All About Heath Ledger
NameHeath Ledger
Birth Date
April 04, 1979
Birth Place
Perth, Australia
Heath Ledger's untimely death at 28 took everyone by surprise. The Oscar-nominated actor, who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, is survived by daughter, Matilda, whose mother is his Brokeback Mountain costar Michelle Williams.
The Australian-born actor first gained wide recognition in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. Instead of resting on his hunky looks, Ledger turned down a series of heartthrob roles before delivering a complicated, career-defining performance as a gay man in Brokeback Mountain, the Ang Lee-directed film about a tragic love affair between two cowboys. The Oscar-winning film revived his career and introduced Ledger to Williams, whom he dated for three years.
In one of his first acting roles, Heath Ledger wore green tights as the lead in a Perth community theater production of Peter Pan. "It took a lot of guts," he told the Washington Post. "For a 12-year-old kid, that can be damaging amongst your peers."
Brokeback Mountain wasn't the first time Heath Ledger played a gay man. In 1996, he landed the role of a gay cyclist in the Aussie TV show Sweat.
Heath Ledger had "KAOS" tattooed across one wrist. It stood for Kate, Ashleigh, Olivia and Sally, the names of his mom and three sisters.
Jake Gyllenhaal is the godfather of Heath Ledger's daughter, Matilda. "Heath and I made love, and they got a baby out of it!" Gyllenhaal joked to Entertainment Weekly.
Heath Ledger's secret ambition was to star in a Hollywood musical. "They're what made me want to do movies in the first place," he told Movieline. "I guess in some people's eyes, guys dancing around can look queeny, but I think it's very, very cool."