Heath Ledger Tribute Planned

Heath Ledger's friends and family have approved plans for a one-off tribute event for the late actor to mark the third anniversary of his tragic death.

The Brokeback Mountain star passed away on January 22nd, 2008 after suffering an accidental overdose at his New York apartment.

Ledger's father, Kim, has now confirmed a charity gala will be held in the actor's honor in his native Australia in early February.

The event, titled "Heath: A Night Under the Stars Celebrating One of Its Finest," will showcase the star's Academy Award-winning turn in The Dark Knight and the proceeds will be handed to a performing arts organisation.

A statement from Kim Ledger reads, "We the Ledger family confirm our approval and endorsement for the one time only Heath tribute night and are pleased donations from the proceeds will benefit Telethon, His Majesty's Theatre Foundation & Australians in Film."

Ledger's Casanova co-star Sienna Miller and his friend, supermodel Gemma Ward, are expected to appear at the event, which will be held on February 12th in Perth.

Michelle Williams: I Will Watch Brokeback Mountain With My Daughter One Day

Michelle Williams met late boyfriend Heath Ledger on the set of 'Brokeback Mountain,' but so far, it's been too difficult to show their daughter, four year-old Matilda.

The actress, nominated for a Golden Globe for this year's indie hit 'Blue Valentine,' spoke with Angeleno Magazine about, among other things, growing up herself alongside a daughter without her very famous father. In some ways, it's baby steps for the young girl.

"I was just an actor who happened to be lucky enough to be in the right place, and it was the place where I met Matilda's father, and that is a lot," she said. "It was a lot. And it will be a lot for Matilda too, when she gets around to watching it. I will watch it with her, when she's ready. It is hard to imagine what that would feel like, but one day, yes, we will watch it together."

For now, Matilda is maturing in other ways -- one slow day at a time.

"Her hair is down to her chin and she has decided she can have her bangs trimmed, but she doesn't want a bob anymore," Williams explained. A bob is cute for a three-year-old but she is five now... It's crazy how fast time is going for me and how agonizingly slow it is going for her. When she was four she would say 'I am four and a half,' 'I am four and five-sixths,' 'four and seven-eighths,' because all the increments mattered."

With time moving so quickly for Williams, she has grown a lot in her own ways, in large part because of what she went through.

"I've done a lot. I have taken on a lot of things earlier than would be the standard in terms of working, of being in a serious relationship and having a child. I was 25 when I had Matilda and so I feel like I have caught up to myself, and 30 feels like a number that maybe matches all those things a little bit better."

Robin Williams Wants to Ride With Batman

Robin Williams is urging movie bosses to cast him in the next Batman movie - because he has twice been turned down for parts in the superhero franchise.

Rumors over casting for Christopher Nolan's upcoming third superhero film have been rife ever since The Dark Knight, starring Heath Ledger as The Joker, hit cinemas in 2008 - with fans speculating over which characters will be re-introduced.

Nolan is said to be considering bringing feline femme fatale Catwoman back for the new movie, along with The Riddler.

Williams is adamant he would make a good replacement for Jim Carrey, who played the fiendish puzzler in 1995's Batman Forever, because the part was originally offered to him. The funnyman also reveals he was lined up to play The Joker in the original 1989 Batman movie before the role was later handed to Jack Nicholson - and the snubs have made him determined to secure a part in the next installment of the hit franchise.

He tells Empire magazine, "I would do Batman in a second. I'd play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain and I'm a little hairy for tights.

"The Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered me The Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me The Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey. I'd be like, 'Ok, is this a real offer? If it is, then the answer's yes. Don't pump me again motherf**kers'."

Heath Ledger's Family Keeps His Memory Alive

He's been gone for more than two years, but Heath Ledger's family continues to make sure his memory is here to stay.

"He is alive in my heart and in my head. Every day I talk to him," Ledger's sister, Kate told People Magazine Thursday night at the sixth annual Australians in Film Breakthrough Awards, which honored Ryan Kwanten and Chris Hemsworth, in Los Angeles. Kate and Ledger's mother, Sally Bell, were on hand to watch Colin Farrell present up-and-coming actress Bella Heathcote with the Heath Ledger Scholarship.

"It is very special," Kate said. "It's honoring our boy so we couldn't be prouder and we think it is an amazing scholarship that is going to give so many opportunities.

