Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures

Posted on 9 August, 2018

Ten years after his death, we are still talking about Heath Ledger.

And rightfully so, as the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) gears up to publish a curated collection celebrating the legacy of one of our most iconic actors – Heath Ledger: A life in pictures.

The Perth-born actor began his career on television, in Sweat (1996) and soapie Home and Away the following year, wooing Kate Ritchie as bad boy Scott Irwin. His feature film debut was in Blackrock, though he might be most fondly remembered by a generation of teenage girls as Patrick, the boy who inspired the titular poem in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You. He would go on to have roles in the acclaimed Two Hands, Monster’s Ball and A Knight’s Tale.

As early as 2001 he was called the Male Star of Tomorrow, and by 2005, Ledger was garnering the attention of film critics for his role as ranch hand Ennis Del Mar opposite Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain, with The New York Times calling Ledger’s performance “…as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”

Aside from earning him a nomination for the Best Actor Oscar, the role would spark Ledger’s relationship with Michelle Williams, and the two would eventually have a daughter, Matilda.

His penultimate and arguably most recognisable performance was as the Joker in The Dark Knight, released six months after his death and earning him posthumous Oscars and Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor in 2009.

His portrayal of Batman’s ultimate nemesis has become iconic, with fans and critics alike praising his performance as the homicidal maniac. The film highlighted Ledger’s dedication to method acting; his costar Christian Bale noted that in one scene, Ledger demanded the actors get really physical, with the Aussie damaging the tiled walls of the set as he hurled himself into them.

Ledger was cast as the Joker before a script was finalised and subsequently spent a month alone in a London hotel room isolated from others, studying works like A Clockwork Orange and obsessively keeping character diaries – some of which will be displayed in A Life In Pictures.

Curated with the help of the Ledger family, A life in pictures will feature highlights of the actor’s career, which covered 18 films until his death in 2008 as well as handwritten journals and notes, original costumes from The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain. His Academy and BAFTA Awards for his role as the Joker will also be available for viewing.

An avid motorcyclist and photographer, his Ducati and Harley Davidson and several of his cameras and personal photographs will be on display. The exhibition will also include portraits of the late actor by renowned photographers Karin Catt, Frances Andrijich, Platon and Anthony Amos.

The actor was known for his chess prowess, playing tournaments in his youth and often with other enthusiasts at Washington Square Park’s famed chess tables. Aside from games, his directing talents will be also shown through the music videos he directed for artists including Modest Mouse, Ben Harper and N’fa. An oral history by Bryan Brown, who worked with Ledger on 1999’s Two Hands, will also be on display.

the essentials

What: Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures
Where: National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton
When: Friday 10 August 2018 – Sunday 10 February 2019
Website: nfsa.gov.au/events/heath-ledger-life-pictures-exhibition

Feature image: Karin Catt