Heath Ledger Biography
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Free Encyclopedia.”
Heath Andrew Ledger (born April 4, 1979) is an
Australian actor.
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Early
life
Ledger was born in Perth, Australia of Irish and
Scottish descent. He lived in Western Australia until he was 16, when he left
school (Guildford Grammar), a year early. He then moved to Sydney with his best
friend, Trevor DiCarlo, in pursuit of a career in acting. Ledger got his first
break by starring in the American television series Roar.
Film
career
In 1999, Ledger starred in the Hollywood movie 10
Things I Hate About You and also had the lead role in the acclaimed Australian
movie Two Hands, directed by Gregor Jordan. Since then he has starred in such
films as The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, Ned Kelly, The Order and The Brothers
Grimm.
Heath Ledger's most professionally successful year
to date was 2001, with his ShoWest Award for the Male Star of Tomorrow based on
his performance in The Patriot, and worldwide release of the hit anachronistic
jousting romp A Knight's Tale. In 2003 Heath was named one of Australian GQ's
Men of the Year for acting.
In 2005, Ledger received a Best Actor in a Drama
Golden Globe nomination for his fiery and acclaimed performance of Wyoming ranch
hand, Ennis Del Mar, who falls in love and has an ongoing love affair with
aspiring rodeo rider Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, in the
controversial, yet groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed film Brokeback
Mountain, adapted from Annie Proulx's Pulizter Prize winning story by Diana
Ossana and Larry McMurtry, and directed by Ang Lee.
Ledger's reviews for this performance were
outstanding. In the New York Times rave review for Brokeback Mountain, film
critic Stephen Holden wrote, "Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this
anguished love story physically palpable. Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously
disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen
performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn." In another
rave review in Rolling Stone magazine, film critic Peter Travers writes,
"Ledger's magnificent performance is an acting miracle. He seems to tear it from
his insides. Ledger doesn't just know how Ennis moves, speaks and listens; he
knows how he breathes. To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack's
closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost."
Among the other recognition Ledger received for his
performance in Brokeback Mountain is a New York Film Critics Circle Award for
Best Actor of 2005 and a San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
of 2005.
Private
life
He is engaged to actress Michelle Williams, whom he
met on the set of Brokeback Mountain (2005), a film which won the coveted Golden
Lion at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. Together they have a daughter, Matilda
Rose, who was born on October 28, 2005 and weighed 6lbs. 5oz.
Selected Filmography
Year Title Role Other notes
2005 Casanova Casanova Pre-release
2005 Brokeback Mountain Ennis Del Mar In theatres;
Golden Globe nominee (actor)
2005 The Brothers Grimm Jacob Grimm
2005 Lords of Dogtown Skip
2003 The Order Alex Bernier
2002 The Four Feathers Harry Faversham
2001 Monster's Ball Sonny Grotowski
2001 A Knight's Tale Sir William Thatcher/Sir
Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland
1999 10 Things I Hate About You Patrick '"Pat"
Verona
1999 Two Hands Jimmy
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URL of Original Article:
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Date Article Copied:
December 19, 2005
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