''I Am Heath Ledger'' is a 2017

Paramount Network Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was or ...

documentary film about actor

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...

, who died in 2008. Directed by Adrian Buitenhuis and Derik Murray, the film presents interviews with Ledger's family and friends.

Featured cast of subjects

as himself (archive footage) *

Ben Harper Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perf ...

as himself, musician and friend of Ledger's * N'fa as himself, musician and friend of Ledger's *

Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in '' The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010 ...

as himself, actor and friend of Ledger’s *

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama ''For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...

as herself, actress and ex-partner of Ledger’s *

Djimon Hounsou Djimon Gaston Hounsou (; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor and model. He began his career appearing in music videos. He made his film debut in '' Without You I'm Nothing'' (1990) and earned widespread recognition for his role as ...

as himself, actor *

Emile Hirsch Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985) is an American actor. He played Chris McCandless in '' Into the Wild'' (2007). Other notable film roles include '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004), '' Lords of Dogtown'' (2005), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), '' ...

as himself, actor *

Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. During his filmmaking career, he has received international critical and popul ...

as himself, filmmaker *

Matt Amato Matt Amato is an American film writer and director. His major works include music videos for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Beach House, Bon Iver, Dido (singer), Dido, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Soko (singer), Soko, and Wild Nothing. H ...

as himself, filmmaker *

Catherine Hardwicke Helen Catherine HardwickeAccording to the State of Texas. ''Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. (born October 21, 1955) is an American film director, p ...

as herself, filmmaker *

Edward Lachman Edward Lachman (born March 31, 1948) is an American cinematographer and director. Lachman is mostly associated with the American independent film movement, and has served as director of photography on films by Todd Haynes (including '' Far from ...

as himself, filmmaker * Christina Cauchi as herself, model and ex-partner of Ledger’s *

Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voi ...

as himself, musician (

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

) *

Mia Doi Todd Mia Doi Todd (born June 30, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. She was described by ''Dusted Magazine'' as "one of those artists that seem to function not just as creators in their own right, but as connecting links between other musicians." ...

as herself, musician *

Grace Woodroofe Grace Rachel Woodroofe is a blues singer and guitarist from Perth, Australia. From 2015-2021, she performed under the name R.W. Grace. In 2023 she announced her return to music with a new single "Beginning", again using her original artist name o ...

as herself, musician * Carlos Niño as himself, music producer * Steve Alexander as himself, agent * Gerry Grennell as himself, dialect coach * Ledger's parents Sally and Kim, sisters Kate, Olivia and Ashleigh, and childhood friends Notably

Michelle Williams Michelle Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actress) (born 1980), ...

, ex-partner of Ledger and mother of his daughter Matilda, was not in the film.

Production

Ledger's family agreed to participate only after Williams "gave her blessing" and when Ledger's friend Matt Amato got involved in the project.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the film has an aggregate score of 86% based on 25 positive and 4 negative critic reviews. The websites consensus reads: " ''I Am Heath Ledger'' takes a poignant, absorbing look at the private life and process of a talented star doomed to meet a tragic end."

References

External links

* 2017 films 2017 documentary films English-language Canadian films Documentary films about actors Films directed by Derik Murray Canadian docufiction films Heath Ledger 2010s Canadian films {{Documentary-tv-film-stub