Aussie stars honour Heath Ledger’s legacy through Scholarship

It’s been 16 years since Heath Ledger’s untimely death, but his legacy lives on through a scholarship in his name that nurtures new talent.

This talented group of Aussies are taking the next step in honouring Heath Ledger’s legacy, and they’re no strangers to the spotlight.

In its 12th year with founding patrons Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Naomi Watts, the scholarship honours the legacy of award-winning actor Heath Ledger to globally recognise Australia’s best acting talent.

The finalists will travel to Hollywood for an exclusive training experience that will include a boot camp and personalised coaching.

“The legacy that Heath has left behind and everything he achieved makes this scholarship a really attractive proposition, it’s a chance to do your best work on what feels like a world stage,” Andrea Solonge told Confidential.

“It’s such an incredible opportunity for a lot of us who might not otherwise be seen, you get to put in a lot of your hard work and let people see that,” added Charles Wu.

Heath Ledger Scholarship finalists Charles Wu, Andrea Solange, Ezekiel Simat and Will McDonald. Picture: Tim Hunter

“I’m really looking forward to the boot camp and getting into the nitty gritty of what we can do in real time to improve and make ourselves better,” McDonald said.

“It’s learning the next step for our careers, which is what applying for the scholarship is all about. It’s about really going to the next level.”

Ezekiel Simat, who was also a finalist in 2018, is back for another chance at this year’s opportunity.

Taj Aldeeb is also a finalist.

Kartanya Maynard rounds out the six.

Heath Ledger as the Joker from The Dark Knight. Picture: Supplied

“It’s a fantastic program that no other country has like ours,” he said.

“We have an incredible industry here, the level of talent is unbelievable. LA is simply bigger and for various demographics, there’s more opportunity t

here than there is at home.”

Also finalists are Kartanya Maynard and Taj Aldeep.

The winner will be revealed at an red carpet event in LA on October 22.

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