When Heath Ledger died in 2008, humanity lost an artistic force in the world. Matilda Ledger, who was just 2 years old at the time, lost her father. Her mother, Michelle Williams, has done an excellent job raising her out of the limelight, which has allowed her to have a more normal childhood.
The Daily Mail recently published some rare photos of the now 17-year-old that show her remarkable likeness to her late father. The pair share the same blond wavy hair and bold facial features.
Matilda's and Heath's similarities are not merely physical, according to her extended family. According to her grandfather Kim Ledger, Heath’s father, they also have similar temperaments.
“She's got an enormous number of his mannerisms. She's very inquisitive, she's got his energy, because Heath never slept from when he was two and Matilda's like that,” he said in an interview with The Project.
“I mean, she's just got this ball of energy and she radiates this little aura. Heath was kind of like that. So it's fabulous really,” he added.
Matilda lives with mom Michelle, stepfather Thomas Kail, and two siblings. She has recently expressed a desire to get to know her father’s family better by traveling to Australia. Michelle was supportive of this decision.
A source close to Michelle spoke about this to Women’s Day. “Michelle is extremely protective of Matilda and has tried so hard to shelter her from public life, but she has accepted Matilda's wishes. She knows how Heath died, and how much he loved her. Not to mention how much his family loves her and that she always has a home with them,” the source said.
Matilda also shares her father’s love of the game of chess. A source close to the family spoke about this to New Idea. "Heath was obsessed with chess, and now Matilda is getting quite good at it. She even has her dad's old chess board," the source said.
“Matilda has the skills to become a Grandmaster. Michelle thinks this is a great thing and will prevent her from getting up to no good,” the source added.
Michelle and Heath first met on the set of the film Brokeback Mountain. They were together from 2004 to 2007. Matilda was born in October of 2005.
Heath died in 2008 at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose of a combination of six drugs. He had been juggling a busy working schedule, filming multiple projects, and having problems letting it all go. The medication was supposed to help, but he mixed pills and the combination killed him.
Just two months before he died, he told The New York Times, “I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.”
Heath's legacy lives on his in body of work and most importantly in his daughter, Matilda.
