The only boy in a family of girls, Ledger had one full sister and two half-sisters, for three total. He was particularly close to his full sister Kate.
What sport was Heath Ledger really into as a teenager?
Nellis Air Force Base
Ledger was in love with field hockey as a child, and even joined the Sate U17 Squad. People thought he might be able to go pro, but he set his sights on acting instead.
Fulfilling some ridiculous Australian stereotypes, Ledger did indeed have a kangaroo as a pet when he was a kid—his mom found the kangaroo and gave it to her son.
True or False: Heath Ledger is a classically trained actor.
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Although he was bitten by the acting bug early and starred in some school productions, Ledger was never classically trained in acting, and used only his natural instincts and talent to propel him to stardom.
What 1950s star particularly inspired Heath Ledger?
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Although Ledger never starred in a musical, he was extremely inspired by the work of Gene Kelly, and his choreography chops can be seen in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You.
Ledger was offered the iconic role of Spider Man in 2002, but he turned it down. Looking at the success of superhero movies today, we wonder if he would have some regrets about this—or if he would have been perfectly happy with his decision.
What was the name of the character Heath Ledger played in Brokeback Mountain?
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Ledger’s role as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain was a breakthrough dramatic role for the actor, and made him a true contender on the Hollywood scene. The film won Best Director at the 2006 Academy Awards.
Clowning Around was an Australian production, and Ledger’s first feature film role. He played an orphan clown. Eerily, this means that Ledger’s first and last completed film roles were clowns.
True or False: Ledger had to attend Cowboy Training Camp to take part in Brokeback Mountain.
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Growing up in Australia, Ledger actually already had a lot of experience with rustling cattle and riding horses, so he didn’t have to enrol in any cowboy training camp.
What classic novel was Ledger and his sister named after?
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Ledger’s mother was a huge fan of classic English literature, and she named Heath and his sister Kate after Heathcliff and Catherine, the main characters in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights.
When he auditioned for 10 Things I Hate About You, the future heartthrob was virtually untested, and had never been in a movie across the pond from Australia before.
True or False: Heath Ledger was the first non-American to play The Joker.
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Ledger’s Joker actually had a lot of firsts. In addition to being the first non-American to put on the clown makeup, Ledger was also the youngest person to play The Joker at the time.
True or False: Heath Ledger was the first person to receive a posthumous Oscar.
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Ledger was the first person to receive a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but he was actually the second person to receive a posthumous Oscar in any category. In 1977, Peter Finch won a posthumous Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Howard Beale in the film Network.
What was NOT one of the creepy things Heath Ledger did to get into character for The Joker?
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Ledger took his role as The Joker very seriously. He secluded himself in a hotel room for weeks to get into the mindset, created a journal full of disturbing clippings, and even demanded that Christian Bale really hit him during the interrogation scene in The Dark Knight. But as far as we know, he never visited prison inmates to get into character.
Before his death, what blockbuster were producers considering Ledger for?
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Since Ledger is Australian and Mad Max is an Australian film, producers were heavily considering him for the title role in the 2015 remake. The role eventually went to Tom Hardy, and the film was a huge hit. Oh, what could have been.
True or False: Ledger always stayed in character as The Joker.
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Although Ledger was very serious about playing The Joker, he wasn’t always in character on set. He would laugh and play around with the crew between takes, and would keep the Joker voice to himself.
Ledger’s “Joker Journal” was truly a piece of work, and had stills from A Clockwork Orange as well as pictures of hyenas and clown makeup in its pages.
When Ledger died in 2008, he was still in the middle of filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus with stars like Christopher Plummer and Johnny Depp.
When Ledger died, who was the first person notified?
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Heath Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen were close friends, and lived in New York City together. When Ledger’s housekeeper and masseuse found his body, the first person they called was Mary-Kate.
What actress wrote that Ledger was the “love of her life” in her diary after he died?
Pexels
Surprisingly, Lindsay Lohan and Heath Ledger were allegedly close. Lohan has credited Ledger with helping her with her sobriety. When he died, she wrote a heartbreaking entry in her diary remembering the actor.
Maybe you saw him first all the way back in 10 Things I Hate About You, or maybe you just admire his work as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Either way, you’re one huge fan of Heath Ledger.
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You’re a Heath Ledger Super Fan!
You’ve probably watched The Dark Knight 20 times at this point, and your Heath Ledger knowledge is almost unbeatable.
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You’re president of the Heath Ledger Fan Club!
You’ve got all the memorabilia, you’ve seen The Dark Knight countless times, and you loved him from the moment he got his start in 10 Things I Hate About You. You’re a Heath Ledger super fan!
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About This Quiz
On January 22, 2018, more than a decade ago, Heath Ledger died from accidental intoxication. The world mourned the talented actor who brought so much to his iconic roles in films like Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight—and he had so much more left to give. But although he is gone, he’s not forgotten: his turn as Batman’s nemesis The Joker is still talked about today, and his legacy lives on. So how much do you about Heath Ledger?
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