Heath Ledger - Wikipedia Heath Ledger Jump to : navigation , search Heath Ledger Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2006 Heath Andrew Ledger ( 1979 - 04 - 04 ) 4 April 1979 Perth , Western Australia , Australia 22 January 2008 ( 2008 - 01 - 22 ) ( aged 28 ) New York City , New York , U.S. Cause of death Cardiac arrest brought on by prescription drug intoxication Resting place Karrakatta Cemetery Occupation Actor , music video director Years active 1993 -- 2008 Partner ( s ) Michelle Williams ( 2004 -- 2007 ) Heath Andrew Ledger ( 4 April 1979 -- 22 January 2008 ) was an Australian actor and director . After performing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s , Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to further develop his film career . His work comprised nineteen films , including 10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 ) , The Patriot ( 2000 ) , A Knight 's Tale ( 2001 ) , Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) , Lords of Dogtown ( 2005 ) , Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) , The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) , and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ( 2009 ) , the latter two being posthumous releases . He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director . For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain , Ledger won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Best International Actor from the Australian Film Institute , and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best Actor . 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 Dylan 's life and persona . Ledger died on 22 January 2008 from an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs . A few months before his death , Ledger had finished filming his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight . His death occurred during editing of The Dark Knight and in the midst of filming his last role as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . His untimely death cast a shadow over the subsequent promotion of the $185 million Batman production . Ledger received numerous posthumous accolades for his critically acclaimed performance in the film , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , a Best Actor International Award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards ( for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously ) , the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor , the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture , and the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor . Contents ( hide ) 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 1990s 2.2 2000s 2.3 Directorial work 3 Personal life 3.1 Relationships 4 Press controversies 5 Health issues 6 Death 6.1 Autopsy and toxicology report 6.2 Federal investigation 6.3 Effect on fans 6.4 Controversy over will 7 Legacy 7.1 Memorial tributes and services 7.2 Method and style 7.3 Posthumous films and awards 8 Filmography 8.1 Film 8.2 Television 8.3 Music video 9 Accolades 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links Early life ( edit ) Ledger was born in Perth , Western Australia , the son of Sally Ledger ( née Ramshaw ) , a French teacher , and Kim Ledger , a racecar driver and mining engineer whose family established and owned the Ledger Engineering Foundry . The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust is named after his great - grandfather . He had English , Irish , and Scottish ancestry . Ledger attended Mary 's Mount Primary School in Gooseberry Hill , 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 , to 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 . Ledger 's two half - sisters are Ashleigh Bell ( b . 1990 ) , his mother 's daughter with her second husband and his stepfather Roger Bell , and Olivia Ledger ( b . 1996 ) , his father 's daughter with second wife and his stepmother Emma Brown . Career ( edit ) 1990s ( edit ) After sitting for early graduation exams at age 17 , Ledger left school to pursue an acting career . With Trevor DiCarlo , his best friend since he was three years old , Ledger drove across Australia from Perth to Sydney , returning to Perth to take a small role in Clowning Around ( 1992 ) , the first part of a two - part television series , and to work on the TV series Sweat ( 1996 ) , in which he played a gay cyclist . From 1993 to 1997 , Ledger also had parts in the Perth television series Ship to Shore ( 1993 ) ; in the short - lived Fox Broadcasting Company fantasy - drama Roar ( 1997 ) ; in Home and Away ( 1997 ) , one of Australia 's most successful television shows ; and in the Australian film Blackrock ( 1997 ) , his feature film debut . In 1999 , he starred in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and in the acclaimed Australian crime film Two Hands , directed by Gregor Jordan . 2000s ( edit ) From 2000 to 2005 , he starred in supporting roles as Gabriel Martin , the eldest son of Benjamin Martin ( Mel Gibson ) , in The Patriot ( 2000 ) , and as Sonny Grotowski , the son of Hank Grotowski ( Billy Bob Thornton ) , in Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) ; and in 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 of Dogtown ( 2005 ) . In 2001 , he won a ShoWest Award as `` Male Star of Tomorrow '' . Ledger received `` Best Actor of 2005 '' awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle for his performance in Brokeback Mountain , in which he plays Wyoming ranch hand Ennis Del Mar , who has a love affair with aspiring rodeo rider Jack Twist , played by Jake Gyllenhaal . He also received a nomination for Golden Globe Best Actor in a Drama and a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance , making him , at age 26 , the ninth - youngest nominee for a Best Actor Oscar . In The New York Times review of the film , critic Stephen Holden writes : `` Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable . Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean , sinewy character . It is a great screen performance , as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn . '' In a review in Rolling Stone , Peter Travers states : `` Ledger 's magnificent performance is an acting miracle . He seems to tear it from his insides . Ledger does n't just know how Ennis moves , speaks and listens ; he knows how he breathes . To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack 's closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost . '' After Brokeback Mountain , Ledger costarred with fellow Australian Abbie Cornish in the 2006 Australian film Candy , an adaptation of the 1998 novel Candy : A Novel of Love and Addiction , as young heroin addicts in love attempting to break free of their addiction , whose mentor is played by Geoffrey Rush ; for his performance as sometime poet Dan , Ledger was nominated for three `` Best Actor '' awards , including one of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards , which both Cornish and Rush won in their categories . Shortly after the release of Candy , Ledger was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . As one of six actors embodying different aspects of the life of Bob Dylan in the 2007 film I 'm Not There , directed by Todd Haynes , Ledger `` won praise for his portrayal of ' Robbie ( Clark ) , ' a moody , counter-culture actor who represents the romanticist side of Dylan , but says accolades are never his motivation '' . Posthumously , on 23 February 2008 , he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the film 's ensemble cast , its director , and its casting director . In his penultimate film performance , Ledger played the Joker in Christopher Nolan 's 2008 film The Dark Knight , released nearly six months after his death . While working on the film in London , Ledger told Sarah Lyall in their New York Times interview that he viewed The Dark Knight 's Joker as a `` psychopathic , mass murdering , schizophrenic clown with zero empathy '' . For his work on The Dark Knight , Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with his family accepting it on his behalf , as well as numerous other posthumous awards , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor , which Christopher Nolan accepted for him . At the time of his death on 22 January 2008 , Ledger had completed about half of the work for his final film performance as Tony in Terry Gilliam 's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . Gilliam chose to adapt the film after his death by having fellow actors Johnny Depp , Jude Law , and Colin Farrell play `` fantasy transformations '' of his character so that Ledger 's final performance could be seen in theatres . Directorial work ( edit ) Ledger ( rightmost ) posing with the cast and the director of I 'm Not There at the 64th Venice Film Festival in September 2007 . Ledger had aspirations to become a film director and had made some music videos , which director Todd Haynes praised highly in his tribute to Ledger upon accepting the ISP Robert Altman Award , which Ledger posthumously shared , on 23 February 2008 . In 2006 , Ledger directed music videos for the title track on Australian hip hop artist N'fa 's CD debut solo album Cause An Effect and for the single `` Seduction Is Evil ( She 's Hot ) '' . Later that year , Ledger inaugurated a new record label , Masses Music , with singer Ben Harper and also directed a music video for Harper 's song `` Morning Yearning '' . At a news conference at the 2007 Venice Film Festival , Ledger spoke of his desire to make a documentary film about the British singer - songwriter Nick Drake , who died in 1974 , at the age of 26 , from an overdose of an antidepressant . Ledger created and acted in a music video set to 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 ) ; it was shown publicly only twice , first at the Bumbershoot Festival , in Seattle , held from 1 to 3 September 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 '' ( including Ledger 's ) , sponsored by American Cinematheque , at the Grauman 's Egyptian Theatre , in Hollywood , on 5 October 2007 . After Ledger 's death , his music video for `` Black Eyed Dog '' was shown on the Internet and excerpted in news clips distributed via YouTube . He was working with Scottish screenwriter and producer Allan Scott on an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Queen 's Gambit by Walter Tevis , which would have been his first feature film as a director . He also intended to act in the film , with Canadian actress Ellen Page proposed in the lead role . Ledger 's final directorial work , in which he shot two music videos before his death , premiered in 2009 . The music videos , completed for Modest Mouse and Grace Woodroofe , include an animated feature for Modest Mouse 's song , `` King Rat '' , and the Woodroofe video for her cover of David Bowie 's `` Quicksand '' . The `` King Rat '' video premiered on 4 August 2009 . Personal life ( edit ) Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2006 Ledger 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 . Ledger also had a keen interest in the West Coast Eagles , a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League and are based in his hometown of Perth . 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 to both perform in and direct , would have been Ledger 's first feature film as a director . Relationships ( edit ) Ledger had relationships with actresses Lisa Zane , Heather Graham and Naomi Watts . In 2004 , he met and began dating actress Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain . Their daughter , Matilda Rose , was born on 28 October 2005 in New York City . Matilda 's godparents are Brokeback co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams ' Dawson 's Creek co-star Busy Philipps . In January 2006 , Ledger put his residence in Bronte , New South Wales up for sale , and returned to the United States , where he shared a house with Williams , in Boerum Hill , Brooklyn , from 2005 to 2007 . In September 2007 , Williams ' father confirmed to Sydney 's Daily Telegraph that Ledger and Williams had ended their relationship . After Ledger 's death , multiple news outlets reported that his drug abuse had prompted Williams to request that he move out of the apartment they shared in Brooklyn . 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 . On 30 January 2011 , Ward stated that the pair began dating in November 2007 and their families spent Christmas together in their home town of Perth . Press controversies ( edit ) Ledger 's relationship with the press in Australia was sometimes turbulent , and it led to his abandonment of plans for his family to reside part - time in Sydney . In 2004 , he strongly denied press reports alleging that `` he spat at journalists on the Sydney set of the film Candy '' , or that one of his relatives had done so later , outside Ledger 's Sydney home . 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 '' . 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 '' . 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 . '' 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 . 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 . '' Health issues ( edit ) In their New York Times interview , published on 4 November 2007 , Ledger told Sarah Lyall that his recently completed roles in I 'm Not There ( 2007 ) and The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) had taken a toll on his ability to sleep : `` Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night ... I could n't stop thinking . My body was exhausted , and my mind was still going . '' At that time , he told Lyall that he had taken two Ambien pills , after taking just one had not sufficed , and those left him in `` a stupor , only to wake up an hour later , his mind still racing . '' Prior to his return to New York from his last film assignment , in London , in January 2008 , while he was apparently suffering from some kind of respiratory illness , he reportedly complained to his co-star from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , Christopher Plummer , that he was continuing to have difficulty sleeping and taking pills to help with that problem : `` Confirming earlier reports that Ledger had n't been feeling well on set , Plummer says , ' we all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible , damp nights . But Heath 's went on and I do n't think he dealt with it immediately with the antibiotics ... I think what he did have was the walking pneumonia . ' ( ... ) On top of that , ' He was saying all the time , ' dammit , I ca n't sleep ' ... and he was taking all these pills to help him . ' '' In talking with Interview magazine , after his death , Ledger 's former fiancée Michelle Williams also confirmed reports the actor had experienced trouble sleeping . `` For as long as I 'd known him , he had bouts with insomnia . He had too much energy . His mind was turning , turning , turning -- always turning . '' Death ( edit ) At about 2 : 45 pm ( EST ) , on 22 January 2008 , Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper , Teresa Solomon , and his masseuse , Diana Wolozin , in his fourth - floor loft apartment at 421 Broome Street in the SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan . According to the police , Wolozin , who had arrived early for a 3 : 00 pm appointment with Ledger , called Ledger 's friend Mary - Kate Olsen for help . Olsen , who was in California , directed a New York City private security guard to go to the scene . At 3 : 26 pm , `` less than 15 minutes after she first saw him in bed and only a few moments after the first call to Ms. Olsen '' , Wolozin telephoned 9 - 1 - 1 `` to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing '' . At the urging of the 9 - 1 - 1 operator , Wolozin administered CPR , which was unsuccessful in reviving him . Paramedics and emergency medical technicians arrived seven minutes later , at 3 : 33 pm ( `` at almost exactly the same moment as a private security guard summoned by Ms. Olsen '' ) but were also unable to revive him . At 3 : 36 pm , Ledger was pronounced dead , and his body was removed from the apartment . Autopsy and Toxicology report ( edit ) Two weeks later on 6 February 2008 , the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released its conclusions , based on an initial autopsy of 23 January 2008 and a subsequent complete toxicological analysis . The report concludes , in part , `` Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone , hydrocodone , diazepam , temazepam , alprazolam and doxylamine . '' It states definitively : `` We have concluded that the manner of death is accident , resulting from the abuse of prescribed medications . '' While the medications found in the toxicological analysis may be prescribed in the United States for insomnia , anxiety , pain , or common cold ( doxylamine ) symptoms , the vast majority of physicians in the US are extremely reluctant to prescribe multiple benzodiazepines ( e.g. , diazepam , alprazolam , and temazepam ) to a single patient , let alone prescribe the same to a patient already taking a mix of oxycodone and hydrocodone . Although the Associated Press and other media reported that `` police estimate Ledger 's time of death between 1 pm and 2 : 45 pm '' ( on 22 January 2008 ) , the Medical Examiner 's Office announced that it would not be publicly disclosing the official estimated time of death . The official announcement of the cause and manner of Ledger 's death heightened concerns about the growing problems of prescription drug abuse or misuse and combined drug intoxication ( CDI ) . Dr. Jason Payne - James , a forensic pathologist , has believed that Ledger might have survived if hydrocodone and oxycodone had been left out of the combination of drugs that the actor took just prior to his death . Federal Investigation ( edit ) Late in February 2008 , a DEA investigation of medical professionals relating to Ledger 's death exonerated two American physicians , who practice in Los Angeles and Houston , of any wrongdoing , determining that `` the doctors in question had prescribed Ledger other medications -- not the pills that killed him . '' On 4 August 2008 , citing unnamed sources , Murray Weiss , of the New York Post , first reported that Mary - Kate Olsen had `` refused ( through her attorney , Michael C. Miller ) to be interviewed by federal investigators probing the accidental drug death of her close friend Heath Ledger ... ( without ) ... immunity from prosecution '' and that , when asked about the matter , Miller at first declined further comment . Later that day , after the police confirmed the gist of Weiss 's account to the Associated Press , Miller issued a statement denying that Olsen supplied Ledger with the drugs causing his death and asserting that she did not know their source . In his statement , Miller said specifically , `` Despite tabloid speculation , Mary - Kate Olsen had nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger 's home or his body , and she does not know where he obtained them , '' emphasizing that media `` descriptions ( attributed to an unidentified source ) are incomplete and inaccurate . '' After a flurry of further media speculation , on 6 August 2008 , the US Attorney 's Office in Manhattan closed its investigation into Ledger 's death without filing any charges and rendering moot its subpoena of Olsen . With the clearing of the two doctors and Olsen , and the closing of the investigation because the prosecutors in the Manhattan US Attorney 's Office `` do n't believe there 's a viable target , '' it is still not known how Ledger obtained the oxycodone and hydrocodone in the lethal drug combination that killed him . Effect on fans ( edit ) Eleven months after Ledger 's death , on 23 December 2008 , Jake Coyle , writing for the Associated Press , announced that `` Heath Ledger 's death was voted 2008 's top entertainment story by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press '' . He claimed that this was partially a result of the `` shock and confusion '' surrounding the circumstances of Ledger 's death , as well as due to Ledger 's `` legacy ... in a roundly acclaimed performance as the Joker in the year 's biggest box office hit The Dark Knight . '' Controversy over will ( edit ) After Ledger 's death , in response to some press reports about his will , filed in New York City on 28 February 2008 , and his daughter 's access to his financial legacy , his father , Kim Ledger , said that he considered the financial well - being of his granddaughter Matilda Rose an `` absolute priority '' , whilst also stating that her mother , Michelle Williams , was `` an integral part of our family '' . He added , `` They will be taken care of and that 's how Heath would want it to be '' . Some of Ledger 's relatives may be challenging the legal status of his will signed in 2003 , prior to his involvement with Williams and the birth of their daughter and not updated to include them , which divides half of his estate between his parents and half among his siblings ; they claim that there is a second , unsigned will , which leaves most of that estate to Matilda Rose . Williams ' father , Larry Williams , has also joined the controversy about Ledger 's will as it was filed in New York City soon after his death . On 31 March 2008 , stimulating another controversy pertaining to Ledger 's estate , Gemma Jones and Janet Fife - Yeomans published an `` Exclusive '' report , in The Daily Telegraph , citing Ledger 's uncle Haydn Ledger and other family members , who `` believe the late actor may have fathered a secret love child '' when he was 17 , and stating that `` If it is confirmed that Ledger is the girl 's biological father , it could split his multi-million dollar estate between ... Matilda Rose ... and his secret love child . '' A few days later , reports citing telephone interviews with Ledger 's uncles Haydn and Mike Ledger and the family of the other little girl , published in OK ! and Us Weekly , `` denied '' those `` claims '' , with Ledger 's uncles and the little girl 's mother and stepfather describing them as unfounded `` rumors '' distorted and exaggerated by the media . On 15 July 2008 , Fife - Yeomans reported further , via Australian News Limited , that `` While Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters , it is understood they have legal advice that under Western Australia law , Matilda Rose is entitled to the lion 's share '' of his estate ; its executors , Kim Ledger 's former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson , `` have applied for probate in the West Australian Supreme Court in Perth , advertising for ' creditors and other persons ' having claims on the estate to lodge them by 11 August 2008 ... to ensure all debts are paid before the estate is distributed ... '' According to this report by Fife - Yeomans , earlier reports citing Ledger 's uncles , and subsequent reports citing Ledger 's father , which do not include his actual posthumous earnings , `` his entire fortune , mostly held in Australian trusts , is likely to be worth up to $ 20 million . '' On 27 September 2008 , Ledger 's father Kim stated that `` the family has agreed to leave the US $16.3 million fortune to Matilda , '' adding : `` There is no claim . Our family has gifted everything to Matilda . '' In October 2008 , Forbes estimated Ledger 's annual earnings from October 2007 through October 2008 -- including his posthumous share of The Dark Knight 's gross income of `` US $1 billion in box office revenue worldwide '' -- -- as `` US $20 million . '' Legacy ( edit ) Memorial tributes and services ( edit ) Memorial for Ledger , outside 421 Broome Street , SoHo , Manhattan , 23 January 2008 As the news of Ledger 's death became public , throughout the night of 22 January 2008 , and the next day , media crews , mourners , fans , and other onlookers began gathering outside his apartment building , with some leaving flowers or other memorial tributes . The next day , at 10 : 50 am Australian time , Ledger 's parents and sister appeared outside his mother 's house in Applecross , a riverside suburb of Perth , and read a short statement to the media expressing their grief and desire for privacy . Within the next few days , memorial tributes were communicated by family members ; the Prime Minister of Australia , Kevin Rudd ; the Deputy Premier of Western Australia , Eric Ripper ; Warner Bros. ( distributor of The Dark Knight ) and thousands of Ledger 's fans around the world . Several actors made statements expressing their sorrow at Ledger 's death , including Daniel Day - Lewis , who dedicated his Screen Actors Guild Award to him , saying that he was inspired by Ledger 's acting ; Day - Lewis praised Ledger 's performances in Monster 's Ball and Brokeback Mountain , describing the latter as `` unique , perfect '' . Verne Troyer , who was working with Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death , had a heart shape , an exact duplicate of a symbol that Ledger scrawled on a piece of paper with his email address , tattooed on his hand in remembrance of Ledger because Ledger `` had made such an impression on ( him ) . '' British indie band Kasabian paid tribute to Ledger in their song ' Vlad the Impaler ' , with the line `` Joker , meet you on the other side '' . Singer Tom Meighan often changes the word `` Joker '' to either `` Ledger '' , or the names of recently deceased celebrities . On 1 February , in her first public statement after Ledger 's death , Michelle Williams expressed her heartbreak and described Ledger 's spirit as surviving in their daughter . After attending private memorial ceremonies in Los Angeles , Ledger 's family members returned with his body to Perth . On 9 February , a memorial service attended by several hundred invited guests was held at Penrhos College , attracting considerable press attention ; afterward Ledger 's body was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery , followed by a private service attended by only 10 closest family members , with his ashes interred later in a family plot at Karrakatta Cemetery , next to two of his grandparents . Later that night , his