This little girl was only two when she lost her celebrated dad. With no provision for her in his will, compassionate people donated funds to ensure her well-being
In 2008, the world was stunned by the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger. It’s difficult to believe, but over 16 years have passed since the talented Australian actor left us, leaving the world in mourning.
While the reasons behind 28-year-old Heath Ledger’s downward spiral remain uncertain, one thing is clear: he loved his daughter, Matilda, more than anything.
And if he could see how she’s doing today and how she looks, I’m absolutely certain Heath would have been incredibly proud of his daughter…
Sister inspired him
Heath Ledger’s acting talents took him from school plays in Western Australia to some of the world’s most significant motion pictures. Even though he passed away at just 28, Heath achieved more than many actors do in a lifetime.
Born in 1979 in Perth, Australia, Heath’s mother was a French teacher, and his father was a racing car driver and mining engineer. From a young age, Heath developed an interest in acting and showed raw talent.
Heath was very close to his older sister, who inspired him to pursue a career in acting. As a handsome, twenty-year-old actor, he quickly made an impression after moving to Los Angeles.
His breakthrough arrived with the romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You” in 1999. A year later, the dashing Australian actor was praised for his memorable role in the blockbuster movie “The Patriot.”
However, it would be a few more years before he was cast in the film that truly changed his life forever.
Meeting Michelle Williams
When Heath Ledger was offered the role of Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain” in 2004, he nearly declined. However, encouraged by his then-girlfriend, Naomi Watts, he decided to accept the role.
That decision would have significant consequences.
Firstly, his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar, the rugged and silent cowboy from Wyoming, became a career-defining role for Heath Ledger.
Sparks flew when the pair met during the production of “Brokeback Mountain” in the summer of 2004; Michelle played Alma, the wife of Heath Ledger’s character.
While working on set, he fell in love with actress Michelle Williams.
Years later, director Ang Lee revealed that the couple’s love story began when Michelle Williams was sent to the hospital on the first day of shooting. She had twisted her knee, and apparently, Heath Ledger held her hand all the way to the hospital. He “tried to comfort her and it was pretty obvious he was interested in her,” Lee told USA Today.
The two actors grew very close during the making of the iconic movie. In fact, Heath and Michelle shared the same tiny trailer while filming.
”It was really beautiful. Yeah it was very romantic. We were suddenly thrown into a little husband-wife situation. Our bed, honestly, was no bigger than that little round table there. My legs would hang off this far at the end. But it was worth it. And it was comfortable, somehow,” Heath told journalist Christine Spines back 2005.
Ledger had fallen head-over-heels in love with Williams, who was one year younger than him. It wasn’t long before the pair began planning their future together.
“We talked about having children very early. I have always known that I wanted to become a young father,” Ledger said in an interview, according to Australian site News.
Stay-at-home daddy
One year after her parents began dating, Matilda Rose Ledger was born on October 28, 2005. She arrived just before “Brokeback Mountain” premiered.
Four months after his daughter’s birth, Heath decided to become a stay-at-home dad so that Michelle could focus on her acting career.
“I’m going to try not to work at all this year and send Michelle out to bring in the cash. I’ll be Mr. Mom. It’s something that’s very important to me – something that every dad, if he can, should do his best to achieve,” Heath said and continued:
”My life right now is, I wouldn’t say reduced to food, but my duties in life are that I wake up, cook breakfast, clean the dishes, prepare lunch, clean those dishes, go to the market, get fresh produce, cook dinner, clean those dishes and then sleep if I can. And I love it. I actually adore it.”
Becoming a father exceeded all Heath’s expectations, and he once said it was ”the most remarkable experience I’ve ever had”.
“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 marvellous,” Ledger said in 2005.
At the same time, he had mixed feelings when discussing the broader meaning of becoming a father and provider for a child.
“It’s like a Catch-22: I feel good about dying now because I feel like I’m alive in her, you know, but at the same hand, you don’t want to die because you want to be around for the rest of her life,” Ledger said after Matilda’s birth.
In 2007, Ledger and Williams decided to end their three-year relationship, mutually choosing to go their separate ways. The former couple remained close friends up until Ledger’s untimely and tragic death.
When the actor passed away, his daughter Matilda was just two years old, so Williams made sure she was kept out of the spotlight when it came to the press.
The actress, who enjoys working on small-scale independent films, was in Sweden filming “Mammut” when she learned about Ledger’s passing: “Please respect our need to grieve privately,” Williams said at the time.
“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 in the best memories of him.”
In November 2016, Williams gave a rare interview in which she discussed raising Matilda without her father.
“In all honesty, for pretty much everything else, I feel like I’m a believer in not fighting circumstances, accepting where you are and where you’ve been,” Williams said.
She continued: “In pretty much all senses but one, I would be able to go totally down that line of thinking were it not for Matilda not having her dad. You know, that’s just something that doesn’t… I mean, it just won’t ever be right.”
Matilda’s family tried to keep her out of the spotlight during her formative years. However, photos of her have recently begun surfacing online.
Today, Matilda is a beautiful 16-year-old who apparently has her father’s “energy.” A couple of years ago, pictures emerged of her on a trip with her mother—images that showed she bears a striking resemblance to her Oscar-winning dad.
Recent photos of Matilda show that she truly is the spitting image of her late father. In fact, she’s a beautiful blend of both her immensely talented parents.
”She has a lot of energy,” says Kim Ledger, Heath’s own father.
“She’s got an enormous number of his mannerisms. She’s very inquisitive, she’s got his energy, cause Heath never slept from when he was two and Matilda’s like that. She is this little ball of energy and she radiates this little aura,” Kim told Channel Ten’s The Project in a past interview.
Net worth
After Heath’s passing, the family confirmed that Matilda would inherit the entirety of his fortune. The actor’s wealth is estimated to be around $20 million. In his will, he left the money to his parents and his three sisters.
However, that will was written back in 2003—two years before Matilda Rose was even born. But Heath’s father, Kim, has said that the family does not intend to keep the money for themselves. Every penny of Ledger’s fortune will go to his daughter and will be held until she is of age.
Matilda Ledger today
Currently, Matilda lives in Brooklyn, New York, and she’s been raised by Michelle.
Her mother is now married to American theatre director Thomas Kail, and her godfather is Jake Gyllenhaal, the famous actor who co-starred with Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain.”
She has spent most of her life out of the limelight, but occasionally, photographers catch her on the streets of New York, often alongside her mother.
In 2020, Matilda became a big sister when her mother welcomed a child with Thomas Kail.
Of course, Matilda is her own person, but her parents were great. I’m sure she takes after both of them, and I’m certain both would be extremely proud of the young lady she’s become!
