“When I die, my money’s not gonna come with me. My movies will live on for people to judge what I was as a person.” ~ Heath Ledger (1979-2008)
Five years ago, on January 22nd 2008, the world lost one of the most talented and beloved actors of the 21st century: Heath Ledger. Born in Perth, Australia in 1979, he began acting in the Guildford Grammar School at age twelve. After graduation, a sixteen-year-old Ledger traveled to Sydney to star in television shows, including Ship to Shore, Roar, Home and Away, and Sweat. By 1999, the young actor had appeared in many Hollywood films, but it was in 2005 when he starred in what is now regarded as a cinematic masterpiece and one of Heath’s best: Brokeback Mountain.
This film became Heath Ledger’s signature movie until his death. By then, filming had been completed for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. As many of his prior roles had been in romantic dramas, there were those who doubted Ledger’s ability to take on a character as iconic and psychotic as the Joker. After the movie hit theaters, everyone was blown away by his unforgettable performance, which, for many, has become the be-all and end-all of big screen baddies.
The poor timing, however, of The Dark Knight’s release has resulted in rumors surrounding Heath’s death that have become Hollywood legend. In fact, many fans to this day still believe that the twenty-eight year old actor was so deeply entrenched in the role of the killer clown that it drove him to the point of suicide. The reported real cause for Heath’s death was an accidental overdose of prescriptions for his flu, back pain, and ongoing insomnia, which had begun before the taping of The Dark Knight.
Heath’s life concluded abruptly while asleep in his SoHo, New York apartment. At this time, he was filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which was later completed by actors Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law. At the 2008 Oscars, Heath’s parents and sister accepted his posthumous award for Best Supporting Actor for the role of the Joker. Today, his daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger, who is the sole heir to his estate that is worth over $30 million, survives Heath. Heath Ledger was a true talent and unstoppable artist whose name will no doubt survive amongst the greats.
All his fans, including those at Chatham University, hold his memory dearly and will forever regard him as one of the greatest legends of their time. “I can’t watch 10 Things I Hate About You without tearing up,” Broadcast Journalism Major Sara Hussain says. “Heath Ledger was one of those few actors that was so talented that he could embody any role and play any part…He was versatile, sexy and every bit the man that won an Oscar after his death that was given to his daughter, Matilda, in his name… I would like to describe him as a man that was passionate and devoted to his craft whether it be acting or loving his daughter.”
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