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Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger died in his Manhattan apartment on the afternoon of Tuesday 22 January, he was 28.

He was discovered by his house-keeper, and although it's possible that prescribed medication may have been involved, police have not confirmed such speculation and have stated that, in any event, foul play is not suspected.

Born 4 April 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, Ledger's first success as an actor came in the TV series Sweat. His stock grew with the teen hit movie 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, but Ledger was always looking to avoid trading simply on his looks or heartthrob appeal.

He received an Academy Award nomination for his turn in Brokeback Mountain in 2005, and recently completed filming the role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Knight (scheduled for release in July).

Ledger was previously engaged to Brokeback co-star Michelle Williams, but the pair split a few months ago. They have a two and half year old daughter called Matilda Rose.

Ledger's parents have released the following statement:

"We, Heath's family, confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda, who was found in a peaceful sleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30pm [New York Time].

"We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their kind wishes at this time.

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure to truly know him. He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and unselfish individual who was an extreme inspiration to many.

"Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."


News | What members say | Filmography | Downloads (4)

Heath Ledger - news / articles


  • Trio donate fees to Ledger's daughter - 20 August 2008
    The three actors who have replaced Heath Ledger in his final film have donated their salaries to his daughter.-Filming on Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was suspended when the Australian actor was found dead from an accidental overdose of prescrip


  • Stars pay tribute to Ledger at premiere - 15 July 2008
    The cast of the new batman film The Dark Knight paid tribute to Heath Ledger at its premiere in New York last night.-Christian Bale, Sir Michael Caine and Gary Oldman all graced a black carpet and spoke of their admiration for their co-star's performance as The Joker-


  • Heath Ledger 'could win an Oscar for Joker' - 27 June 2008
    Heath Ledger could win a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of The Joker in Batman sequel The Dark Knight.-The Australian actor was found dead after overdosing on prescription drugs on January 22nd at just 28 years of age.-However, his role at Batman's nemesis has won

Heath Ledger - what members say


  • 10 Things I Hate About You
  • 10 Things I Hate About You review by Louise from Oxfordshire, England
    Rated - 4 stars American Pie - with Heath Ledger 24 July 2006
    ...h school kids and their romances. Super performance from a young 20 year old Heath Ledger. If you like American Pie, this film is for you, it even has the same opening s...  
  • Two Hands
  • Two Hands review by KennyMacMillan from Renfrewshire
    Rated - 5 stars Sex on Aussie Legs 31 October 2004
    ...Excellent movie. Follows the lives of a hunk (Heath Ledger) who gets involved with the local gang boss. The series of events are followed from the viewpoint of each of the ...  
  • A Knight's Tale
  • A Knight's Tale review by Lesley from Norwich
    Rated - 5 stars Riotously funny and shamelessly anachronistic 1 December 2003
    ...This is a great film, although Heath Ledger really has the whole film stolen from under his nose the moment Paul Bettany walks onto the screen. Completely naked. So a bit o...  

Heath Ledger - filmography


  • Candy on DVD (2006)
    Starring: Heath Ledger,  Abbie Cornish,  Geoffrey Rush
    Director: Neil Armfield
    Certificate: 15
    A poet (Ledger) falls in love with an art student (Cornish) who gravitates to his bohemian lifestyle -- and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug, their relationship alternates between states of oblivion, self-destruction, and despair.
    Rate this: 3.0 55% from 3,399 members
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  • The Brothers Grimm on DVD (2005)
    Starring: Matt Damon,  Heath Ledger,  Lena Headey
    Director: Terry Gilliam
    Certificate: 12
    Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life into a playfully grim fairy tale all its own. Set in early 18th Century French-occupied Germany, The ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.0 56% from 9,158 members
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  • Casanova on DVD (2005)
    Starring: Heath Ledger,  Sienna Miller,  Jeremy Irons
    Director: Lasse Hallstrom
    Certificate: 12
    For the first time in his life, the legendary Casanova is about to meet his match when the alluring Francesca does the one thing the notorious lover of women never thought possible - refuse him. Through disguises, subterfuges and wit, Casanova manages to get closer and closer to Francesca... but ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.0 58% from 5,830 members
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  • Ned Kelly on DVD (2003)
    Starring: Heath Ledger,  Orlando Bloom,  Naomi Watts
    Director: Gregor Jordan
    Certificate: 15
    A film about Australias' most notorious outlaw, Ned Kelly. It is 1871 and Ned, along with his brother Dan and two other men, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne, form a gang, the Kelly Gang, and set out to rob banks using primitive armour as protection. Kelly soons finds himself being seen as a Robin Hood ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.0 63% from 1,185 members
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  • A Knight's Tale on DVD (2001)
    Starring: Heath Ledger,  Mark Addy,  Rufus Sewell
    Director: Brian Helgeland
    Certificate: PG
    In the Middle Ages, before television or professional sports, there's only one form of competition to separate the men from the boys--jousting tournaments. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a poor and humble squire, has always dreamed of proving himself worthy as a knight in a jousting match. When ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 72% from 3,409 members
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  • The Patriot on DVD (2000)
    Starring: Mel Gibson,  Joely Richardson,  Heath Ledger
    Director: Roland Emmerich
    Certificate: 15
    Mel Gibson stars in this action-packed historical drama from the director of INDEPENDENCE DAY and GODZILLA. Gibson portrays Benjamin Martin, an unassuming man who is forced to join the American Revolution when the British threaten to take his farm away from him. Together with his patriotic son, ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.0 63% from 3,364 members
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  • Two Hands on DVD (1999)
    Starring: Bryan Brown,  Heath Ledger,  Rose Byrne
    Director: Gregor Jordan
    Certificate: 15
    In his wonderfully inventive and decidedly Australian debut feature, Gregor Jordan returns to Sundance (his short, Swinger, played in 1996) with a film that is fresh, funny, and an unqualified delight. With its sophisticated meshing of gangster, horror, and deadpan comedy genres (in the director's ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 70% from 420 members
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Heath Ledger - downloads


