Heath Heath Heath

[cmr107]

I don't know who made this, but I like it.

[louisev]

Such a cute little face...

looks like Tildy is working on her own junior bed-head, taking after Daddy.

[Katie77]

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HEATH LEDGER-MTV


6. His daughter's name might have an unusual connection.

Ledger and Michelle Williams' 2-year-old daughter is named Matilda Rose. We don't know why they gave their daughter this name, however, it's worth noting that there's a famous Australian folk song called "Waltzing Matilda." The lyrics tell a story that involves the death of a man who commits suicide by drowning himself in a lake.

There is no doubt that Heath's daughter was named after the Australian song, "Waltzing Matilda"....

"Waltzing Matilda" is as Aussie as kangaroos and koalas, it is an Australian icon. It is sung as the "unofficial" national antherm at venues and ceremonies throughout the country. Aussies sing it with pride and elation and it not only brings a lump to our throat when we hear it, it makes us feel a rush of pride and elation for our country.

It would take too long to explain the words in the verses of the song, or why a song with such a story gets a hold of us Aussies, I guess you have to be an Aussie to know. Its the same as when Americans hear the Star Spangled Banner, it just makes you burst with pride, and if you are overseas, would make you cry with homesickness....thats what "Waltzing Matiilda" does to Aussies.

No doubt, Heath felt the same way about the song, and by naming his daughter Matilda, he has given her a name that is a constant reminder of his homeland and her origins.  I hope when she is older she will realize the significance of why her dad named her Matllda.

To imply that there is a "connection" with the lyrics of a man drowning himself after committing suicide, is absurd, cruel, and absolute nonsense and demeans the real reason why Heath would have called her Matilda.

[Ellemeno]

There is a Matilda Bay in Perth.  And Michelle loves a Roald Dahl book of the same name.

[Ellemeno]

Court, kudos on the montage of this jacket.  He kept it quite a while, I'm guessing it's a Shem.

[Mikaela]

Re. Waltzing Matilda...


Confession time!     I was actually moved by Heath's passing to search out Waltzing Matilda and teach myself the song some 3 weeks ago. So now if I ever go to Australia, I can Waltz Matilda with the best of them.  

Here are two YouTube clips that have the song.

This first is an upbeat happy version, which also talks through and explains all the Aussie terms (swagman, billabong, jombuck, tucker bag...) so clueless foreigners get what's going on. Well worth the listening.

This next is the "Seekers" Group singing the song live at a huge sports event. Really goes to show that the song serves as Australia's unofficial national anthem.

As for what I got out of the lyrics;; - a deceptively simple and down-to-earth tale of an ordinary guy, living poor and free and finding simple joys in life as he passes through that life, though it's hardscrabble, tough and no bed of roses. He grabs his opportunities where he finds them, doesn't bow to the pressures of power and authorities, and is ready to give his life for his personal freedom.

A song worthy of both Australia and Matilda Ledger, was my opinion once I got that far.  

[MaineWriter]

There is a Matilda Bay in Perth.  And Michelle loves a Roald Dahl book of the same name.

I can't quote the source, but in one of the interviews back in the heyday, Michelle and Heath both said they selected "Matalida Rose" as a name for a variety of reasons, including (most importantly) they both liked the name, it's connections to Australia, particularly the song "Waltzing Matlida," and because of the Roald Dahl book, which Michelle loved.

When I was little, I had a children's record player (I am sure there are people way too young on this board to have any idea what the heck a children's record player is...LOL) and small collection of records, which I played over...and over...and over... One of those records was--you guessed it--Waltzing Matilda so the words for the song are imprinted on my brain. On one side was a guy singing the song and on the second side, he explained what the song, and some of the words meant.

This is sort of what my record player looked like, especially with the fat spindle. I didn't have all the Elvis records, though.



L

[yb]

I can't quote the source, but in one of the interviews back in the heyday, Michelle and Heath both said they selected "Matalida Rose" as a name for a variety of reasons, including (most importantly) they both liked the name, it's connections to Australia, particularly the song "Waltzing Matlida," and because of the Roald Dahl book, which Michelle loved.

Would it be the Ellen DeGeneres Show?  I remember Heath explained to her why did he and Michelle choose the name Matilda.