His mother added, "He had a huge passion for acting. That was the most important thing for him. It wasn't about the money. He had such a passion that just showed through regardless of how big the role was."

Ledger's family said it comforts them to know he will be forever immortalized in films, but Kate admitted that "we haven't been able to watch any."

"We find that too difficult," the late Oscar winner's mother added.

Bell also gushed about her granddaughter, Matilda, Ledger's daughter with actress Michelle Williams.

"She is amazing. We keep in touch with Michelle and Matilda a lot. We spend as much time together as we can as a family and on Skype and phoning."

When asked if she sees pieces of Heath, who died in January 2008 from an accidental overdose, in Matilda, Bell quickly responded, "Absolutely."

"In some of her movements it is just naturally in the way she moves. But there is a lot of Michelle there as well."

Jake Gyllenhaal Taunted Over Heath Ledger's Death

Reports are going around that Jake Gyllenhaal was involved in a scuffle over Heath Ledger in Montreal over the weekend. The truth appears to be that Gyllenhaal had a blogger from DrunkenStepfather thrown out of a bar after the blogger harassed him, saying "Isn't that the guy who killed Heath Ledger?"

The blogger claims: "An innocent comment….that apparently he couldn’t take…so he took his acting class lessons seriously as he started screaming at chanelled the birthday he didn’t get the red bike-in my face like a role he rehearsed…he started throwing his hands in the air all while saying things like 'get the fuck out here' and 'I will break you' flailing his arms around like he meant business….but it was really a fucking joke… I laughed but the bouncers didn’t so I got escorted out after I had to pay my bill…the girl I was with was stuck inside where Gyllanhaal decided to take out his anger on her….by pushing her into the table at least once before his crew held him back….. Maybe these people aren’t used to being teased and everyone around them sucks up to them…so here he was shoving her against the table, hurting her, making her cry before his crew of handlers pulled him off her…"

E! Online clears it up: "Jake was definitely at the restaurant Saturday night (he's a regular there) as was the blogger. Main discrepancy here? We're told by sources who were present that the blogger in question said, 'Hey isn't that the guy who killed Heath Ledger?' prompting Jake to yell to the bouncers 'get these guys out of my face.' The instigator and his crew were then thrown out. We originally read this blog post yesterday, where the site definitely had 'killed' not 'kissed' up until it was later changed. The post actually backs up this supposed kill claim by ranting in the item that if Jake was Ledger's friend, he probably would have been there for him in his low point."

Jude Law Talks About Finishing Heath Ledger's Final Role

Jude Law says he was humbled personally and professionally to be asked to help take over Heath Ledger's final movie role, which Ledger left unfinished when he died in January 2008.

"When I got the call, it was a double tug," Law says of joining the cast of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. "I liked Heath very much as a man and admired him as an actor. To help finish his final piece of work was a tribute I felt compelled to make."

Ledger was in the midst of filming the role of Tony in the fantasy film, directed by Terry Gilliam, when he died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his New York apartment on January 22, 2008, at age 28.

Determined to finish the movie, Gilliam kept Ledger's work intact, and hired Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell to round out the role of Tony – each playing a different incarnation of the character after he steps through a magical mirror.

"To help Terry finish his film was an honor paid to a man I adore," Law says. "Though we were all there in remembrance, Heath's heart pushed us with great lightness to the finish."

Lily Cole, who plays the female lead as Tony's love interest Valentina, says it was a struggle to resume filming just a month after Ledger's death.

"We'd had a month to absorb that situation, which by no means is enough time to get over it, but it was a month to think about finishing the film," Cole tells Film Review Online.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which Gilliam has dedicated to Ledger, opens in limited release in the U.S. on Christmas Day and in wide release on January 8th.

Jude Law to Judge Heath Ledger Scholarship

When Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose before completing his final film, Jude Law stepped in to finish his role. Now he's stepped up to judge Ledger's namesake scholarship competition.

"I am delighted and honored to do what I can to keep Heath's legacy alive," Law, 36, says. "He was a brilliant actor and a wonderful man and it is only fitting that this scholarship has been developed in his name."

Law took over Ledger's role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus along with Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell after the actor's death of an accidental overdose last year.

The Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship is awarded to an emerging Australian actor who wants to pursue a career in America. Hollywood hopeful Oliver Ackland took home last year's prize of $10,000 and return airfare from Australia on Qantas. This year's finalists will be announced in February 2010.

