Even though they were separated at the time of Heath Ledger’s death, Michelle Williams is still regarded as his widow of sorts. The actress is the mother of Ledger’s only child, and she took the news of his death very hard. Many insiders felt that the pair would have eventually reconciled. Now, Michelle is working with a film director to set up a scholarship fund for aspiring Australian actors in Heath’s name.
Aussies with Hollywood dreams will be given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the late Heath Ledger.
At Thursday’s Australians in Film 2008 Breakthrough Awards in Beverly Hills, director Gregor Jordan announced the formation of a Heath Ledger scholarship fund to help struggling Australian actors. The plan is to select one young actor from Down Under each year — beginning next year — and give him or her the chance to make it in Hollywood.
Gregor, who became friends with Heath after directing him in 1999’s Two Hands, told the audience: “It’s going to involve a number of benefactors and there’s been a lot of interest already. I was talking to Michelle Williams, his partner and the mother of his child, today and Michelle has said she would be very proud and happy to be the first benefactor.”
This is a pretty cool idea, although I’m still unclear on how a scholarship is going to help a struggling actor make it in Hollywood. Isn’t that more about what you look like, who you know and who your agent will step on to get you a role? Or am I watching too much “Entourage?” Anyway, kudos to Michelle for agreeing to be a benefactor.
Michelle Williams is shown at the premiere of Synedoche, New York in Cannes with her co-stars Samantha Morton and Catherine Keener on 5/23/08, thanks to WENN.
It seems a little odd to me that a woman who lost the father of her child to the excesses of h-wood would want to sponsor another young person to follow in his footsteps. Maybe endorsing a drug awareness program that dealt with legalized addiction would have been a better idea.
Well presumably they’ll select people with real talent and the funding will allow them to pursue opportunities and contacts that other strapped-for-cash would-bes might not be able to – ie. give them a fighting chance of success.
@?: – Sorry, bit of a simplistic interpretation. The scholarship isn’t sponsoring any such thing. Heath Ledger was, first and foremost, a very fine gifted actor, and that’s what the scholarship will endeavor to celebrate. That he died of an od, though very tragic, has no relevance to his legacy which lies in the calibre of actor he was and the films he made, not in the details and tragedy of his death.
I think it’s a very fitting tribute to him and Williams is right to be very proud of it and him.
If something positive comes out of his death just go for it.I adore Michelle and it’s nice to see her getting her smile and life back together especially for a good cause 🙂
You can never watch too much Entourage.
Is it just me or does it look like Catherine Keener just rolled out of bed in that picture and threw on a cute little suit she borrowed from Lily Munster?
It’s not a simplistic view Geronimo. Frankly h-wood embodies everything that ruined the great talent that Ledger was. A scholarship to study at a fine acting school – a scholarship to pursue a life in the theater (New York or London) – but please a scholarship to send a young person to find fame and fortune in h-wood it just – well shallow. The only ingredients you need to make it in LA today is a sex tape, a drug problem (to make sure you are pliable), enough money for cosmetic enhancements and the interest of the papz.
As for Ledger – he was great and I loved some of his work – but there is a huge double standard out there. He was a druggie plain and simple. It matters not that he was on prescription meds at the time of his demise. He was clearly abusing them – as he did illegal drugs. His death could serve a purpose if people weren’t in such denial. Too many people take prescription drugs without thought.
I think I might be the only person who didn’t think Heath Ledger could walk on water and turn water into wine. After Brokeback Mountain, he was on the cover of Rolling Stone and did an interview. I never liked him afterward.
I don’t think there is any woman on this planet as lovely as Michelle Williams… stunning
@?: I think it’s the ‘making it in Hollywood’ bit that’s open to misinterpretation.
Thousands of actors have achieved commercial success in America/Hollywood without ever living there, or ever wanting to live there or getting involved in the seedy, shallow side of H’wood. It’s not a given. I didn’t interpret ‘making it in H’wood’ as you did at all. The scholarship I’m sure will include all sorts of options including those you suggest.
I see fewer and fewer respectable celebs achieving commercial success in H-wood. Gone are the days of the legendary performers. I can count maybe 20 super talented, box office “stars” that don’t have huge problems – and that’s a stretch. Unfortunately there is a new generation in LA that seems to dominate the headlines. Reality TV and its popularity has denegrated the quality of TV and movies. Sad but true. There are so few Cate Blanchette’s out there and WAYYY too many Paris Hilton’s. I would not wish Hollywood stardom on my worst enemy.
How can she be considered a widow of sorts if they weren’t together anymore and he was dating someone else at the time of his death? Mother of his child =/= widow
@?: – I agree with what you’re saying, it’s incredibly tainted. But those that dominate the headlines are not the success stories.
There are thousands of talented actors out there (only some of whom are living in H’wood) who are quietly getting on with their lives as successful, commerical actors without ever hitting the headlines – no longer an indicator of success since cheap celebrity has so devalued everything. Depends how we measure success.
But I do take your point and it is depressing. But on that basis, back to the original point, a scholarship that aims to identify and nurture real talent can only be a positive thing!
I think we have a habit of placing celebrity on pedestals that we love to tear down. First of all, there are millions of average people out there abusing prescription drugs. Could be us, our friends, parents, children, siblings, pastor, doctors, etc. So, to isolate Heath Ledger and say he was a druggie, plain and simple is being a bit harsh and takes away from his life and contribution. Yes, he had a problem as do many of us.
Unfortunately, for him, Michelle and Matilda – he lost control and now, they suffer the loss along with his family and friends.
Maybe just maybe, Michelle Williams still loved him after the split. If not as her partner and lover, but as the father of their child. No one wants his or her child to grow up not knowing or having a good relationship with the other parent.
So, it is very possible that Michelle is lending her name and support to this fund to further Heath’s legacy and give Matilda something to be proud of since she will never see her dad or feel him hug her again. Knowing that her father was respected for his talent and deemed worthy of a scholarship fund is a very worthwhile thing.
Hopefully, the fund is managed well.
I couldn’t resist the irony of posting a post-halloween document
It is nice to see that many celebrity stars anr now coming to particippate in different social welfare tasks.