‘HE JUST HAD THIS
GREAT SWAGGER ABOUT HIM’
—LEDGER’S AGENT,
STEVE ALEXANDER
In 2005 the couple welcomed daughter
Matilda.
Manera:Heath wasn’t conventional by
any stretch of the imagination, but he
did say, “I want to be a father.” He was
immediately at one with Matilda. It was
as if the shape of his body changed when
they were together. They were linked.
Harper:One morning, after we spent the
night at his house singing around the
piano, there’s a rumbling down my
street. “We have a delivery for Ben
Harper of a grand piano from Mr. Heath
Ledger.” My jaw was on the floor. He
said, “It’s supposed to be yours.” About
two weeks later he called and asked me
to write a lullaby for his daughter. He
felt deeper than anyone I’ve ever met.
But in 2007 Ledger and Williams split,
and Ledger threw himself into the role of
the Joker inThe Dark Knight, followed
by shootingThe Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus.The schedule kept him away
from Matilda—and worsened his fatigue.
Doi Todd: I could sense the breakup with
Michelle was driving him toward the
RESTLESS & ROMANTIC
1.Ledger in 1997.
- “He was smitten,” says his
sister of Heath and Michelle
(in 2005).3.“Like Icarus, he
wanted to fly,” says pal Manera
(with Ledger in 2007).
1
3
2 FROM TOP: BEN WATTS/TRUNK ARCHIVE; TREVOR DICARLO; CHARLES SYKES/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY KANE MANERA
