing on CBS on 7 January 2009.[153]

On 11 December 2008, it was announced that Ledger has been nominated for a posthumous Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight; the awards will be presented at the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony telecast on NBC on 11 January 2009.[10][11][12]

Along with other film critics, audience members, and many of Ledger's colleagues in the film community, his other costars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine have joined Bale in calling for and predicting a posthumous nomination for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of Ledger's achievement in The Dark Knight.[154] Nominations for the awards

Press controversies

Press controversies
Ledger's relationship with the press in Australia was sometimes turbulent, and it led to his relocating to New York City.[79][80] In 2004 he strongly denied press reports alleging that "he spat at journalists on the Sydney set of the movie Candy," or that one of his relatives had done so later, outside Ledger's Sydney home.[79][80] On 13 January 2006, "Several members of the paparazzi retaliated ... squirting Ledger and Williams with water pistols on the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of Brokeback Mountain."[81][82]

After his performance on stage at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards, when he had giggled in presenting Brokeback Mountain as a nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the Los Angeles Times referred to his presentation as an "apparent gay spoof."[83] Ledger called the Times later and explained that his levity resulted from stage fright, saying that he had been told that he would be presenting the award only minutes earlier; he stated: "I am so sorry and I apologise for my nervousness. I would be absolutely horrified if my stage fright was misinterpreted as a lack of respect for the film, the topic and for the amazing filmmakers."[84][85]

Ledger was quoted in January 2006 in Melbourne's Herald Sun as saying that he heard that West Virginia had banned Brokeback Mountain, which it had not; actually, a cinema in Utah had banned the film.[80] He had also referred mistakenly to West Virginia's having had lynchings as recently as the 1980s, but state scholars disputed his statement, observing that, whereas lynchings did occur in Alabama as recently as 1981, according to "the director of state archives and history" quoted in The Charleston Gazette, "The last documented lynching in West Virginia took place in Lewisburg in 1931."[86]

Family and personal life

Family and personal life
Heath Ledger was born on 4 April 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, the son of Sally Ledger Bell (née Ramshaw), a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, a racing-car driver and mining engineer, whose family established and owned the Ledger Engineering Foundry.[24][25][26] The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust is named after his great-grandfather.[24] Ledger attended Mary's Mount Primary School, in Gooseberry Hill,[27][28] and later Guildford Grammar School, where he had his first acting experiences, starring in a school production as Peter Pan at age 10.[6][24] His parents separated when he was 10 and divorced when he was 11.[29] 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.[24][30][31][32] 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.[33]

Ledger was an avid chess player, winning Western Australia's junior chess championship at the age of 10.[34][35] As an adult, he often played with other chess enthusiasts at Washington Square Park.[36][37] Allan Scott's film adaptation of the chess-related 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit, by Walter Tevis, which at the time of his death he was planning both to perform in and to direct, would have been Ledger's first feature film as a director.[4][38]

Among his most-notable romantic relationships, Ledger dated actress Heather Graham for several months in 2000 to 2001,[39] and he had a serious on-and-off-again long-term relationship with actress Naomi Watts, whom he met during the filming of Ned Kelly and with whom he lived at times from 2002 to 2004.[40][41] In the summer of 2004, he met and began dating actress Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and their daughter, Matilda Rose, was born on 28 October 2005 in New York City.[42] Matilda Rose's godparents are Ledger's Brokeback co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams' Dawson's Creek castmate Busy Philipps.[43][44] Problems with paparazzi in Australia prompted Ledger to sell his residence in Bronte, New South Wales and move to the United States, where he shared an apartment with Williams, in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, from 2005 to 2007.[5][45][46][47][48] In September 2007, Williams' father, Larry Williams, confirmed to Sydney's Daily Telegraph that Ledger and Williams had ended their relationship.[49] After his break up with Williams, in late 2007 and early 2008, the tabloid press and other public media linked Ledger romantically with supermodels Helena Christensen and Gemma Ward and with former child star, actress Mary-Kate Olsen.[50][51][52][53]

Bio

Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Academy Award-nominated Australian television and film actor.

After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his movie career. His work includes nineteen films, most notably 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), Monster's Ball (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), and The Dark Knight (2008).[1][2] In addition to his acting, he produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.[3][4]

For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Ledger won the 2005 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and the 2006 "Best Actor" award from the Australian Film Institute and was nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor[5][6][1] as well as the 2006 Best Actor award from the BAFTA. Posthumously he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast, the director, and the casting director for the film, I'm Not There which was inspired by the life and songs of American singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan. In the film, Ledger portrayed a fictional actor named Robbie Clark, one of six characters embodying aspects of the iconic Dylan.[3][7] He has also been nominated for and won awards for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, including a Best Actor International award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards, for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously,[8][9] and, also posthumously, the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor.[10][11][12]

He died at the age of 28, "from an accidental overdose of prescription medications."[5][6][13][14][15] A few months before his death, Ledger had finished filming his penultimate performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight.[16][17][18] At the time of his death, on 22 January 2008, he had completed about half of his work performing the role of Tony in Terry Gilliam's forthcoming film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.[16][19][20][21][22][23]

Contents [hide]
1 Family and personal life
2 Career
2.1 1990s
2.2 2000s
2.3 Directorial work
3 Press controversies
4 Sleep difficulties and other work-related health issues
5 Death
5.1 Memorial tributes and services
5.2 Autopsy and toxicological analysis
5.3 Federal investigation
5.4 Controversy over will
6 Posthumous films
7 Filmography
7.1 Television
7.2 Film
7.3 Music videos
8 See also
9 Notes
10 Additional resources
11 External links