Heath Ledger biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Ledger was the son of Sally Ledger Bell (a french teacher) and Kim Ledger (a racecar driver and mining specialist.) He and his sister, Katherine, were reportedly named after two main characters in Emily Bonte's Wuthering Heights. He also had two half sisters: Ashleigh Bell and Olivia Ledger, both of whom were born into his parents' second marriage. But his closest family relationship would be with Katharine (who he would later credit for his choice to become an actor.)

Early in life, young Heath found a passion for playing chess, and he would win Western Australia's Junior Chess Championship at the age of 10. It was around this time that he found an interest in becoming a stage performer, as he performed the lead role in Guildford Grammar School's production of Peter Pan. Unfortunately, while Ledger was enjoying this busy life of a 10 year old his parents found themselves growing apart. That same year, his parents would separate and ultimately get divorced when Heath was 11. He found emotional release in acting, choreography and dance and continued seeking out roles in his grammar school. He also tried his hand on the big screen as an extra in the movie "Clowning Around" and later he appeared in the TV series "Ship To Shore."

Making it in Hollywood

At age 16, Ledger completed his early graduation exams, and he traveled cross-country to Sydney to pursue an acting career with his long time friend Trevor DiCarlo. He had worked various, small roles in television, and his feature film debut came in 1997 in the emotional drama "Blackrock." This led to a starring role in pilot series "Roar;" a medival fantasy costarring Keri Russell and backed by Financiers in the United States. The series was nominated for several awards and exposed Ledger to American audiences and Fox executives. On the urging of then-girlfriend Liza Zane (who also appeared in the series,) Heath sought out an American agent and followed Zane back to Los Angeles at the age of 19.

In 1999, he was fully exposed to an international audience with his breakout role opposite Julia Stiles in "10 Things I Hate About "The Taming of the Shrew." The film was a cult success among younger audiences. Despite his young age and relative inexperience, he was soon beating out the Hollywood elite for major roles in blockbuster films. Mel Gibson cast him as his son Gabriel Martin in "The Patriot" (2000.) His talent was tested in the lower budget "Monster's Ball"(2000) opposite Billy Bob Thorton. And the highly experimental "A Knight's Tale" (2001) displayed Ledger's abilities as a true leading man. His exposure in these films, coupled with his growing reputation as a Hollywood playboy, led people magazine to name Ledger one of it's "50 most beautiful people" in 2001.

Brokeback Mountain

He worked steadily on many independent films unitl 2005 when he was once again thrust into the spotlight with his contribution to one of the most controversial films to date. 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 the film, Ledger plays ranch hand Ennis Del Mar, who has a life long 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.

It was on the set of Brokeback Mountain that Ledger met actress Michelle Williams. The two began a whirlwind relationship, and their daughter (Matilda Rose) was born on 28 October 2005 in New York City. Matilda Rose's godparents are Ledger's Brokeback co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams' Dawson's Creek castmate Busy Philipps. Problems with paparazzi in Australia prompted Ledger to sell his residence in Bronte, New South Wales and move to the United States, where he shared an apartment with Williams in Brooklyn, from 2005 to 2007. In September 2007, Williams' father, Larry Williams, confirmed to Sydney's Daily Telegraph