Hathaway History (In Memoriam of Heath Ledger)

On January 22, 2008, Anne Hathaway's Brokeback Mountain co-star and friend Heath Ledger, passed away all too soon at the age of 28. He left behind a daughter with Michelle Williams who also starred opposite them in Brokeback.

Heath Ledger (1979-2008) a native of Australia first found a major acting break on the 97' Aussie soap Home and Away (which also launched careers for actresses like Isla Fisher and Isabel Lucas). His major break and what ultimately solidified him as Hollywood's newest heartthrob came with the feel good film 10 Things I Hate About You opposite Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A few films later and Heath gained more notoriety this time proving he actually had acting chops with 2000's The Patriot, where he played Mel Gibson's son. But perhaps the film which first showcased Heath's range came in the independent Monster's Ball which featured Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry (who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a grief stricken mother.)

Refusing to coast on his "it boy" status, Ledger begin carving a strong career for himself with a wide array of characters. However in 2005 one role changed his career forever; Ennis Del Mar.

Up until 2005, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain was known only by the phrase "the gay cowboy movie." That was until however audiences got to see it. Critics and moviegoers alike fell for the sweeping and heartbreaking romance. Ledger played Ennis, Jake Gyllenhaal was Jack Twist, Michelle Williams (who Ledger ultimately found real life love with at the time) was his on screen wife Alma and Hathaway was a rodeo queen by the name of Lureen Newsome. She would ultimately marry Gyllenhaal's character in the film.

The film opened at The Venice Film Festival and went on to win countless awards and even more nominations, including many for Heath himself. The movie received Best Cast nominations which Hathaway shared in at The Gotham Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

At the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards, only days after his death, winner Daniel Day Lewis took a moment and honored Heath during his acceptance speech. Whilst among his fellow actors her shed light on some of Heath's performances rather than the traditional thanks. Perhaps his words offer good insight to Heath Ledger as actor best; "...He was unique, he was perfect."

In the few years that followed Brokeback, Heath had roles in I'm Not There, Casanova and one of my personal favorites Candy.

2008 would bring him his biggest project to date. The 185 million dollar budget epic The Dark Knight. Unfortunately when a few years ago the news broke that Heath had passed away due to an accidental drug overdose. Released about 6 months after his passing, The Dark Knight shattered box office records and currently remains the fifth highest grossing motion picture of all time. For his role as The Joker which truly stole the show, He went on to win a posthumous Golden Globe, SAG and Academy Award (His family accepted on his behalf.)

Finally in 2009, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ; Ledger's final film, was released into theatres.

I'm sure none of this is news to anyone, however Heath was one of my very favorite actors I'd only was just discovering years before his death. I was heartbroken by the loss of him and still am to this day. No, I never knew him personally, but like many, his performances touched my soul and not many actors can do that for you.

Although gone, Heath Ledger will never be forgotten. His life was cut short and perhaps we will never know the career greatness he might have had given he lived longer. However the most tragic in all of this is the loss to his family and his daughter. But his legacy will live forever in the minds and hearts of many.

"The thing that I remember about Heath was how alive he was—how much energy he had. He couldn’t sit still. He was very beautiful. He was always very generous." - Anne Hathaway

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