Heath Ledger

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. I just want to stay curious.
Interview for London's Sunday Telegraph magazine, November 2007

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger (born 4 April, 1979 - died 22 January, 2008) was an Academy Award-nominated Australian film actor. Best known for his roles in The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, Ned Kelly, Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain. His sudden unexpected death was later attributed to a accidental lethal combination of doctor-prescribed drugs. His swansong as The Joker in The Dark Knight is set for release on 2008-07-18.

Sourced

• I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away.
  • Interview with Vanity Fair, August 2000

• I'm the worst auditioner, really, really bad. I mean, you're being judged and I'm just so aware of it that it consumes me. I can't relax, I'm tied in knots, so the voice is very taut and tense. You're so aware that you're acting 'cause you're sitting across from this lady with a piece of paper who's going, I'm. Going. To. Shoot. You. If. You. Don't. Blah, blah, blah, in this emotionless voice. It's foul. I hate it.
  • EW.com, May 2001

• I don't have a technique. I've never been a believer in having one set technique on how to act. There are no rules and there is no rulebook. At the end of the day, it all comes down to my instincts. That's the one thing that guides me through every decision professionally. Socially, also. That's my technique. Yeah, you read through the script 100 times. I guess I have little characteristics about myself. Sometimes, most often than not, once we start shooting I won't look at the script at all until we finished shooting. It's kind of like it's been imprinted in my head during rehearsals. You just let it go.
  • Reel.com, May 2001

• Most of the time you don't even know they're there. Now, that's the scary thing. It's really strange and invading, but I'm still working it all out. I try to not let it bother me. And if I want to swim naked in my pool, I'm still going to do it.
  • Speaking on his problems with the paparazzi, May 2001

• I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future.
  • Spoken in 2002

• Matilda is adorable, and beautifully observant and wise. Michelle and I love her so much. Becoming a father exceeds all my expectations. It's the most remarkable experience I've ever had - it's marvelous.
  • On becoming a father to his daughter Matilda, 2005

• I apologize for my terrible interview skills. I wasn't prepared to expose stories about something so special and wonderfully private that is happening in my life. I guess a part of me wishes that I'd never have to and that maybe I could protect this special time. I was dreaming.
  • Apology from Ledger after he ignored reporters' questions and focused on peeling an orange for Sunrise TV Show, September 2005

• It's like anything in life, visualizing the old man you're going to become: As long as you have a clear picture of that - the life you want to lead - eventually you'll probably get there.
  • Variety, December 2005

• You know when you see the preachers down South? And they grab a believer and they go, "Bwoom! I touch you with the hand of God!" And they believe so strongly, they're on the ground shaking and spitting. And fuck's sake, that's the power of belief. Now, I don't believe in Jesus, but I believe in my performance. And if you can understand that the power of belief is one of the great tools of our time and that a lot of acting comes from it, you can do anything.
  • Interview for Rolling Stone magazine, March 2006

• I actually hate comic book movies, like fucking hate them, they just bore me shitless and they're just dumb. But I thought what Chris Nolan did with Batman was actually really good, really well directed, and Christian Bale was really great in it.
  • Dark Horizons, Star Central, September 2006

• Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night. I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.
  • Speaking on playing the mass-murdering, schizophrenic Joker in the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, during filming, November 2007

• Having a child changes every aspect of your life - for the better, of course. The sacrifices are large, but what you get in return is even bigger than the sacrifices you make. I feel, in a sense, ready to die because you are living on in your child. Not literally, not ready to die - but you know, that sort of feeling in a profound way.
  • Ledger during interview with Susan Chenery for In Touch Weekly, in November 2007

• 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. I just want to stay curious.
  • Interview for London's Sunday Telegraph magazine, November 2007

Attributed

• The challenge was to capture the stillness of him. I have kind of semi-frantic, nervous energy. Harnessing that was something I thought I'd have to work out. Shooting in the wilderness, the stillness became like this innate quality.
  • On his character Ennis in Brokeback Mountain

• The Joker, so far, is definitely the most fun I've had with any character. He's just out of control - no empathy, he's a sociopath, uh, a psychotic, mass-murdering clown. And, uh, I'm just thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying it. It's just exceeded any expectations I had of what the experience would be like.
  • On his character Joker in The Dark Knight

• The stubble.
  • On being asked what was different when kissing Jake Gyllenhaal versus female co-stars.

Unsourced

• If you are just safe about the choices you make, you don't grow.

• I'm still a kid. I'm like six years old. But it's just a matter of wanting to get up, it's just a big journey. I felt like when I left home that I was on a journey, and I still am.

Quotes about Heath Ledger (In Memoriam)

Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts....
Kim Ledger

• As a man and a father I look at the age of 28 to 38 as being an incredible period to go through and he was robbed of that. From my own personal experience I just thought how unbelievably tragic it is. It's shocking.
  • Eric Bana, Australian Actor

• I deeply respect Heath's work and always admired his continuing development as an artist. My thoughts are with his family and close friends.
  • Cate Blanchett, who stars with Heath in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There

• He was a very, very gifted young man. Incredibly talented.
  • Patricia Clarkson, actress

• I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
  • Mel Gibson, who had Heath play his son in the movie The Patriot

• Heath Ledger passed away this week, and in all the years we've been doing this show, we've never had cause to mention him. So, stop digging through the dirt, weasels. A talented, decent guy is gone and our thoughts go out to those who knew him.
  • Joel McHale, host of The Soup

• What a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to Heath's family.
  • Nicole Kidman, Australian actress

• Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him. He was a down to earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual who was extremely inspirational to many.
  • His father, Kim Ledger

• Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts. While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.
  • Kim Ledger speaking about the cause of death of his son after the Medical Examiner's findings were made public.

• Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life. He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking.
  • Ang Lee, director of Brokeback Mountain

• It was a very great challenge for Heath. He's extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic.
  • Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan

• It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life. Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor.
  • Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia

• Mr Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine. We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.
  • The Office of Chief Medical Examiner for the City of New York released a two-sentence statement stating that Heath Ledger had died from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs.

• It's really, really sad. I hope his family is okay. I wish them the best.
  • Charlize Theron, actress

• I adored him. I don't know how to compare his talent to others but he's touched me deeply as a talent and it's a great loss - losing him at any age would be a loss but it was pretty rough news. I was really shocked by it.
  • John Travolta, actor

• He was a captivating person. [His] performance in Brokeback Mountain is beautiful. Every time you saw that guy on screen you just wanted to watch him. And it's sad, just sad that he's gone. Too young. Too young.
  • Stanley Tucci, actor

• We mourn the loss of a remarkable talent gone too soon... and the passing of a extraordinary man who will be greatly missed.
  • Memorial words from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

• Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him.
  • His ex-girlfriend, Michelle Williams

External links

Heath Ledger on IMDb

• Heath Ledger Quotes
• Philosophy of Heath Ledger
• Susan Chenery with Heath Ledger in one of his last major interviews, entitled "Who is that man?"
• Heath Ledger Tributes
• Compilation of Heath Ledger Quotes
• Quoted: Heath Ledger
• Warner Bros Memorial website
• Videos about Heath Ledger's death at CNN.com
• Rolling Stone magazine
• Heath Ledger killed by accidental drug mix