Heath Ledger Research Paper

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“When I die, my money is not gonna come with me. My movies will live on for people to judge what I was as a person. I just want to stay curious and keep smiling like the joker.” ( “Heath Ledger Quotes”). This is a quote from the late Australian actor Heath Ledger. Heath Ledger, a legend in the acting world, has made a legacy by his charm, great acting ability, and friendliness towards his peers. Heath Ledger’s full name was Heathcliff Andrew Ledger. He was born on April 4, 1979. He was born in the town of Perth, Australia. Ledger was born from Sally Ledger Bell, and Kim Ledger. Ledger had only sisters; their names are Kate Ledger, Olivia Ledger, and Ashleigh Bell. Olivia and Ashleigh were his step-sisters. Kim and Sally …show more content…

He won the Western Australia’s Junior Chess Championship. Ledger attended the Guildford Grammar School and starred in many plays. Ledger’s very first play was when he was ten years old in the play Peter Pan. He then came to realize how much he loved acting. When his mom and dad were splitting apart, Ledger found comfort from acting and choreographing his own little movies and skits. Ledger was not very much of a student. Ledger was sixteen when he finished school and started to pursue acting (“Rotten Tomatoes, Rotten Tomatoes”). He took the next step by getting an agent and moving to Hollywood. He moved at nineteen and got little recognition when he came to the United States, but he starred in some small television shows. Eventually he was noticed by many people. He was a major heartthrob when the teen movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, smashed box-office records. This was his breakout movie role. It was very popular among younger audiences. Moreover, Ledger became very famous after this. He then starred as a gallant knight in Mel Gibson’s, The Patriot. After taking a short acting break, he met his future wife Michelle Williams. In 2004, he asked Michelle if she wanted to marry him. They were named one of the cutest couples in Hollywood and had a daughter in 2005 named Matilda Rose Ledger (“Quinn”). In 2005, he starred in the movie Brokeback Mountain, where he met Jake Gyllenhaal. Jake Gyllenhaal was one of …show more content…

He got the Academy Award for Best-Supporting Actor after he passed. Because so many people loved the way he played The Joker in The Dark Knight, he got many posthumous awards for his performance. He was nominated for an Oscar with his performance in Brokeback Mountain (“Ledger, Heath”). Ledger had a great passion for every movie he played in. He felt that if he did not try hard enough to portray a character, then the spirit of that character would be lost. He spent nearly forty days in a hotel room by himself just so he could perfect his Joker voice (“15 Facts About Heath Ledger’s Joker”). Some of the many movies he has played in were very successful. One of his earlier movies, The Order (2003) was a major flop. Everyone liked Ledger, but they did not like the movie itself. During filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Ledger passed on January 22, 2009. He was found on his bed unconscious by his housekeeper Teresa Solomon. He was found dead by an accidental drug overdose. So instead of recasting someone in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, different actors played the other parts of Ledger’s

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