theOscarSite facts:
Birth Name:
  • Heath Andrew Ledger
Birth Date:
  • 4 April 1979
Birthplace:
  • Perth, Western Australia
Death Date:
  • 22 January 2008, New York City
Quote:
  • "I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away. I wasn't going to have fun doing a teen movie again... I don't want to do this for the rest of my life... I don't want to spend the rest of my youth doing this in this industry. There's so much I want to discover." - Vanity Fair (August 2000)
Factoids:
  • Was a part of the Kalamunda Field Hockey team in 1990 in Australia. His father, Kim Ledger, was the president of the team from 1990-1992.
  • He and his sister are named after the two main romantic characters of Emily Brontë's novel, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliffe and Cate.
  • Was found dead in his apartment in New York City by his housekeeper and a massage therapist, finding him face down and unconscious in his bed with sleeping pills on a nearby table. (22 January 2008)
Education:
  • Guildford Grammar School (private boys school, Australia)
Family:
  • Father: Kim
  • Mother: Sally
  • Sister: Kate Ledger
  • Half-Sister: Olivia Ledger
  • Half-Sister: Ashleigh Bell
  • Daughter: Matilda Rose Ledger (born 28 October 2005, mother Michelle Williams)
Significant Other(s):
  • Naomi Watts (dated 2002-2004)
  • Heather Graham (dated 2000-01)
  • Lisa Zane (dated)
  • Michelle Williams (mother of his daughter), engaged until 2007
Feature Film
Credits:
  • 2009: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (began filming)
  • 2008: THE DARK KNIGHT (completed filming)
  • 2007: I'M NOT THERE
    2006: CANDY
  • 2005: CASANOVA, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, LORDS OF DOGTOWN, CANDY
  • 2003: THE ORDER, NED KELLY
  • 2002: THE FOUR FEATHERS
  • 2001: MONSTER'S BALL, A KNIGHT'S TALE
  • 2000: THE PATRIOT
  • 1999: TWO HANDS, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
  • 1997: PAWS, BLACKROCK
  • 1992: CLOWNING AROUND
Academy Awards®: