Heath Ledger Biography

April 4, 1979

Perth, Australia

Heath Andrew Ledger

Playing Julia Stiles' bad-boy love interest in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Heath Ledger and actress Michelle Williams became the proud parents of Matilda on October 28, 2005. The couple broke up in September 2007.

"I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away." - Vanity Fair

"I feel like I'm wasting time if I repeat myself." - New York Times

Heath Ledger began acting on stage with a theater company at the age of 10. After landing roles on Australian TV shows, he took on a starring role in Roar, an American TV series. That job prompted his move to America.

After catapulting into heartthrob territory with the teen romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, Ledger turned down subsequent 'teen' roles and instead opted for heartier fare. Ledger's film credits include The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, Monster's Ball, Four Feathers, The Brothers Grimm, Brokeback Mountain, Casanova, Candy, I'm Not There, and The Dark Knight.

Ledger earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in the dramatic film Brokeback Mountain. Directed by Ang Lee and co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain is the touching story of a forbidden romance between two cowboys.

In a sad turn of events, Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment on January 22, 2008. He was just 28 years old. Prior to his death, the actor completed work as The Joker in The Dark Knight. His performance earned high praise from critics and audiences, and was the first performance of 2008 to generate Oscar buzz.

At the time of Ledger's death, he was in the process of working on Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Despite the loss of the film's star, Gilliam completed work on the project by bringing in three actors (Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp) to take on Ledger's role.