Biography
Heath Ledger
Table of Contents
About Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger was one of the most seasoned actors. In his lifespan of only 28 years, he was able to achieve a lot and his roles will be remembered by the audience for ages. His portrayal of the Joker in the Christopher Nolan film “The Dark Knight” is considered one of the best acting roles in film history. This role made him a well-renowned personality worldwide.
Ledger appeared on television for the first time with the series “Roar”. After this, he had roles in films like “The Brothers Grimm” and “Brokeback Mountain”. His roles were very impressed in these films and the critics gave him positive reviews.
| Quick Infos | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Heath Andrew Ledger |
| Date of Birth | 4 April 1979 |
| Birth Place | Perth, Western Australia |
| Parent(s) | Sally Ramshaw Kim Ledger |
| Occupation | Actor, Photographer, Music video director |
| Partner(s) | Michelle Williams (2004–2007) |
| Cause of Death | Accidental overdose |
| Death Date | 22 January 2008 |
Heath was a great actor and put a lot of effort and dedication into his craft. He took this time to understand and live by the mindset of all the characters he played.
The true potential of this brilliant actor was yet to be unlocked. The world will never get to see the best of what this actor had to offer because he passed away too soon. His death is considered a major loss to the film world.
Early Life
Heath Ledger’s full name is Heath Andrew Ledger. He was born to parents Kim Ledger and Sally Ramshaw on the date of April 4, 1979, in Perth which lies in Western Australia. His mother was a French teacher and his father was a mining engineer. His father was also a race car driver.
Heath studied in a primary school in Gooseberry Hill before studying in Guildford Grammar School. He played the role of Peter Pan in a school play at the age of ten. He loved playing chess when he was young.
His parents divorced when he was 11 years old. Heath’s elder sister’s name is Kate. She is an actress and a publicist.
He has two half-sisters namely Ashleigh and Emma.
Nationality: Heath Ledger was of Australian nationality.
Ancestry: His ancestry included English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.
Career
In 1997, Heath Ledger starred in two “Roar” and “Home and Away”. In “Roar” he played the role of Conor for 13 episodes and in “Home and Away”, Scott Irwin for 9 episodes. Before this, he had appeared in. 26 episodes of the TV show “Sweat”.
He kicked off his film career with the film “Blackrock”, in which he played the role of Toby Ackland. The same year, he also appeared in “Paws” as Oberon.
1999 saw Heath play the role of Patrick Verona in the film “10 Things I Hate About You”. The film did fairly well and is still watched by many to this day. The same year he also played as Jimmy in the film “Two Hands”. In 2000, he appeared in “The Patriot” as Gabriel Martin.
In 2001, he starred in “A Knight’s Tale” and “Monster’s Ball”. The next year he appeared in “The Four Feathers”.
After playing roles in “Ned Kelly” and “The Order” in 2003, Heath did four films in 2005. His 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain” garnered him much critical acclaim.
In 2006, he starred in the film “Candy” as Dan Carter. The next year he played the role of Bob Dylan/Robbie Clark in the biopic “I’m Not There”.
He has also worked on music videos. He directed music videos for “Cause and Effect”, “Seduction is Evil” and “Morning Yearning” in 2006.
He also directed and featured in Nick Drake’s 2007 song titled “Black Eyed Dog”. He directed the video for “Quicksand” and conceived an animated video for the song titled “King Rat”.
After Heath’s death, two films, “The Dark Knight” and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” were released posthumously.
The film “The Dark Knight” was a massive success and grossed around US$1 billion in revenue from the box-office. Heath’s performance as “The Joker” was highly acclaimed and he is considered one of the best Jokers of all time.
Personal Life
His love for chess was still prevalent when he became an adult. He loved playing chess against enthusiasts at Washington Square Park. Ledger also loved photography.
Heath Ledger met Michelle Williams while working on “Brokeback Mountain” in 2004 and started dating immediately after.
On October 28, 2005, they had a daughter together named Matilda Rose. In 2007, Ledger and Michelle split up.
Height, Weight, and Age
Heath stood 1.85m tall and weighed approximately 70kg.
At the time of his death, he was 28 years old.
Death
Heath Ledger died on January 22, 2008. Heath was 28 years old when he passed away. He was announced dead at 3:36 PM in his SoHo apartment. His death was deemed an accident that resulted from the misuse of prescribed medications.
After his death, he was posthumously awarded an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for “Best Supporting Actor” in the film “The Dark Knight”.
Net Worth
Heath Ledger’s net worth is estimated to be around US$ 16 million as of September 2020. There was a huge dispute for his wealth after his death but it was settled and most of it was offered to his daughter Matilda.
Heath Ledger is one of the most iconic faces in the film industry. His role as The Joker is unforgettable and to this day people respect his portrayal of the role. He has been infused with the role and any other actor who takes upon the role has to keep in mind that they will be compared with him.