family and friends gathered for a wake on Cottesloe Beach . In January 2011 , the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in Ledger 's home town of Perth named a 575 - seat theatre the Heath Ledger Theatre after him . For the opening of the theatre , Ledger 's Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor was on display in the theatre 's foyer along with his Joker costume . Bon Iver 's `` Perth '' was inspired by Heath Ledger . Justin Vernon , the lead singer and songwriter of the American indie folk band , revealed back in 2011 that he had begun working on the song in 2008 and was scheduled to meet with a music video director who was good friends with Ledger , Matt Amato . `` The first thing I worked on , the riff and the beginning melodies , was the first song on the record , ' Perth , ' '' Vernon told Exclaim ! . Amato was directing the band 's `` The Wolves ( Act I & II ) '' music video the day that Ledger died . `` It was no longer about just making a Bon Iver music video anymore , '' Vernon says . `` This was now our chance to be there with Matt as he grieved . It was a three - day wake . '' Amato told Vernon stories about Ledger that eventually became the inspiration for `` Perth , '' the opening track to the band 's second studio album Bon Iver , Bon Iver ( 2011 ) . Method and style ( edit ) Ledger on the March 2006 cover of Rolling Stone `` You know when you see the preachers down South ? And they grab a believer and they go , ' Bwoom ! I touch you with the hand of God ! ' And they believe so strongly , they 're on the ground shaking and spitting . And fuck 's sake , that 's the power of belief ... Now , I do n't believe in Jesus , but I believe in my performance . And if you can understand that the power of belief is one of the great tools of our time and that a lot of acting comes from it , you can do anything . '' -- Ledger , during the interview with Rolling Stone in 2006 , on belief , power and acting . Portraying a variety of roles , from romantic heroes to the reluctantly oppressed , Ledger created a hodgepodge of characters that are deliberately unlike one another , stating `` I feel like I am wasting my time if I repeat myself '' . He also reflected on his inability to be happy with his work , `` I feel the same thing about everything I do . The day I say , ' It 's good ' is the day I should start doing something else . '' Ledger liked to wait between jobs so that he would start creatively hungry on new projects . In his own words , acting was about harnessing `` the infinite power of belief , '' thus using belief as a tool for creating . Directors who have worked with the actor praised him for his creativity , seriousness and intuition . `` I 've never felt as old as I did 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 . Marc Forster , who directed Ledger in Monster 's Ball , complimented him as taking the job `` very seriously '' , being disciplined , observant , and understanding and intuitive . In 2007 , director Todd Haynes compared Ledger 's presence to actor James Dean , casting Ledger as Robbie Clarke , a fictive personification of Bob Dylan in I 'm Not There . Drawing on the similar characteristics between the actors , Haynes further highlighted Ledger 's `` precocious seriousness '' and intuition . He also felt that Ledger had a rare maturity beyond his years . '' Ledger , however , disconnected himself and acting from perfectionism . `` I 'm always gon na pull myself apart and dissect ( the work ) . I mean , there 's no such thing as perfection in what ( actors ) do . Pornos are more perfect than we are , because they 're actually fucking . '' `` Some people find their shtick , '' Ledger reflected on the categorization of style . `` I never figured out who ' Heath Ledger ' is on film : ' This is what you expect when you hire me , and it will be recognizable ' ... People always feel compelled to sum you up , to presume that they have you and can describe you . That 's fine . But there are so many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note . '' Posthumous films and Awards ( edit ) Further information : List of accolades received by The Dark Knight Ledger 's death affected the marketing campaign for Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) and also both the production and marketing of Terry Gilliam 's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , with both directors intending to celebrate and pay tribute to his work in these films . Although Gilliam temporarily suspended production on the latter film , he expressed determination to `` salvage '' it , perhaps using computer - generated imagery ( CGI ) , and dedicated it to Ledger . 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 '' . The three actors donated their fees for the film to Ledger 's and Williams 's daughter . 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 . '' 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 . 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 . Ledger 's performance of The Joker in the film earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , making him the first comic - book movie actor to win an Oscar . 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 . 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 . '' 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 co-star 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 . '' Terry Gilliam also refuted the claims that playing the Joker made him crazy , calling it `` absolute nonsense '' and going on to say , `` Heath was so solid . His feet were on the ground and he was the least neurotic person I 've ever met . '' Ledger received numerous awards for his Joker role in The Dark Knight . 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 ) , and Ledger won an award for `` Match - Up '' in the ceremony aired live on CBS in January 2009 . On 11 December 2008 , it was announced that Ledger had been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight ; he subsequently won the award at the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony telecast on NBC on 11 January 2009 with Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan accepting on his behalf . Film critics , co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine and many of Ledger 's colleagues in the film community joined Bale in calling for and predicting a nomination for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of Ledger 's achievement in The Dark Knight . Ledger 's subsequent nomination was announced on 22 January 2009 , the anniversary of his death . Ledger went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , becoming the second person to win a posthumous Academy Award for acting ( after fellow Australian actor Peter Finch , who won for 1976 's Network ) , as well as the first comic - book movie actor to win an Oscar for their acting . Ledger 's family attended the ceremony on 22 February 2009 , with his parents and sister accepting the award on stage on his behalf . Following talks with the Ledger family in Australia , the Academy determined that Ledger 's daughter , Matilda Rose , would own the award . However , due to Matilda 's age , she will not gain full ownership of the statuette until her eighteenth birthday in 2023 . Until that time , her mother Michelle Williams , will hold the statuette in trust for Matilda . On 4 April 2017 , a trailer was released for the upcoming documentary I am Heath Ledger which was released on 3 May 2017 . It features archival footage of Ledger and interviews . Filmography ( edit ) Film ( edit ) Title Year Role Note Blackrock 1997 Toby Ackland Paws Oberon 10 Things I Hate About You 1999 Patrick Verona Two Hands Jimmy The Patriot 2000 Gabriel Martin A Knight 's Tale William Thatcher Monster 's Ball Sonny Grotowski The Four Feathers 2002 Harry Faversham Ned Kelly 2003 Ned Kelly The Order Alex Bernier Lords of Dogtown 2005 Skip Engblom The Brothers Grimm Jacob Grimm Brokeback Mountain Ennis Del Mar Casanova Giacomo Casanova Candy 2006 Dan Carter I 'm Not There 2007 Robbie Clark ( Bob Dylan ) The Dark Knight 2008 The Joker Posthumous release The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 2009 Tony Shepard I am Heath Ledger 2017 Himself Documentary Television ( edit ) Title Year Role Note Ship to Shore Cyclist 3 episodes Sweat Snowy Bowles 26 episodes Home and Away 1997 Scott Irwin 9 episodes Roar Conor 13 episodes Storm Hawks 2007 Cyclonian Talon Voice ; one episode Music video ( edit ) Title Year Performer Note `` Cause an Effect '' 2006 N'fa Directed by Ledger `` Seduction is Evil ( She 's Hot ) '' `` Morning Yearning '' Ben Harper `` Black Eyed Dog '' 2007 Nick Drake Directed by and featuring Ledger `` King Rat '' 2009 Modest Mouse Animated video ; conceived by Ledger Accolades ( edit ) Main article : List of awards and nominations received by Heath Ledger See also ( edit ) List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees Notes ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Many sources normally considered reliable say that his birth name was Heathcliff ; however , Ledger himself denied this , saying his name was always just Heath . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Barron , James ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger , actor , Is Found Dead at 28 '' . The New York Times . Retrieved 27 April 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger '' . TVGuide.com . Retrieved 25 April 2016 . ^ Jump up to : Dawtrey , Adam ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` ' Parnassus ' Team Faces Dilemma '' . Variety . Retrieved 23 January 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Awards Database '' . British Academy of Film and Television Awards . Retrieved 16 October 2009 . ^ Jump up to : Savage , Michael ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger : The Times Obituary '' . The Times . UK . Retrieved 27 April 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger Honored at Independent Spirit Awards '' . Entertainment Tonight . 23 February 2008 . Archived from the original on 16 April 2012 . Retrieved 8 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Chan , Sewell and James Barron ( contributing ) ( 6 February 2008 ) . `` City Room : Heath Ledger 's Death Is Ruled an Accident '' . The New York Times . Retrieved 17 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Ledger 's Death Caused by Accidental Overdose '' . CNN . 6 February 2008 . Retrieved 17 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Heath Ledger Died of Accidental Overdose : 28 - Year - Old Actor Had Oxycodone , Anti-Anxiety , Sleep Aids in His System '' . MSNBC. 6 February 2008 . Retrieved 17 March 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Halbfinger , David M. ( 9 March 2008 ) . `` Batman 's Burden : A Director Confronts Darkness and Death '' . The New York Times . pp. 1 , 16 . Retrieved 4 March 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Ledger Honoured at AFI Awards '' . ABC . Retrieved 6 December 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Golden Globes : Heath Ledger 's Family ' So Proud ' of Globe Nod '' . People . 11 December 2008 . Retrieved 11 December 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Wills , Dominic ( 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger Biography '' . Tiscali TV . US . Archived from the original on 16 April 2008 . Retrieved 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 ... 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 . Jump up ^ ' Heath : A Family 's Tale ' by Janet Fife - Yeomans ( 2009 ) , p. 32 : `` Ledger was a descendant of the Ledger family of Leeds , Yorkshire who arrived in Western Australia from England in 1880 . '' Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger among WA 's Finest Sons , Says Eric Ripper '' . The Sunday Times . Australia . 22 January 2008 . Retrieved 16 January 2012 . ' 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 . ^ Jump up to : Lipsky , David ( 23 March 2006 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Lonesome Trail '' . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . His dad wanted him to race cars . Hollywood wanted him to play Spider - Man . Now he 's a huge star , and he 's not happy about it . Jump up ^ Sessums , Kevin . `` We 're Having a Heath Wave '' . Vanity Fair ( August 2000 ) . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger Biography '' . Yahoo ! Movies . 6 February 2008 . Archived from the original on 16 December 2007 . Retrieved 14 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger '' . tvguide.com . Retrieved 5 April 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Showest Awards : Past Award Winners '' . showest.com . ShoWest ( Nielsen Business Media Film Group ) . Archived from the original on 17 May 2008 . Retrieved 18 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` ' Brokeback Mountain ' leads Golden Globe nominations '' . CNN . 