Lindsay Lohan was Dating Heath LedgerWhen He Died

Lindsay Lohan was dating Heath Ledger when he died, according to the actress' mother Dina.

In the latest leaked phone conversation between Dina and her ex-husband Michael, the Lohan matriarch claimed back in 2008 that Lindsay was "f**ked up" by the actor's fatal drug overdose in January of that year.

She says, "She was dating Heath when he died. I don't know if you know that, but I know 'cause I would drop her off and they were friends, very, very close...

"That f**ed her up."

In the tape, which appears on www.RadarOnline.com, Dina also describes her fears Lohan will suffer the same fate as Ledger, adding, "When she's drunk or takes an Adderall (prescribed stimulant) with it she will do something like Heath Ledger did in a second without thinking.

"She cannot be alone. When she sleeps here she sleeps with me... she has fears from being little..."

Michael Lohan is leaking taped conversations with Dina, Lindsay and her ex-employee Jenni Munro in a bid to convince the Mean Girls star to seek help for an alleged drug addiction.

The move has angered Lindsay, who has blasted her dad in the press, and Munro - who has threatened legal action.

Ang Lee Talks About the Heath Ledger/Jake Gyllenhaal Kiss on “Brokeback Mountain”

Ang Lee won the Oscar for directing Brokeback Mountain which somehow lost in the Best Picture race even though it was far superior to Crash. Heath Ledger was nominated for best actor for the film and co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams in supporting categories.

Currently promoting his film Taking Woodstock in the UK, Lee talked to www.Metro.Co.UK about directing one of the kissing scenes in Brokeback: “I was directing Heath kissing [Jake Gyllenhaal] and I told him that you would never kiss a woman that hard. He needed to do it in a heroic Western way, more passionately.”

He added: “I remember seeing Michelle watching while we filmed – at that point they were already ‘friends’ – and she had a look of concentration on her face because she also thought he should be stronger with Jake.”

Here is one of the big kissing scenes where the lovers are reunited for the first time since their summer together as ranch hands:


Brokeback Mountain will always be my all-time favorite movie and we will always miss Heath Ledger.

Michelle Williams on Vogue October 2009 Issue

Michelle Williams is pixie pretty on the October 2009 cover of Vogue. Here’s what the 29-year-old actress said in her interview:

On Heath Ledger’s passing: “I was holding it together by a string and a paper clip in the fall and winter. I didn’t know if I could keep it all together… You console yourself by saying it’s all a deepening process. But it’s wired. After the first year, the pain is less intense; it’s less immediate. But the magical thinking goes away too. And that’s a whole new reckoning. But every time I really miss him and wonder where he’s gone, I just look at [Matilda].”

On reflecting back on the good times: “Brokeback Mountain was an unrepeatable moment in time, a very charmed time in my life. I was in love; I was in a movie I was proud to be a part of, and with a beautiful brand-new baby. Everything was good in that moment.”

On the constant attention from papaprazzi: “It’s because of this tragedy that there’s more paparazzi. That is hard to be graceful and understanding about… It’s hard to be the man and the woman in that [paparazzi] situation. Heath always used to do that for us.”

Pick up the October Vogue issue at your local newstand for the complete interview.

Trailer - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Before his untimely death in January 2008, Heath Ledger was filming what would become his last role, Tony in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus, played by Christopher Plummer, and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.

Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick.

When Heath passed away, the film was still in production, with several scenes to be completed. Director Terry Gilliam decided to transform Tony in the movie by using Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell as the character 'Imaginarium Tony' after Heath Ledger's untimely death.

Here's the official trailer:

Vanity Fair on the Last Days of Heath Ledger

The world is mourning the death of Michael Jackson who died at 50 and of Farrah Fawcett who died at 62. Both seemed to be gone too soon.

Then you think of Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight star Heath Ledger, just 28 when he died last year. That was really too soon. Vanity Fair has Heath on the cover of its August issue and the article inside offers new details into his life near the end.

Here are some of the highlights:

How his relationship failed

Terry Gilliam—Ledger’s friend and mentor, and the director of Doctor Parnassus—agrees with cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, who worked with Ledger on that last film, that the romance between Ledger and Michelle Williams began to unravel during the Oscar campaign for Brokeback Mountain. “The whole machinery started growing up around them,” Gilliam says. “That was the moment when it changed, when he realized, Uh-oh. We perceive the world differently. He didn’t care about things like those awards.”