  • I'm Not There for Download (2008)
    Starring: Ben Whishaw,  Cate Blanchett,  Christian Bale
    Director: Todd Haynes
    Certificate: 15
    Rent from: £2.99
    Run time: 131 minutes
    Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan's music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the ..read more »
    Rate this: 2.5 51% from 20 members
    Download now
  • Candy for Download (2006)
    Starring: Abbie Cornish,  Geoffrey Rush,  Heath Ledger
    Director: Neil Armfield
    Certificate: 15
    Rent from: £3.49
    Buy from: £7.99
    Run time: 124 minutes
    A poet (Ledger) falls in love with an art student (Cornish) who gravitates to his bohemian lifestyle -- and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug, their relationship alternates between states of oblivion, self-destruction, and despair.
    Rate this: 3.5 69% from 12 members
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  • The Sin Eater for Download (2002)
    Starring: Heath Ledger
    Director: Brian Helgeland
    Certificate: 15
    Rent from: £2.99
    Run time: 98 minutes
    Alex Bernier (Ledger) is a member of an arcane order of priests known as Carolingians. When the head of the order dies, Alex is sent to Rome to investigate mysterious circumstances surrounding the death. The body bears strange marks on the chest which may or may not be the sign of a Sin Eater (..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 70% from 5 members
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  • Lords Of Dogtown for Download
    Starring: Emile Hirsch,  Heath Ledger,  Rebecca De Mornay
    Director: Catherine Hardwicke
    Certificate: 15
    Buy from: £12.99
    Run time: 106 minutes
    Anyone who grew up in Southern California will talk with both nostalgia and frustration about the periodic summers of drought in which the oppressive heat is exacerbated by a shortage of its antidote fresh water. In 1975, a clan of scruffy, rebellious teens found a way to turn this dearth to their ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 67% from 17 members
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Heath Ledger facts

5 most recent films


The Dark Knight - 4.5 stars
Heath Ledger - A Tribute - 3 stars
Dark Knight, The - BLU-RAY Version - 4.5 stars
I'm Not There - 3.0 stars
Candy - 3.0 stars

5 highest-rated films


Dark Knight, The - BLU-RAY Version - 4.5 stars
The Dark Knight - 4.5 stars
Knight's Tale, A - BLU-RAY Version - 3.5 stars
10 Things I Hate About You - 3.5 stars
Two Hands - 3.5 stars

5 lowest-rated films


Heath Ledger - A Tribute - 3 stars
The Sin Eater - 2.5 stars
The Brothers Grimm - 3.0 stars
Candy - 3.0 stars
I'm Not There - 3.0 stars

Most frequent co-stars


Christian Bale - 4 times - show films
Mark Addy - 3 times - show films
Shannyn Sossamon - 3 times - show films
Michelle Williams - 3 times - show films
Geoffrey Rush - 3 times - show films

Most frequent directors


Brian Helgeland - 4 times - show films
Terry Gilliam - 2 times - show films
Catherine Hardwicke - 2 times - show films
Neil Armfield - 2 times - show films
Gregor Jordan - 2 times - show films