13 December 2005 . Retrieved 17 July 2008 . Jump up ^ `` The San Francisco Film Critics Circle '' . San Francisco Film . splicedwire.com. 12 December 2005 . Archived from the original on 24 July 2008 . Retrieved 17 July 2008 . Jump up ^ Jen Chaney ( 15 December 2005 ) . `` ' Mountain ' Man Ledger 's Steady Climb to the Top '' . Washington Post . Retrieved 17 July 2008 . Jump up ^ `` HFPA -- Awards Search '' . Golden Globes Official Website . goldenglobes.org . Archived from the original on 5 September 2008 . Retrieved 17 July 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Results Page -- Academy Awards Database '' . Awards Database . Archived from the original on 12 January 2012 . Retrieved 17 July 2008 . Jump up ^ Holden , Stephen ( 9 December 2005 ) . `` Film Review -- Brokeback Mountain -- Riding the High Country , Finding and Losing Love '' . The New York Times . p. 1 . Archived from the original on 19 April 2013 . Retrieved 17 August 2007 . Jump up ^ Travers , Peter ( 1 December 2005 ) . `` Review : Brokeback Mountain '' . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 27 April 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Academy of Motion Picture Arts , Sciences invites 120 new members '' . USA Today . 5 July 2006 . Retrieved 23 January 2009 . Jump up ^ Honie Stevens ( 18 November 2007 ) . `` Squaring the Ledger '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 24 July 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Todd Haynes Dedicates Robert Altman Award to Heath Ledger '' . YouTube . 23 February 2008 . Archived from the original ( video clip ) on 24 July 2013 . Retrieved 8 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Lyall , Sarah ( 4 November 2007 ) . `` Movies : In Stetson or Wig , He 's Hard to Pin Down '' . The New York Times . Retrieved 18 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Abramowitz , Rachel ( 12 January 2009 ) . `` Accolades flow after Heath Ledger 's ' Dark Knight ' win '' . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 12 January 2009 . ^ Jump up to : `` ' Slumdog Millionaire ' fulfills its Oscar destiny '' . MSNBC . Associated Press . 23 February 2009 . Retrieved 23 February 2009 . ^ Jump up to : David M. Halbfinger ( 25 January 2008 ) . `` Actor 's Death May Mean Film 's End '' . The New York Times . p. 12 . Retrieved 2 February 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Christine Kilpatrick ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` Production Suspended on Heath Ledger 's Latest Movie '' . People . Retrieved 24 January 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Rapper N'FA to Release Heath Ledger - Directed Video SPIN '' . 12 July 2010 . Retrieved 30 June 2016 . Jump up ^ `` Seduction Is Evil '' . Inertia Catalogue . inertia.net. 28 October 2006 . Archived from the original on 14 September 2007 . Retrieved 5 March 2008 . Jump up ^ Andrew Drever ( 21 August 2006 ) . `` N'Fa : Frontman for 1200 Techniques May Be Doing Solo Work , But Everything 's Cool '' . The Age . Melbourne . p. 2 . Retrieved 5 March 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger Teams Up with Ben Harper to Launch New Record Label '' . Starpulse Entertainment News Blog . starpulse.com. 14 February 2007 . Archived from the original on 4 March 2008 . Retrieved 5 March 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Jim Fraenkel and Rodrigo Perez ( 22 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Video for Nick Drake Song : Eerie Postscript to Actor 's Death '' . MTV . Retrieved 18 March 2008 . Jump up ^ Anthony Storr ( 1990 ) . Churchill 's Black Dog and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind . HarperCollins . ISBN 978 - 0 - 00 - 637566 - 1 . Jump up ^ `` Egyptian Theatre Programming '' ( PDF ) . American Cinematheque Film Calendar . americacinematheque.com. 5 October 2007 . Retrieved 18 March 2008 . 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 ! ) ... Jump up ^ Daniel Kreps ( 29 February 2008 ) . `` Footage from Heath Ledger 's Nick Drake Video Surfaces '' . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 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 instalment 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 . Jump up ^ `` A Place To Be : Reflections Of Nick Drake '' . A Place To Be . Archived from the original on 18 February 2009 . Retrieved 18 March 2008 . 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 . ) Jump up ^ 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 . ^ Jump up to : Cazzulino , Michelle ( 29 March 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Gambit to Be a Director '' . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 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 . ' Jump up ^ Rob Sharp and Allan Shiach ( 18 March 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger -- A Prophetic Tragedy '' . The Independent . UK . Retrieved 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 . Jump up ^ Michaels , Sean ( 16 March 2009 ) . `` Heath Ledger - directed music video to be released '' . The Guardian . UK . Retrieved 17 March 2009 . ^ Jump up to : `` Ledger music videos to be aired '' . BBC News . 17 March 2009 . Retrieved 17 March 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger music videos on the way '' . The Hollywood Reporter. 17 March 2009 . Archived from the original on 27 August 2009 . Retrieved 26 May 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger 's Video For Modest Mouse 's `` King Rat '' Premieres `` . Rolling Stone . 4 August 2009 . Retrieved 5 August 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger obituary : An actor of promise '' . The Daily Telegraph . UK . 23 January 2008 . Retrieved 17 October 2009 . 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 . Jump up ^ Tapper , Christina ; Stoyoff , Natasha ( 26 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Passion for Chess '' . People . Retrieved 3 February 2008 . No stranger to the New York Washington Square Park chess world , Heath Ledger found joy by screaming the occasional ' checkmate ! ' Jump up ^ Ledger another great who died too young Jump up ^ Newman , Jason ( 18 May 2017 ) . `` ' I Am Heath Ledger ' : 10 Things We Learned From Spike TV Doc '' . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 8 June 2017 . Jump up ^ `` The truth about Heath Ledger 's women '' . News.com.au. 1 September 2009 . Archived from the original on 2017 - 04 - 11 . Retrieved 8 June 2017 . Jump up ^ King , Kiki ; Simpson , Eva ; Hedley , Caroline ( 3 March 2006 ) . `` The Heath Is On '' . Daily Mirror . UK . p. 16 . Archived from the original on 28 January 2008 . Retrieved 7 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Balogh , Stefanie ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's ex-fiancee Michelle Williams home with baby Matilda '' . Herald Sun . Australia . Retrieved 8 October 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Ledger Hopes for $3 m Profit on Beach House '' . The Age . Melbourne . 11 February 2006 . Retrieved 17 August 2007 . Jump up ^ Williams , Alex ( 30 September 2007 ) . `` Brooklyn 's Fragile Eco-System '' . The New York Times . Retrieved 17 October 2009 . Jump up ^ Grant , Sarah ( 4 September 2007 ) . `` Michelle Williams ' dad confirms split with Heath Ledger '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 17 October 2009 . Jump up ^ `` How Philip Seymour Hoffman tried to help tragic Heath Ledger quit drugs before his friend 's fatal 2008 overdose in NYC apartment blocks from Hoffman 's death pad '' . dailymail.co.uk. 3 February 2014 . Retrieved 9 December 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Drug - taking Heath Ledger was named bad influence as girlfriend ' wanted sole custody of daughter ' '' . dailymail.co.uk. 31 January 2008 . Retrieved 9 December 2017 . Jump up ^ Leonard , Tom ( 29 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger ' refused help for heroin abuse ' '' . telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 9 December 2017 . Jump up ^ Whitworth , Melissa ( 31 January 2011 ) . `` Fashion shoots '' . The Daily Telegraph . London . Jump up ^ `` Supermodel 's Last Call to Heath '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . 24 January 2008 . Retrieved 26 January 2008 . Jump up ^ Stansfield , Robert ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` Helena Christensen Was on Way to See Heath Ledger '' . Scottish Daily Record . Archived from the original on 22 August 2009 . Retrieved 17 October 2009 . Jump up ^ Byrnes , Holly ; Grant , Sarah ; Saurine , Angela ( 3 January 2008 ) . `` Are Gemma Ward and Heath Ledger Dating ? '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Archived from the original on 9 February 2008 . Retrieved 6 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Fife - Yeomans , Janet ( 25 January 2008 ) . `` Sorrow of Heath Ledger 's Secret Love '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 6 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Lindsay Lohan after Heath Ledger 's death : ' I 'm in love with him ' '' . Fox News . 7 December 2011 . Archived from the original on 24 June 2012 . Retrieved 26 June 2012 . ^ Jump up to : WENN ( World Entertainment News Network ) ( 12 January 2006 ) . `` Ledger Slams Spitting Claims '' . San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 23 January 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Hawley , Janet ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` Tale of an untrained homeboy '' . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 13 April 2009 . Jump up ^ AAP ( 14 January 2006 ) . `` Sprayed Heath Flies Out '' . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Emily Dunn and Richard Jinman ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` How a Triumphant Return Turned Sour '' . The Sydney Morning Herald . p. 1 . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Elizabeth Snead ( 30 January 2006 ) . `` The Dish Rag -- Ledger 's Strange SAG Behavior '' . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 27 January 2008 . Retrieved 23 January 2008 . Jump up ^ Elizabeth Snead ( 3 February 2006 ) . `` The Dish Rag -- Heath Explains His SAG Giggles '' . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 28 January 2008 . Retrieved 23 January 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Ledger in Damage Control '' . The Age . Melbourne . 12 February 2006 . Retrieved 17 August 2007 . Jump up ^ Walls , Jeannette ( 10 January 2006 ) . `` Ledger lashes out at Utah , West Virginia '' . MSNBC . Associated Press . Retrieved 13 April 2009 . Jump up ^ Joe Morris ( 16 January 2006 ) . `` ' Brokeback ' Actor Has W. Va . All Wrong '' . The Charleston Gazette . Archived from the original on 18 December 2008 . Retrieved 24 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Lyall , Sarah ( 4 November 2007 ) . `` In Stetson or Wig , He 's Hard to Pin Down '' . The New York Times ( Arts & Leisure Desk ) . Retrieved 6 February 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Stoynoff , Natasha ( 28 January 2008 ) . `` Show Will Go on for Heath 's Last Movie , Says CoStar '' . People . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ UPI ( 16 March 2008 ) . `` Williams Recalls Ledger As Vulnerable '' . NewsTrack / Entertainment . upi.com . Retrieved 16 March 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Andy Newman and Al Baker ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` Autopsy on Actor Is Inconclusive As Calls for Help Are Revealed '' . The New York Times . Retrieved 12 October 2013 . Jump up ^ `` News : Housekeeper , Masseuse Found Ledger 's Body '' . WNBC. 24 January 2008 . Retrieved 7 August 2008 . ( As updated 25 January 2008 . ) Jump up ^ `` Ledger 's Death Caused by Accidental Overdose '' . SHOWBIZ , Movies . CNN . 6 February 2008 . Retrieved 7 February 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Larry King ( 6 February 2008 ) . `` Video : Larry King Live : Ledger Death '' ( Video clip ) . Larry King Live . CNN . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . CNN 's Larry King talks to guests about the finding that actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose . Jump up ^ Chris Harris ( 24 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Last Hours : New Details Emerge '' . MTV Movie News . Retrieved 8 August 2008 . Jump up ^ AAP ( 6 February 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Family Returns to Perth '' . The Sunday Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 6 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Dowd , Kathy Ehrich ( 5 February 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger Toxicology Test Results Delayed '' . People . Retrieved 3 December 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Home deaths from Drug Errors Soar '' . CNN . Associated Press . 28 July 2008 . Archived from the original on 22 March 2014 . Retrieved 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 . Jump up ^ `` Autopsy : The Last Hours of Heath Ledger . '' Autopsy . Exec Prod . Ed Taylor and Michael Kelpie . Nar . Iain Glen . Reelz , 7 Oct. 2017 . Television . Jump up ^ WENN ( World Entertainment News Network ) ( 29 February 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger Doctors Cleared '' . Hollywood.com . Retrieved 5 March 2008 . Jump up ^ Nicole Weisensee Egan ( 28 February 2008 ) . `` Report : Doctors Cleared in Ledger Investigation '' . People . Retrieved 5 March 2008 . Jump up ^ Murray Weiss ( 4 August 2008 ) . `` Olsen to Heath Feds : Let 's Deal : Demands Immunity from Probers '' . New York Post . Retrieved 4 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Official : Mark - Kate Olsen silent on Ledger OD '' . MSNBC . Associated Press . 