Today marks 11 years since Heath Ledger tragically died but a heartwarming story has resurfaced which shows the depth of feeling toward the Australian actor. This is a throwback news story.
Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell were concerned for two-year-old Matilda Ledger’s future as Ledger only left an old will which did not include the child. The three actors played versions of his character Tim in the fantasy epic The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus after Ledger died in January.
Filming was suspended but director Terry Gilliam opted to complete Ledger’s role and finish the movie by using Depp, Law, and Farrell to shoot his final scenes. Speaking at the time, Gilliam, revealed their ‘extraordinary’ gesture. He said:
“They didn’t take money – it goes to Heath’s daughter. That’s extraordinary. And wonderful and when you’re part of that, you think, ‘Ah, this is maybe why I went into the movies in the beginning. I thought it would be full of wonderful people.’ And we’ve got a movie full of wonderful people who did extraordinary things to help.” Gilliam added: “It’s the last chance to see Heath and he’s brilliant.”
The Brokeback Mountain star was found dead in his New York flat from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Known for his iconic stance as the Joker, Heath Ledger died more than a decade ago in 2008. He was on the peak of his career when he was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper. The Oscar winner was in the middle of filming his acclaimed role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. He died of cardiac arrest brought about by combined drug intoxication on January 22, 2008.
His portrayal as the most loved villain became so popular that he was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2009 for portraying the character.
