Michelle Williams shares heartbreaking memories of Heath Ledger and daughter Matilda
An emotional Michelle Williams has made rare comments about the late Aussie actor Heath Ledger, revealing how she and daughter Matilda keep the tragic star’s memory alive.
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Michelle Williams has revealed how she fell for Heath Ledger and how she and Matilda — the couple’s 19-year-old daughter — keep his memory alive.
Williams, 44, shared her memories of the Australian actor and his lasting impact on the Armchair Expert podcast with actor-comedian Dax Shepard on Tuesday.
Williams and Ledger met while filming Brokeback Mountain in 2004 and welcomed Matilda in October 2005.
Ledger tragically died of an accidental prescription overdose in 2007, just three months after the couple split.
But it took Williams 11 years before she could publicly comment on Ledger’s death and raising Matilda without him.
“I feel obligated to say that I knew him a little bit when he was getting sober, and I don’t know that I’ve ever fallen in love with somebody so quickly,” Williams tells Shepard.
Shepard — who knew Ledger — revealed that Ledger had made a huge impact on him.
“This is one of the most special boys I’ve ever met, and I can feel the weight of the world on him in a very special way that kind of broke my heart,” he says on the podcast.
“I was very, very sad, and I thought he was just so special.”
An emotional Williams agrees, replying in a whisper: “So special, so special. Thank God there’s Matilda.”
Shepard goes on to describe how open Ledger was as a person: “... this heart here that’s just leaking out everywhere,” he says, prompting Williams to agree, saying: “Yeah, an incredible sensitivity.”
Revealing more about raising Matilda after Ledger’s death, Williams tells listeners: “When I make mistakes in front of my daughter and own up to them and apologise, it teaches her to apologise and say, ‘Oops, Mommy, I’m sorry,’ and it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a part of life, and we move on,” she continues. “No shame, no blame. You made a mistake? Beautiful. I made five already today.”
Ledger received wide acclaim for his portrayal of the Joker — released six months after his death as part of The Dark Knight trilogy — and posthumously received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2008.
Following his death, Williams was not romantically linked to anyone until 2018 when she secretly married musician Phil Elverum but the couple split less than a year later.
But in March, Williams welcomed her fourth child — her third with husband, theatre and TV director Thomas Kail.
“Kids are such great life checkers,” Williams tells Shepard. “They force you to put your best self in front of them..
“You can’t abdicate your life and your work and your own desires, but you do have to put them in check and figure out which master you’re gonna serve.”
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Originally published as Michelle Williams shares heartbreaking memories of Heath Ledger and daughter Matilda
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