4 August 2008 . Retrieved 27 October 2008 . Jump up ^ Staff and Agencies ( 5 August 2008 ) . `` Mary - Kate Olsen Denies Supplying Heath Ledger with Drugs '' . The Guardian . UK . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Olsen Seeks Immunity over Ledger '' . BBC News . 5 August 2008 . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Lawyer : Mary - Kate Olsen Had ' Nothing to Do ' with Heath Ledger 's Drugs '' . People . 4 August 2008 . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . Jump up ^ Nicole Weisensee Egan ( 6 August 2008 ) . `` Source : Feds Officially Close Heath Ledger Investigation '' . People . Retrieved 6 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Shawn Adler ( 6 August 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger Investigation Reportedly Closed ; Mary - Kate Olsen Wo n't Have to Testify : U.S. Attorney 's Office Filed No Charges Before Closing Probe into Actor 's Overdose Death '' . MTV . Retrieved 6 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Investigation into Heath Ledger 's Death Closed '' . Fox News . Associated Press . 6 August 2008 . Retrieved 6 August 2008 . Jump up ^ Coyle , Jake ( 23 December 2008 ) . `` Ledger 's Death Voted Top 2008 Entertainment Story '' . MSNBC . Retrieved 24 December 2008 . The Top 10 : 1 . Heath Ledger Dies . Jump up ^ Heath Ledger ( 27 March 2008 ) . `` Last Will & Testament '' ( PDF ) . aolcdn.com ( reposted on 12 April 2008 ) . Retrieved 23 April 2008 . Jump up ^ TMZ staff ( 27 March 2008 ) . `` Celebrity Justice : Heath 's Will -- No Joke '' . tmz.com . Retrieved 23 April 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Ledger 's Uncles : Michelle Williams May Have to Fight for Matilda 's Inheritance '' . Fox News . 10 March 2008 . Retrieved 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 . Jump up ^ Sean Cowan ( 15 March 2008 ) . `` Ledger Feud Grows Over ' second ' Will '' . The Age . Melbourne . Retrieved 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 . Jump up ^ Mitchell , Peter ( 3 September 2008 ) . `` Ledger 's Estate Sells His Hollywood Hills Home '' . news.com.au . News Limited . Archived from the original on 4 September 2008 . Retrieved 2 September 2008 . ( According to Los Angeles County public records ) , Heath Ledger 's estate has sold ... ( his ) Hollywood Hills home ... for ( US ) US $2.5 million ( A $ 2.99 million ) ( in May 2008 ) . Jump up ^ Melissa Castellanos ( 24 March 2008 ) . `` Williams ' Dad Questions Ledger 's Will : Larry Williams Wants Kim Ledger To Explain Why Estate Is Valued At Only US $145,000 '' . Showbuzz . Archived from the original on 1 April 2008 . Retrieved 30 March 2008 . Jump up ^ Gemma Jones and Janet Fife - Yeomans ( 31 March 2008 ) . `` Did Heath Ledger Father a Secret Love Child ? '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 25 July 2008 . The April will lists only ( US ) 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 . Jump up ^ Garry Maddox ( 29 March 2009 ) . `` Good Will Hunting '' . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 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 . Jump up ^ Nick Squires ( 1 April 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger ' fathered a secret love child ' `` . The Daily Telegraph . UK . Retrieved 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 ) . Jump up ^ `` Denied : No Love Child for Heath Ledger '' . okmagazine.com ( OK ! Magazine , Northern & Shell North America Ltd . ) . 3 April 2008 . Archived from the original on 23 June 2008 . Retrieved 6 August 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger 's Uncle : Love Child Reports Are ' Absolutely Berserk ' '' . usmagazine.com ( Wenner Media LLC ) . 3 April 2008 . Archived from the original on 6 April 2008 . Retrieved 6 August 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Janet Fife - Yeomans ( 15 July 2008 ) . `` Entertainment : Heath Ledger 's Daughter Matilda 's Estate Claim Decision '' . news.com.au . News Limited . Archived from the original on 2 August 2008 . Retrieved 10 August 2008 . ( Matilda Rose 's ) mother , actor Michelle Williams , will have to officially lodge a claim with the court supported by an affidavit which could end up in the public domain , legal experts said . ^ Jump up to : Joyce Eng ( 29 September 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Daughter to Inherit Estate '' . TV Guide . OpenGate Capital . Archived from the original on 2 December 2008 . Retrieved 11 December 2008 . ^ Jump up to : `` Ledger 's Daughter to Inherit Late Actor 's Estate '' . AOL Australia Celebrity Channel . Associated Press . 29 September 2008 . Archived from the original on 19 December 2008 . Retrieved 11 December 2008 . Jump up ^ Daily Mail Reporter ( 24 October 2008 ) . `` First Photos of Tragic Heath Ledger in His Last Film '' . The Daily Mail . UK . Retrieved 12 December 2008 . Jump up ^ Michelle Nichols ( 29 October 2008 ) . `` Elvis Ranked Top - earning Dead Celebrity '' . Thomson Reuters . Reuters.com . Retrieved 10 December 2008 . 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 ) . Jump up ^ Boucher , Geoff ; Gold , Matea ; Lieberman , Paul ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` Ledger 's death is a shock to Hollywood , fans '' . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2 April 2009 . Minutes after the news of Ledger 's death broke , several hundred people gathered outside the Broome Street apartment building where Ledger had been living ... television crews and area residents were joined by fans , including some Brooklyn acting students . Jump up ^ `` Stars pay tribute to Heath Ledger '' . BBC News . 23 January 2008 . Retrieved 2 April 2009 . Fans have been leaving flowers and candles outside Ledger 's apartment in the SoHo district . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger Loved Life , Family Tell '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . 23 January 2008 . Retrieved 23 January 2008 . Jump up ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Australia ( 22 January 2008 ) . `` Media Release '' . Archived from the original on 10 February 2008 . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Pendrill , Lisa ( 25 January 2008 ) . `` Heath 's Family Writes of Heartache '' . The Sunday Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 2 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Warner Bros. ( 25 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Memorial '' . Warner Brothers . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Online Community Pays Tribute to Heath Ledger '' . 901am.com. 25 January 2008 . Retrieved 6 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Diluna , Amy ; Neumaier , Joe ( 27 January 2008 ) . `` Daniel Day - Lewis Honors Heath Ledger during Screen Actors Guild Awards '' . New York Daily News . Retrieved 16 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Elsworth , Catherine ( 28 January 2008 ) . `` Daniel Day Lewis , Julie Christie win at Screen Actors Guild Awards '' . The Daily Telegraph . UK . Retrieved 3 December 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Celebrity Big Brother '' . Celebrity Big Brother 2009 . Season 2009 . Episode Day 4 . 2009 - 01 - 06 . Jump up ^ `` Michelle Williams : Heath Ledger Has Broken My Heart '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . 1 February 2008 . Retrieved 1 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Michelle Williams Breaks Silence on Heath 's Death '' . People . 1 February 2008 . Retrieved 2 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Silverman , Stephen M. ( 4 February 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Family Heads Home '' . People . Retrieved 4 February 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Rodriguez , Brenda ( 5 February 2008 ) . `` A Sorrowful Return to Australia for Heath Ledger 's Family '' . People . Retrieved 5 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Kent , Melissa ( 9 February 2008 ) . `` Tears , Tributes Accompany Heath Ledger to His Final Rest '' . The Age . Melbourne . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Heath Ledger Farewelled at Perth Funeral '' . news.com.au. 9 February 2008 . Archived from the original on 12 February 2008 . Retrieved 9 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Reports : Michelle Williams Arrives in Perth for Heath Ledger 's Funeral '' . International Herald Tribune . Associated Press . 6 February 2008 . Retrieved 7 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Cazzalino , Michelle ; Connolly , Ellen ( 10 February 2008 ) . `` Last , Sad Farewell for Heath '' . The Sunday Telegraph . Australia . p. 5 . Jump up ^ `` Summary of Record Information : Heath Andrew Ledger '' . Metropolitan Cemeteries Board , Western Australia . Archived from the original on 18 December 2008 . Retrieved 7 August 2008 . Jump up ^ Cazzulino , Michelle ; Corby , Stephen ( 10 February 2008 ) . `` Star Swim at Heath Ledger 's Farewell : Ledger Wake Held in Perth '' . news.com.au . Archived from the original on 11 February 2008 . Retrieved 9 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Caccetta , Wendy ; Cox , Nicole ( 10 February 2008 ) . `` Beach Tribute to Heath Ledger '' . The Courier - Mail . Retrieved 9 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Cazzulino , Michelle ; Corby , Stephen ( 10 February 2008 ) . `` Michelle Williams Swims at Heath Ledger 's Wake '' . The Daily Telegraph . Australia . Retrieved 10 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Act of love for Ledger theatre '' . ^ Jump up to : Newman , Jason ( May 18 , 2017 ) . `` ' I Am Heath Ledger ' : 10 Things We Learned From Spike TV Doc '' . Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 5 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Brayson , Johnny ( April 25 , 2017 ) . `` Bon Iver 's ' Perth ' Was Inspired By Heath Ledger & It Makes The Song So Much More Poignant '' . Bustle . Retrieved October 5 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Lipsky . David . Heath Ledger 's Lonesome Trail , ROLLINGSTONE . From Mars 23 , 2006 . Retrieved on 02 Mars 2016 . ^ Jump up to : Lyall , Sarah ( 4 November 2007 ) . `` Heath Ledger -- I 'm Not There - '' . The New York Times . ISSN 0362 - 4331 . Retrieved 4 March 2016 . ^ Jump up to : Nolan . Christopher . CHARISMA AS NATURAL AS GRAVITY . Published 26 Jan ... 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Ledger 's Death Puts Last Films in a Bind '' . CNN . 24 January 2008 . Retrieved 30 January 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Carroll , Larry ( 18 March 2008 ) . `` ' Dark Knight ' Stars , Director Want Film To ' Celebrate ' Heath Ledger 's Work '' . MTV . Retrieved 27 April 2008 . Jump up ^ WENN ( World Entertainment News Network ) ( 28 January 2008 ) . `` Gilliam Trying to Save Last Ledger Film '' . Hollywood.com . Retrieved 2 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Brady , Matt ( 23 January 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger Dies '' . Newsarama . Archived from the original on 11 April 2010 . Retrieved 22 January 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Moriarty '' ( 15 February 2008 ) . `` AICN exclusive ! We Know Who 's Paying Tribute To Heath Ledger in Dr. Parnassus Now ! '' . Ai n't It Cool News . Retrieved 17 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Adler , Shawn ( 15 February 2008 ) . `` Heath Ledger 's Final Film To Go Forward -- With Johnny Depp , Jude Law , Colin Farrell in His Role '' . MTV . Archived from the original on 11 May 2011 . Retrieved 15 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Arts Briefly : Three Actors Replace Heath Ledger '' . The New York Times . 19 February 2008 . Retrieved 19 February 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Trio Give Fees to Ledger 's Child '' . BBC News . 19 August 2008 . Retrieved 20 August 2008 . Jump up ^ Brown , Scott . `` Dark Knight Director Shuns Digital Effects for the Real Thing '' . Wired ( 24 June 2008 ) . Retrieved 24 June 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Dark Knight Dedicated to Ledger '' . BBC News . 27 June 2008 . Retrieved 27 June 2008 . The special tribute reads : ' In memory of our friends Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe ' . Jump up ^ Gray , Brandon ( 23 July 2008 ) . `` News : ' Dark Knight ' Begins Smashingly '' . Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2 August 2008 . Jump up ^ Denby , David . `` The Current Cinema : Past Shock : ' The Dark Knight ' and ' WALL - E ' `` . The New Yorker ( 21 July 2008 ) : 92 -- 93 . Retrieved 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 ca n'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 ) Jump up ^ Halbfinger , David ( 8 March 2008 ) . `` Could it be any darker ? '' . The Sydney Morning Herald . p. 2 . Retrieved 8 October 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Terry Gilliam -- The Talks '' . the-talks.com . Retrieved 5 April 2017 . Jump up ^ Herndon , Jessica ( 10 November 2008 ) . `` Britney Spears , Heath Ledger Get People 's Choice Nods '' . People . Retrieved 11 December 2008 . Jump up ^ Smith , Nina Hämmerling ( 28 July 2008 ) . `` Movie News : Ledger 's Knight Costars Call for Posthumous Oscar '' . TV Guide . Archived from the original on 12 December 2008 . Retrieved 11 December 2008 . Jump up ^ Kreps , Daniel ( 22 January 2009 ) . `` Heath Ledger Remembered on First Anniversary of His Death '' . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 27 January 2009 . Retrieved 13 April 2009 . Jump up ^ Johnson , Reed ( 23 February 2009 ) . `` For Heath Ledger , a bittersweet salute '' . Los Angeles Times . Tribune Publishing . Retrieved 5 June 2013 . Jump up ^ Pond , Steve ( 18 February 2009 ) . `` If Ledger Wins , Oscar Goes To Daughter '' . CBS News . CBS Corporation . Retrieved 7 June 2013 . Jump up ^ Gornstein , Leslie ( 19 February 2009 ) . `` Why Ca n't Li'l Matilda Have Heath 's ( Potential ) Oscar ? '' . E !. NBCUniversal . Retrieved 7 June 2013 . Jump up ^ France , Lisa Respers . `` Heath Ledger as you 've never seen him '' . CNN . ^ Jump up to : Lee , Ashley . `` Heath Ledger Documentary Trailer Previews Footage Shot by Late Actor '' . The Hollywood Reporter . Further reading ( edit ) Adler , Shawn. `` Heath Ledger Said He Hoped to Evolve as an Actor and Person in 2005 Interview : Late Actor Was Intelligent , Self - Aware during ' Brokeback Mountain ' Chat . '' MTV.com , 22 January 2008 . Retrieved 18 March 2008 . ( Excerpts from transcript of interview with Heath Ledger conducted by John Norris in 2005 . ) Arango , Tim . `` Esquire Publishes a Diary That Is n't '' . The New York Times , nytimes.com , 6 March 2008 , Books . Retrieved 25 July 2008 . ( Rev. of Taddeo . ) `` Death of a Star : Unsolved Mysteries '' . Newsweek , 4 February 2008 : 62 , Newsmakers . Both Web and print versions . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . The Joker vs. The Real Heath : Entertainment Tonight Looks Back at the Career of Heath Ledger , etonline.com ( CBS Studios Inc . ) , July 2008 . Retrieved 8 August 2008 . ( `` ET takes a look back at Heath Ledger 's career amid the hugely successful launch of ' The Dark Knight , ' which features the late actor portraying the Joker '' ; includes photo album . ) McShane John . Heath Ledger : His Beautiful Life and Mysterious Death . London : John Blake , 2008 . ISBN 1 - 84454 - 633 - 0 ( 10 ) . ISBN 978 - 1 - 84454 - 633 - 6 ( 13 ) . ( Excerpt listed below . ) `` Loves of Heath Ledger 's Life '' . The Courier - Mail , news.com.au , 20 April 2008 . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . ( Book excerpt . ) Nolan , Christopher . `` Transition : Charisma as Natural as Gravity : Heath Ledger , 28 , Actor '' . Newsweek , 4 February 2008 : 9 , Periscope . Both Web ( updated 26 January 2008 ) and print versions . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . ( Eulogy . ) Norris , Chris . `` ( Untitled Heath Ledger Project ) : In Which the Protagonist Dies Mysteriously , and the Audience Analyzes His Final Days for Clues to His Real Character '' . New York , nymag.com , 18 February 2008 . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . Park , Michael Y. `` Christian Bale on ' Kindred Spirit ' Heath Ledger '' . Web . People , 25 June 2008 . Retrieved 5 August 2008 . ( See Wolf below . ) Robb , Brian J. Heath Ledger : Hollywood 's Dark Star . London : Plexus Publishing Ltd , 2008 . ISBN 0 - 85965 - 427 - 3 ( 10 ) . ISBN 978 - 0 - 85965 - 427 - 2 ( 13 ) . Scott , A.O. `` An Appraisal : Prince of Intensity with a Lightness of Touch '' . The New York Times , nytimes.com , 24 January 2008 , Movies . Retrieved 27 April 2008 . Sessums , Kevin , with photographs by Bruce Weber . `` We 're Having a Heath Wave '' . Vanity Fair , August 2000 , vanityfair.com , August 2008 . Web . ( 4 pages . ) Accessed 21 April 2008 . ( Interview with Heath Ledger ; illustrations in `` Perth Album '' , by Bruce Weber . ) Taddeo , Lisa . `` The Last Days of Heath Ledger '' . Esquire ( April 2008 ) , esquire.com , 5 March 2008 . ( Updated 21 July 2008 . ) Accessed 25 July 2008 . ( Fictional account ; cf . rev . by Arango . ) Travers , Peter. `` Sundance : Shock '' . The Travers Take : News and Reviews from Rolling Stone 's Movie Critic , Rolling Stone ( Blog ) , rollingstone.com , 22 January 2008 . Includes hyperlinked feature : Video Review : A Look at Heath Ledger 's Best Performances ( video by Jennifer Hsu , with audio commentary provided by Travers ) , 1 February 2008 . Retrieved 21 April 2008 . Wolf , Jeanne . `` Christian Bale : ' Life Should Never Be Boring ' `` . Parade , 29 June 2008 : 8 -- 9 . Both Web and print formats . Retrieved 3 August 2008 . 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who plays joker in batman the dark knight
Heath Ledger Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2006 Heath Andrew Ledger ( 1979 - 04 - 04 ) 4 April 1979 Perth , Western Australia , Australia 22 January 2008 ( 2008 - 01 - 22 ) ( aged 28 ) New York City , New York , U.S. Cause of death Cardiac arrest brought on by prescription drug intoxication Resting place Karrakatta Cemetery Occupation Actor , music video director Years active 1993 -- 2008 Partner ( s ) Michelle Williams ( 2004 -- 2007 ) Heath Ledger Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2006 Heath Andrew Ledger ( 1979 - 04 - 04 ) 4 April 1979 Perth , Western Australia , Australia 22 January 2008 ( 2008 - 01 - 22 ) ( aged 28 ) New York City , New York , U.S. Cause of death Cardiac arrest brought on by prescription drug intoxication Resting place Karrakatta Cemetery Occupation Actor , music video director Years active 1993 -- 2008 Partner ( s ) Michelle Williams ( 2004 -- 2007 ) Heath Andrew Ledger ( 4 April 1979 -- 22 January 2008 ) was an Australian actor and director . After performing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s , Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to further develop his film career . His work comprised nineteen films , including 10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 ) , The Patriot ( 2000 ) , A Knight 's Tale ( 2001 ) , Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) , Lords of Dogtown ( 2005 ) , Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) , The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) , and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ( 2009 ) , the latter two being posthumous releases . He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director . For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain , Ledger won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Best International Actor from the Australian Film Institute , and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best Actor . 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 Dylan 's life and persona . Ledger died on 22 January 2008 from an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs . A few months before his death , Ledger had finished filming his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight . His death occurred during editing of The Dark Knight and in the midst of filming his last role as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . His untimely death cast a shadow over the subsequent promotion of the $185 million Batman production . Ledger received numerous posthumous accolades for his critically acclaimed performance in the film , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , a Best Actor International Award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards ( for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously ) , the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor , the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture , and the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor . Ledger was born in Perth , Western Australia , the son of Sally Ledger ( née Ramshaw ) , a French teacher , and Kim Ledger , a racecar driver and mining engineer whose family established and owned the Ledger Engineering Foundry . The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust is named after his great - grandfather . He had English , Irish , and Scottish ancestry . Ledger attended Mary 's Mount Primary School in Gooseberry Hill , 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 , to 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 . Ledger 's two half - sisters are Ashleigh Bell ( b . 1990 ) , his mother 's daughter with her second husband and his stepfather Roger Bell , and Olivia Ledger ( b . 1996 ) , his father 's daughter with second wife and his stepmother Emma Brown . After sitting for early graduation exams at age 17 , Ledger left school to pursue an acting career . With Trevor DiCarlo , his best friend since he was three years old , Ledger drove across Australia from Perth to Sydney , returning to Perth to take a small role in Clowning Around ( 1992 ) , the first part of a two - part television series , and to work on the TV series Sweat ( 1996 ) , in which he played a gay cyclist . From 1993 to 1997 , Ledger also had parts in the Perth television series Ship to Shore ( 1993 ) ; in the short - lived Fox Broadcasting Company fantasy - drama Roar ( 1997 ) ; in Home and Away ( 1997 ) , one of Australia 's most successful television shows ; and in the Australian film Blackrock ( 1997 ) , his feature film debut . In 1999 , he starred in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and in the acclaimed Australian crime film Two Hands , directed by Gregor Jordan . From 2000 to 2005 , he starred in supporting roles as Gabriel Martin , the eldest son of Benjamin Martin ( Mel Gibson ) , in The Patriot ( 2000 ) , and as Sonny Grotowski , the son of Hank Grotowski ( Billy Bob Thornton ) , in Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) ; and in 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 of Dogtown ( 2005 ) . In 2001 , he won a ShoWest Award as `` Male Star of Tomorrow '' . Ledger received `` Best Actor of 2005 '' awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle for his performance in Brokeback Mountain , in which he plays Wyoming ranch hand Ennis Del Mar , who has a love affair with aspiring rodeo rider Jack Twist , played by Jake Gyllenhaal . He also received a nomination for Golden Globe Best Actor in a Drama and a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance , making him , at age 26 , the ninth - youngest nominee for a Best Actor Oscar . In The New York Times review of the film , critic Stephen Holden writes : `` Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable . Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean , sinewy character . It is a great screen performance , as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn . '' In a review in Rolling Stone , Peter Travers states : `` Ledger 's magnificent performance is an acting miracle . He seems to tear it from his insides . Ledger does n't just know how Ennis moves , speaks and listens ; he knows how he breathes . To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack 's closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost . '' After Brokeback Mountain , Ledger costarred with fellow Australian Abbie Cornish in the 2006 Australian film Candy , an adaptation of the 1998 novel Candy : A Novel of Love and Addiction , as young heroin addicts in love attempting to break free of their addiction , whose mentor is played by Geoffrey Rush ; for his performance as sometime poet Dan , Ledger was nominated for three `` Best Actor '' awards , including one of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards , which both Cornish and Rush won in their categories . Shortly after the release of Candy , Ledger was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . As one of six actors embodying different aspects of the life of Bob Dylan in the 2007 film I 'm Not There , directed by Todd Haynes , Ledger `` won praise for his portrayal of ' Robbie ( Clark ) , ' a moody , counter-culture actor who represents the romanticist side of Dylan , but says accolades are never his motivation '' . Posthumously , on 23 February 2008 , he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the film 's ensemble cast , its director , and its casting director . In his penultimate film performance , Ledger played the Joker in Christopher Nolan 's 2008 film The Dark Knight , released nearly six months after his death . While working on the film in London , Ledger told Sarah Lyall in their New York Times interview that he viewed The Dark Knight 's Joker as a `` psychopathic , mass murdering , schizophrenic clown with zero empathy '' . For his work on The Dark Knight , Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with his family accepting it on his behalf , as well as numerous other posthumous awards , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor , which Christopher Nolan accepted