According to Pecorini, “Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking, What did I do wrong?” Adds Gilliam, “Because he’s a much nicer person than I am, he really thought he could do the right thing. He was trying to be decent and graceful, give her whatever she wanted—the house, every fucking thing. But once it started going south, it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding. I said, ‘This is bullshit. Heath, just end it. Get out—it’s bad. You’ve got to just walk away from it.’ The stakes kept going up. He wouldn’t listen to any of us.”

As Ledger’s relationship with Williams unraveled, and the pair started dealing with lawyers and custody issues, according to Gilliam, Ledger fell apart. “The thing that really made Heath snap” was legal wrangling over his daughter, Matilda, Gilliam says. “He said, ‘Just fuck all of you! I’m not giving Michelle anything.’???” Recalls another source, when it came to Matilda’s care, “there were definitely heated conversations, and emotions were high.” (Ledger’s lawyer declined to comment on any aspect of the separation or custody dispute.)

How chronic insomnia may have led to his death

Ledger’s use of sleeping medication to combat chronic insomnia at the end of his life was of more concern to vocal coach Gerry Grennell, who worked and lived with the actor during the filming of The Dark Knight. “I’d say, ‘If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don’t seem to be doing you any good.’ He agreed. It is very difficult for me to imagine how close he came to not taking them.”

Ledger would typically spend night after night awake, diverting himself with time killers, Vanity Fair contributing editor Peter Biskind reports, such as re-arranging the furniture in whatever space he happened to be living in at the moment. Grennell coached him in the Alexander Technique, which helped him to sleep for a few hours at a time, but he still struggled.

“Everyone has a different view of how he passed away,” Grennell tells Biskind. “From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication … and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu. I guess his body just stopped breathing.”

Heath Ledger's Last Days – From His Friends

In the days leading up to his death, Heath Ledger battled chronic insomnia, pneumonia and exhaustion, according to several members of Ledger's inner circle – who paint a portrait of a tortured man who struggled with personal strife and professional indecision, reports the August Vanity Fair, on sale nationally July 7th.

Apparently, one of the biggest struggles in Ledger's life was his deteriorating relationship with partner Michelle Williams.

"Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking 'what did I do wrong?'" says Ledger's friend and mentor, director Terry Gilliam. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding."

The stress of his personal life left Ledger unable to sleep.

Chronic Insomnia

Gerry Grennell, a vocal coach who lived with Ledger during the filming of The Dark Knight, said that the actor used sleeping medication to combat chronic insomnia. "I'd say, 'If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don't seem to be doing you any good,' " recalls Grennell, who said that Ledger would spend his nights finding ways to occupy himself, such as rearranging the furniture.

Grennell also says that everyone has a different view on how Ledger died. "From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication … and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu," he says. "I guess his body just stopped breathing."

Grennell and other sources claim that Ledger was no longer using illegal drugs or alcohol when he died.

Professional Indecision

Despite the actor's eventual success – and posthumous Oscar – as the Joker in the The Dark Knight, Ledger's friend and agent, Steven Alexander, tells the magazine that Ledger "was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies. He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."

Friends say that Ledger agreed to join the Batman franchise because it would be such a long shot that it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers. Ledger reportedly had a pay-or-play deal for Dark Knight, meaning that he'd receive a paycheck no matter what, so he took creative liberties with the Joker.

According to cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so over-the-top that he'd be fired.

Heath Ledger Documentary to Air on Ovation TV

"Heath Ledger: A Tribute," an hourlong documentary special on the life of the late Oscar-winning actor, will have its premiere on Ovation TV this summer.

The cable channel has acquired the film from Australian production company World Wide Entertainment and plans to air it in August as part of a weeklong programing event, "Live Fast, Die Young," which focuses on stars whose lives ended prematurely. Subjects include Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and John Belushi.

"Throughout his short career, Heath Ledger seemed a star destined to burn brightly and leave a lasting mark," said Kris Slava, senior vice president of programing for Ovation TV. "This documentary is a warm, honest portrayal of the actor and the man, and features footage that has never been seen in America."

Final Film Dedicated to Heath Ledger

The director of Heath Ledger's final film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, says the late actor was more than just a cast member – he almost co-directed the movie.

