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Born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1978, Heath Ledger was the son of engineer Kim and French teacher Sally. His parents divorced when he was 11, establishing his "Bohemian" lifestyle as he moved between parents.
By 16, Ledger decided school was not for him and moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career. In 1995, he landed a role on the Australian series Sweat and appeared alongside Keri Russell in the Fox warrior drama Roar. He also briefly appeared in Australian soap Home and Away
In 1998, Ledger became an official heart throb after appearing in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. Though a box office hit, Ledger was unhappy with his new stardom and was determined to be taken seriously as an actor. That same year, he starred in the Australian independent film Two Hands.
From 2000 to 2004, Ledger starred in a string of moderately successful films, including The Patriot, Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale, Ned Kelly, The Order, and The Brothers Grimm.
But it wasn't until 2004, when he took on the role of a homosexual cowboy in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, that he garnered major critical acclaim.
Ledger received both a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar.
On set, he met co-star Michelle Williams, who he began dating and the pair later announced they were expecting a baby together.
The couple split in August last year and shared custody of their two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose.
Ledger had recently completed filming the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, in which he played The Joker.
The 28-year-old recently told MTV the role was "the most fun I've had with a character and probably will ever have'.'
Following are some movies in which Ledger appeared:
* I'm Not There (2007)
* Candy (2006)
* Brokeback Mountain (2005)
* The Brothers Grimm (2005)
* Lords of Dogtown (2005)
* Ned Kelly (2003)
* The Four Feathers (2002)
* Monster's Ball (2001)
* A Knight's Tale (2001)
* The Patriot (2000)
* Two Hands (1999)
* 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
* Paws (1997)
* Blackrock (1997)
* Clowning Around (1992)
- NZHERALD STAFF