for him . At the time of his death on 22 January 2008 , Ledger had completed about half of the work for his final film performance as Tony in Terry Gilliam 's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . Gilliam chose to adapt the film after his death by having fellow actors Johnny Depp , Jude Law , and Colin Farrell play `` fantasy transformations '' of his character so that Ledger 's final performance could be seen in theatres . Ledger had aspirations to become a film director and had made some music videos , which director Todd Haynes praised highly in his tribute to Ledger upon accepting the ISP Robert Altman Award , which Ledger posthumously shared , on 23 February 2008 . In 2006 , Ledger directed music videos for the title track on Australian hip hop artist N'fa 's CD debut solo album Cause An Effect and for the single `` Seduction Is Evil ( She 's Hot ) '' . Later that year , Ledger inaugurated a new record label , Masses Music , with singer Ben Harper and also directed a music video for Harper 's song `` Morning Yearning '' . At a news conference at the 2007 Venice Film Festival , Ledger spoke of his desire to make a documentary film about the British singer - songwriter Nick Drake , who died in 1974 , at the age of 26 , from an overdose of an antidepressant . Ledger created and acted in a music video set to 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 ) ; it was shown publicly only twice , first at the Bumbershoot Festival , in Seattle , held from 1 to 3 September 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 '' ( including Ledger 's ) , sponsored by American Cinematheque , at the Grauman 's Egyptian Theatre , in Hollywood , on 5 October 2007 . After Ledger 's death , his music video for `` Black Eyed Dog '' was shown on the Internet and excerpted in news clips distributed via YouTube . He was working with Scottish screenwriter and producer Allan Scott on an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Queen 's Gambit by Walter Tevis , which would have been his first feature film as a director . He also intended to act in the film , with Canadian actress Ellen Page proposed in the lead role . Ledger 's final directorial work , in which he shot two music videos before his death , premiered in 2009 . The music videos , completed for Modest Mouse and Grace Woodroofe , include an animated feature for Modest Mouse 's song , `` King Rat '' , and the Woodroofe video for her cover of David Bowie 's `` Quicksand '' . The `` King Rat '' video premiered on 4 August 2009 . Ledger 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 . Ledger also had a keen interest in the West Coast Eagles , a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League and are based in his hometown of Perth . 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 to both perform in and direct , would have been Ledger 's first feature film as a director . Ledger had relationships with actresses Lisa Zane , Heather Graham and Naomi Watts . In 2004 , he met and began dating actress Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain . Their daughter , Matilda Rose , was born on 28 October 2005 in New York City . Matilda 's godparents are Brokeback co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams ' Dawson 's Creek co-star Busy Philipps . In January 2006 , Ledger put his residence in Bronte , New South Wales up for sale , and returned to the United States , where he shared a house with Williams , in Boerum Hill , Brooklyn , from 2005 to 2007 . In September 2007 , Williams ' father confirmed to Sydney 's Daily Telegraph that Ledger and Williams had ended their relationship . After Ledger 's death , multiple news outlets reported that his drug abuse had prompted Williams to request that he move out of the apartment they shared in Brooklyn . 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 . On 30 January 2011 , Ward stated that the pair began dating in November 2007 and their families spent Christmas together in their home town of Perth . Ledger 's relationship with the press in Australia was sometimes turbulent , and it led to his abandonment of plans for his family to reside part - time in Sydney . In 2004 , he strongly denied press reports alleging that `` he spat at journalists on the Sydney set of the film Candy '' , or that one of his relatives had done so later , outside Ledger 's Sydney home . 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 '' . 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 '' . 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 . '' 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 . 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 . '' In their New York Times interview , published on 4 November 2007 , Ledger told Sarah Lyall that his recently completed roles in I 'm Not There ( 2007 ) and The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) had taken a toll on his ability to sleep : `` Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night ... I could n't stop thinking . My body was exhausted , and my mind was still going . '' At that time , he told Lyall that he had taken two Ambien pills , after taking just one had not sufficed , and those left him in `` a stupor , only to wake up an hour later , his mind still racing . '' Prior to his return to New York from his last film assignment , in London , in January 2008 , while he was apparently suffering from some kind of respiratory illness , he reportedly complained to his co-star from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , Christopher Plummer , that he was continuing to have difficulty sleeping and taking pills to help with that problem : `` Confirming earlier reports that Ledger had n't been feeling well on set , Plummer says , ' we all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible , damp nights . But Heath 's went on and I do n't think he dealt with it immediately with the antibiotics ... I think what he did have was the walking pneumonia . ' ( ... ) On top of that , ' He was saying all the time , ' dammit , I ca n't sleep ' ... and he was taking all these pills to help him . ' '' In talking with Interview magazine , after his death , Ledger 's former fiancée Michelle Williams also confirmed reports the actor had experienced trouble sleeping . `` For as long as I 'd known him , he had bouts with insomnia . He had too much energy . His mind was turning , turning , turning -- always turning . '' At about 2 : 45 pm ( EST ) , on 22 January 2008 , Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper , Teresa Solomon , and his masseuse , Diana Wolozin , in his fourth - floor loft apartment at 421 Broome Street in the SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan . According to the police , Wolozin , who had arrived early for a 3 : 00 pm appointment with Ledger , called Ledger 's friend Mary - Kate Olsen for help . Olsen , who was in California , directed a New York City private security guard to go to the scene . At 3 : 26 pm , `` less than 15 minutes after she first saw him in bed and only a few moments after the first call to Ms. Olsen '' , Wolozin telephoned 9 - 1 - 1 `` to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing '' . At the urging of the 9 - 1 - 1 operator , Wolozin administered CPR , which was unsuccessful in reviving him . Paramedics and emergency medical technicians arrived seven minutes later , at 3 : 33 pm ( `` at almost exactly the same moment as a private security guard summoned by Ms. Olsen '' ) but were also unable to revive him . At 3 : 36 pm , Ledger was pronounced dead , and his body was removed from the apartment . Two weeks later on 6 February 2008 , the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released its conclusions , based on an initial autopsy of 23 January 2008 and a subsequent complete toxicological analysis . The report concludes , in part , `` Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone , hydrocodone , diazepam , temazepam , alprazolam and doxylamine . '' It states definitively : `` We have concluded that the manner of death is accident , resulting from the abuse of prescribed medications . '' While the medications found in the toxicological analysis may be prescribed in the United States for insomnia , anxiety , pain , or common cold ( doxylamine ) symptoms , the vast majority of physicians in the US are extremely reluctant to prescribe multiple benzodiazepines ( e.g. , diazepam , alprazolam , and temazepam ) to a single patient , let alone prescribe the same to a patient already taking a mix of oxycodone and hydrocodone . Although the Associated Press and other media reported that `` police estimate Ledger 's time of death between 1 pm and 2 : 45 pm '' ( on 22 January 2008 ) , the Medical Examiner 's Office announced that it would not be publicly disclosing the official estimated time of death . The official announcement of the cause and manner of Ledger 's death heightened concerns about the growing problems of prescription drug abuse or misuse and combined drug intoxication ( CDI ) . Dr. Jason Payne - James , a forensic pathologist , has believed that Ledger might have survived if hydrocodone and oxycodone had been left out of the combination of drugs that the actor took just prior to his death . Late in February 2008 , a DEA investigation of medical professionals relating to Ledger 's death exonerated two American physicians , who practice in Los Angeles and Houston , of any wrongdoing , determining that `` the doctors in question had prescribed Ledger other medications -- not the pills that killed him . '' On 4 August 2008 , citing unnamed sources , Murray Weiss , of the New York Post , first reported that Mary - Kate Olsen had `` refused ( through her attorney , Michael C. Miller ) to be interviewed by federal investigators probing the accidental drug death of her close friend Heath Ledger ... ( without ) ... immunity from prosecution '' and that , when asked about the matter , Miller at first declined further comment . Later that day , after the police confirmed the gist of Weiss 's account to the Associated Press , Miller issued a statement denying that Olsen supplied Ledger with the drugs causing his death and asserting that she did not know their source . In his statement , Miller said specifically , `` Despite tabloid speculation , Mary - Kate Olsen had nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger 's home or his body , and she does not know where he obtained them , '' emphasizing that media `` descriptions ( attributed to an unidentified source ) are incomplete and inaccurate . '' After a flurry of further media speculation , on 6 August 2008 , the US Attorney 's Office in Manhattan closed its investigation into Ledger 's death without filing any charges and rendering moot its subpoena of Olsen . With the clearing of the two doctors and Olsen , and the closing of the investigation because the prosecutors in the Manhattan US Attorney 's Office `` do n't believe there 's a viable target , '' it is still not known how Ledger obtained the oxycodone and hydrocodone in the lethal drug combination that killed him . Eleven months after Ledger 's death , on 23 December 2008 , Jake Coyle , writing for the Associated Press , announced that `` Heath Ledger 's death was voted 2008 's top entertainment story by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press '' . He claimed that this was partially a result of the `` shock and confusion '' surrounding the circumstances of Ledger 's death , as well as due to Ledger 's `` legacy ... in a roundly acclaimed performance as the Joker in the year 's biggest box office hit The Dark Knight . '' After Ledger 's death , in response to some press reports about his will , filed in New York City on 28 February 2008 , and his daughter 's access to his financial legacy , his father , Kim Ledger , said that he considered the financial well - being of his granddaughter Matilda Rose an `` absolute priority '' , whilst also stating that her mother , Michelle Williams , was `` an integral part of our family '' . He added , `` They will be taken care of and that 's how Heath would want it to be '' . Some of Ledger 's relatives may be challenging the legal status of his will signed in 2003 , prior to his involvement with Williams and the birth of their daughter and not updated to include them , which divides half of his estate between his parents and half among his siblings ; they claim that there is a second , unsigned will , which leaves most of that estate to Matilda Rose . Williams ' father , Larry Williams , has also joined the controversy about Ledger 's will as it was filed in New York City soon after his death . On 31 March 2008 , stimulating another controversy pertaining to Ledger 's estate , Gemma Jones and Janet Fife - Yeomans published an `` Exclusive '' report , in The Daily Telegraph , citing Ledger 's uncle Haydn Ledger and other family members , who `` believe the late actor may have fathered a secret love child '' when he was 17 , and stating that `` If it is confirmed that Ledger is the girl 's biological father , it could split his multi-million dollar estate between ... Matilda Rose ... and his secret love child . '' A few days later , reports citing telephone interviews with Ledger 's uncles Haydn and Mike Ledger and the family of the other little girl , published in OK ! and Us Weekly , `` denied '' those `` claims '' , with Ledger 's uncles and the little girl 's mother and stepfather describing them as unfounded `` rumors '' distorted and exaggerated by the media . On 15 July 2008 , Fife - Yeomans reported further , via Australian News Limited , that `` While Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters , it is understood they have legal advice that under Western Australia law , Matilda Rose is entitled to the lion 's share '' of his estate ; its executors , Kim Ledger 's former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson , `` have applied for probate in the West Australian Supreme Court in Perth , advertising for ' creditors and other persons ' having claims on the estate to lodge them by 11 August 2008 ... to ensure all debts are paid before the estate is distributed ... '' According to this report by Fife - Yeomans , earlier reports citing Ledger 's uncles , and subsequent reports citing Ledger 's father , which do not include his actual posthumous earnings , `` his entire fortune , mostly held in Australian trusts , is likely to be worth up to $ 20 million . '' On 27 September 2008 , Ledger 's father Kim stated that `` the family has agreed to leave the US $16.3 million fortune to Matilda , '' adding : `` There is no claim . Our family has gifted everything to Matilda . '' In October 2008 , Forbes estimated Ledger 's annual earnings from October 2007 through October 2008 -- including his posthumous share of The Dark Knight 's gross income of `` US $1 billion in box office revenue worldwide '' -- -- as `` US $20 million . '' As the news of Ledger 's death became public , throughout the night of 22 January 2008 , and the next day , media crews , mourners , fans , and other onlookers began gathering outside his apartment building , with some leaving flowers or other memorial tributes . The next day , at 10 : 50 am Australian time , Ledger 's parents and sister appeared outside his mother 's house in Applecross , a riverside suburb of Perth , and read a short statement to the media expressing their grief and desire for privacy . Within the next few days , memorial tributes were communicated by family members ; the Prime Minister of Australia , Kevin Rudd ; the Deputy Premier of Western Australia , Eric Ripper ; Warner Bros. ( distributor of The Dark Knight ) and thousands of Ledger 's fans around the world . Several actors made statements expressing their sorrow at Ledger 's death , including Daniel Day - Lewis , who dedicated his Screen Actors Guild Award to him , saying that he was inspired by Ledger 's acting ; Day - Lewis praised Ledger 's performances in Monster 's Ball and Brokeback Mountain , describing the latter as `` unique , perfect '' . Verne Troyer , who was working with Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death , had a heart shape , an exact duplicate of a symbol that Ledger scrawled on a piece of paper with his email address , tattooed on his hand in remembrance of Ledger because Ledger `` had made such an impression on ( him ) . '' British indie band Kasabian paid tribute to Ledger in their song ' Vlad the Impaler ' , with the line `` Joker , meet you on the other side '' . Singer Tom Meighan often changes the word `` Joker '' to either `` Ledger '' , or the names of recently deceased celebrities . On 1 February , in her first public statement after Ledger 's death , Michelle Williams expressed her heartbreak and described Ledger 's spirit as surviving in their daughter . After attending private memorial ceremonies in Los Angeles , Ledger 's family members returned with his body to Perth . On 9 February , a memorial service attended by several hundred invited guests was held at Penrhos College , attracting considerable press attention ; afterward Ledger 's body was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery , followed by a private service attended by only 10 closest family members , with his ashes interred later in a family plot at Karrakatta Cemetery , next to two of his grandparents . Later that night , his family and friends gathered for a wake on Cottesloe Beach . In January 2011 , the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in Ledger 's home town of Perth named a 575 - seat theatre the Heath Ledger Theatre after him . For the opening of the theatre , Ledger 's Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor was on display in the theatre 's foyer along with his Joker costume . Bon Iver 's `` Perth '' was inspired by Heath Ledger . Justin Vernon , the lead singer and songwriter of the American indie folk band , revealed back in 2011 that he had begun working on the song in 2008 and was scheduled to meet with a music video director who was good friends with Ledger , Matt Amato . `` The first thing I worked on , the riff and the beginning melodies , was the first song on the record , ' Perth , ' '' Vernon told Exclaim ! . Amato was directing the band 's `` The Wolves ( Act I & II ) '' music video the day that Ledger died . `` It was no longer about just making a Bon Iver music video anymore , '' Vernon says . `` This was now our chance to be there with Matt as he grieved . It was a three - day wake . '' Amato told Vernon stories about Ledger that eventually became the inspiration for `` Perth , '' the opening track to the band 's second studio album Bon Iver , Bon Iver ( 2011 ) . -- Ledger , during the interview with Rolling Stone in 2006 , on belief , power and acting . Portraying a variety of roles , from romantic heroes to the reluctantly oppressed , Ledger created a hodgepodge of characters that are deliberately unlike one another , stating `` I feel like I am wasting my time if I repeat myself '' . He also reflected on his inability to be happy with his work , `` I feel the same thing about everything I do . The day I say , ' It 's good ' is the day I should start doing something else . '' Ledger liked to wait between jobs so that he would start creatively hungry on new projects . In his own words , acting was about harnessing `` the infinite power of belief , '' thus using belief as a tool for creating . Directors who have worked with the actor praised him for his creativity , seriousness and intuition . `` I 've never felt as old as I did 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 . Marc Forster , who directed Ledger in Monster 's Ball , complimented him as taking the job `` very seriously '' , being disciplined , observant , and understanding and intuitive . In 2007 , director Todd Haynes compared Ledger 's presence to actor James Dean , casting Ledger as Robbie Clarke , a fictive personification of Bob Dylan in I 'm Not There . Drawing on the similar characteristics between the actors , Haynes further highlighted Ledger 's `` precocious seriousness '' and intuition . He also felt that Ledger had a rare maturity beyond his years . '' Ledger , however , disconnected himself and acting from perfectionism . `` I 'm always gon na pull myself apart and dissect ( the work ) . I mean , there 's no such thing as perfection in what ( actors ) do . Pornos are more perfect than we are , because they 're actually fucking . '' `` Some people find their shtick , '' Ledger reflected on the categorization of style . `` I never figured out who ' Heath Ledger ' is on film : ' This is what you expect when you hire me , and it will be recognizable ' ... People always feel compelled to sum you up , to presume that they have you and can describe you . That 's fine . But there are so many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note . '' Ledger 's death affected the marketing campaign for Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) and also both the production and marketing of Terry Gilliam 's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus , with both directors intending to celebrate and pay tribute to his work in these films . Although Gilliam temporarily suspended production on the latter film , he expressed determination to `` salvage '' it , perhaps using computer - generated imagery ( CGI ) , and dedicated it to Ledger . 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 '' . The three actors donated their fees for the film to Ledger 's and Williams 's daughter . 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 . '' 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . '' 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 co-star 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 . '' Terry Gilliam also refuted the claims that playing the Joker made him crazy , calling it `` absolute nonsense '' and going on to say , `` Heath was so solid . His feet were on the ground and he was the least neurotic person I 've ever met . '' Ledger received numerous awards for his Joker role in The Dark Knight . 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 ) , and Ledger won an award for `` Match - Up '' in the ceremony aired live on CBS in January 2009 . On 11 December 2008 , it was announced that Ledger had been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight ; he subsequently won the award at the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony telecast on NBC on 11 January 2009 with Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan accepting on his behalf . Film critics , co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine and many of Ledger 's colleagues in the film community joined Bale in calling for and predicting a nomination for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of Ledger 's achievement in The Dark Knight . Ledger 's subsequent nomination was announced on 22 January 2009 , the anniversary of his death . Ledger went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , becoming the second person to win a posthumous Academy Award for acting ( after fellow Australian actor Peter Finch , who won for 1976 's Network ) , as well as the first comic - book movie actor to win an Oscar for their acting . Ledger 's family attended the ceremony on 22 February 2009 , with his parents and sister accepting the award on stage on his behalf . Following talks with the Ledger family in Australia , the Academy determined that Ledger 's daughter , Matilda Rose , would own the award . However , due to Matilda 's age , she will not gain full ownership of the statuette until her eighteenth birthday in 2023 . Until that time , her mother Michelle Williams , will hold the statuette in trust for Matilda . On 4 April 2017 , a trailer was released for the upcoming documentary I am Heath Ledger which was released on 3 May 2017 . It features archival footage of Ledger and interviews . Title Year Role Note Blackrock 1997 Toby Ackland Paws Oberon 10 Things I Hate About You 1999 Patrick Verona Two Hands Jimmy The Patriot 2000 Gabriel Martin A Knight 's Tale William Thatcher Monster 's Ball Sonny Grotowski The Four Feathers 2002 Harry Faversham Ned Kelly 2003 Ned Kelly The Order Alex Bernier Lords of Dogtown 2005 Skip Engblom The Brothers Grimm Jacob Grimm Brokeback Mountain Ennis Del Mar Casanova Giacomo Casanova Candy 2006 Dan Carter I 'm Not There 2007 Robbie Clark ( Bob Dylan ) The Dark Knight 2008 The Joker Posthumous release The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 2009 Tony Shepard I am Heath Ledger 2017 Himself Documentary Title Year Role Note Blackrock 1997 Toby Ackland Paws Oberon 10 Things I Hate About You 1999 Patrick Verona Two Hands Jimmy The Patriot 2000 Gabriel Martin A Knight 's Tale William Thatcher Monster 's Ball Sonny Grotowski The Four Feathers 2002 Harry Faversham Ned Kelly 2003 Ned Kelly The Order Alex Bernier Lords of Dogtown 2005 Skip Engblom The Brothers Grimm Jacob Grimm Brokeback Mountain Ennis Del Mar Casanova Giacomo Casanova Candy 2006 Dan Carter I 'm Not There 2007 Robbie Clark ( Bob Dylan ) The Dark Knight 2008 The Joker Posthumous release The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 2009 Tony Shepard I am Heath Ledger 2017 Himself Documentary Title Year Role Note Ship to Shore Cyclist 3 episodes Sweat Snowy Bowles 26 episodes Home and Away 1997 Scott Irwin 9 episodes Roar Conor 13 episodes Storm Hawks 2007 Cyclonian Talon Voice ; one episode Title Year Role Note Ship to Shore Cyclist 3 episodes Sweat Snowy Bowles 26 episodes Home and Away 1997 Scott Irwin 9 episodes Roar Conor 13 episodes Storm Hawks 2007 Cyclonian Talon Voice ; one episode Title Year Performer Note `` Cause an Effect '' 2006 N'fa Directed by Ledger `` Seduction is Evil ( She 's Hot ) '' `` Morning Yearning '' Ben Harper `` Black Eyed Dog '' 2007 Nick Drake Directed by and featuring Ledger `` King Rat '' 2009 Modest Mouse Animated video ; conceived by Ledger Title Year Performer Note `` Cause an Effect '' 2006 N'fa Directed by Ledger `` Seduction is Evil ( She 's Hot ) '' `` Morning Yearning '' Ben Harper `` Black Eyed Dog '' 2007 Nick Drake Directed by and featuring Ledger `` King Rat '' 2009 Modest Mouse Animated video ; conceived by Ledger
Ledger