"Heath was just brilliant at it, and he got everybody else going," Terry Gilliam said Friday at the Cannes Film Festival, where the movie premiered this week. "Everybody was just energized by Heath. He was extraordinary. He was almost exhausting because he had so much energy."

When Ledger died in January 2008 halfway into his performance, Gilliam said he had to "go out and find a way of finishing the film for Heath," the Associated Press reports. The solution: casting Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to play incarnations of Ledger during the fantasy movie.

And while Ledger was replaced, he was not forgotten. At the end of the movie, there's a dedication: "A film from Heath Ledger and friends."

Bale Avoided TV News After Heath Ledger's Death

Christian Bale refused to watch the news after his The Dark Knight co-star Heath Ledger died - fearing gossipy coverage would tarnish his memories of his friend.

Bale was left stunned after Ledger, who played the villainous Joker to his Batman in the 2008 blockbuster, died from an accidental prescription drug overdose in January 2008.

But he chose to block out all reports about his friend's tragic passing - because he didn't want to hear uninformed outsiders speculate about Ledger's death.

He tells Esquire magazine, "I paid no attention to it. I knew him, I knew the family and why the hell would I sit there listening to idiots who don't know anything at all? I literally didn't read anything, didn't watch anything (after he died).

"If I happened to be watching anything that came on, I switched over straight away. It's incredible the way the voyeuristic outlook is accepted as news."

And Bale still mourns Ledger's untimely death - because the Australian star was one of the few actors whose intensity and passion matched his own on set.

He adds: "Many times I'll work with actors and I can tell they're thinking, 'What are you doing? Why are you going that far with it?' or 'You're nuts!' With Heath, I could feel him going, 'I love it!'

"It felt like we were really pushing each other on, to the limits of where you can go with it. He was a good guy. There's not a lot of actors who I stay in touch with. But Heath was one of them."

Heath Ledger's Last Film to Hit Cannes

The film Heath Ledger was making when he died last year is set to premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in France after becoming a last-minute screening.

Film fans and the media are expected to flock to Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus when it opens on the eve of a day of publicity on May 22nd.

The film will not be among those competing for film festival prizes.

As well as Ledger, the film features Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits and Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, who stepped in to complete the tragic actor's scenes.

Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose in January 2008.

Remembering Heath Ledger on His Birthday

Heath Ledger would have been 30 years old today.

The late actor, winner of the Academy Award in February for his performance as Joker in The Dark Knight, died of an accidental drug overdose in January 2008. His body of work was astonishing for someone so young with such wonderful films as 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, Monsters Ball, Lords of Dogtown and I’m Not There under his belt.

But even more than Joker, Heath’s best performance, and one that should have won him the Oscar while he was still alive, was that of tortured gay ranch hand Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. It was some of the best screen work I have ever seen and absolutely heartbreaking.

Heath will always be remembered.

A Brokeback Moment!

Good Morning Cruisers! I've woken up this morning yearning for a "Brokeback" moment!

Now, get your mind out of the gutter...'cause I don't mean the type of moment Ennis and Jack shared in the tent on their first encounter. I am just in the mood to (once again) watch my favorite movie of all times, Brokeback Mountain, but unfortunately I don't have enough time this morning to enjoy the entire epic film.

Instead I will settle for the movie's trailer which I am sharing with you.



Long live Ennis Del Mar and Jack "Nasty" Twist! They created great memories for years to come.

Heath Ledger's Music Videos Come to Light

Two music videos that represent actor Heath Ledger's last directorial work before his death in January 2008 will be released this year.

Modest Mouse plans to release the animated video for "King Rat," a bonus track from the band's 2007 "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank," Billboard has confirmed. The news was first reported by Spin magazine on its Web site. A video for Grace Woodroofe's cover of David Bowie's "Quicksand" is also set for release this year, along with her Ben Harper-produced debut album, the L.A. Weekly reports.

The Oscar-winning actor directed "King Rat" for Modest Mouse after meeting singer Isaac Brock in Australia.

"Heath and I have a mutual friend, and when we were in Australia, my fiance and some of us in the band went out on a boat with him and his family and friends and talked about the idea," Brock told VH1 in a 2007 interview. "The idea sort of dropped, but then he just sent me an email saying that he wanted to do it."

The video is animated by director and illustrator Daniel Auber, a member of Ledger's art collective the Massive.

Modest Mouse wrapped its most recent tour last weekend in New York at Terminal 5. The band will perform the song "Satellite Skin" on "Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday, March 18th.