[souxi]

I'm still flipping though the hundreds of Facebook groups about Heath, gathering new pics, and in the process I found this. There wasn't a link attached, but it says it's from MTV. (To be honest, I altered it a bit - the title originally said "NOT OF KNOWN," and being the grammar geek that I am, I couldn't handle it.) We all probably knew these things, but here it is.


TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HEATH LEDGER-MTV

In the wake of Heath Ledger's tragic death this week, the Oscar-nominated star is being remembered as a loving father and a talented, charming actor. But while Ledger left behind a burgeoning career that stretched from starring roles in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You" through July 18's Batman sequel, "The Dark Knight," and beyond, his résumé is even deeper than you probably thought. And as Hollywood continues to come to grips with Ledger's death, there's a lot about the soft-spoken star that most people didn't know. Here are "10 things" about Heath Ledger that might help shed more light on the sadly departed 28-year-old.

1. His name has roots in a classic British novel.

Heath and his sister Katie are named after characters in Emily Brontë's 1847 classic, "Wuthering Heights." The protagonist of the book is Heathcliff, a violent and sadistic villain, according to Columbia University professor Nicholas Dames, who specializes in 19th century British literature.

"One of the things that Heathcliff is known for in the novel is laughing, although only laughing at the spectacle of someone else's pain. In that sense, he's a deeply screwed-up figure. ... That's kind of like the Joker," Dames said, referring to Ledger's "Dark Knight" character. "The funniest thing for the Joker is hurting somebody else."

On a side note, Ledger and Michelle Williams bought a house in 2004 in Bronte Beach, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

2. He was a Shakespearean actor.

Ledger's first major Hollywood role was in the teen comedy "10 Things," a modern-day remix of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." But Ledger had actually dabbled in Shakespeare before that. In the mid-'90s, he joined the Globe Shakespeare Company in his hometown of Perth, Australia.

3. He was obsessed with Nick Drake.

Nick Drake was a British singer/songwriter who died in 1974 at age 26 after overdosing on antidepressants. One of Ledger's final artistic statements was a music video for Drake's song "Black Eyed Dog" that he directed and in which he starred. At the end of the clip, Heath depicts himself drowning in a bathtub.

"[In] ancient Greek culture, drowning was the worst possible death simply because your body couldn't be found," Dames said. "For a while in the 19th century, there was a fascination with drowning. ... Virginia Woolf comes to mind. ... There is this fascination [with drowning] as a method of suicide because it comes from Shakespeare."

4. His "Brokeback Mountain" character wasn't his first gay role.

Ledger wasn't afraid to play gay. And not just because he was dreaming of Oscar glory. Long before "Brokeback," one of the actor's first parts came in 1996 via an Australian TV series called "Sweat." Ledger was offered a choice of roles on the show, and he picked the character of Steve "Snowy" Bowles, a gay bicyclist. Later he reasoned that very few gay parts were being portrayed on Aussie television, and by taking the part he was more likely to be noticed.

5. He was a music man.

Last year, Ledger announced plans to start a record label with Ben Harper called "Masses Music Co." Heath also directed the rocker's 2006 video for "Morning Yearning." The song is melancholic and beautiful, and the clip depicts dancers and violinists in silhouette, drenched in sunlight and shrouded by fog.

6. His daughter's name might have an unusual connection.

Ledger and Michelle Williams' 2-year-old daughter is named Matilda Rose. We don't know why they gave their daughter this name, however, it's worth noting that there's a famous Australian folk song called "Waltzing Matilda." The lyrics tell a story that involves the death of a man who commits suicide by drowning himself in a lake.

7. Jake Gyllenhaal is Matilda Rose's godfather.

Ledger and Gyllenhaal famously co-starred in "Brokeback Mountain," the heartbreaking story of two cowboys in love. In the award-winning film, Gyllenhaal played the role of Jack Twist, who dies at the end of the film, and Ledger was Ennis Del Mar. Matilda Rose will now have Jack Twist as a surrogate father figure.

8. Ledger was a jack-of-all-trades.

As a kid, Ledger was a chess player.

"He played younger groups ... and may have played in the state tournaments, even the state championship," Norbert Muller, a spokesman for the Perth Chess Club, said. But, he added, "I don't really remember him performing that well."

Ledger also enjoyed painting.

"I love what I do, but if it all came crashing down, it wouldn't be the end of the world," he told The Sunday Times in 2000. "I'd just sit on my arse and paint."

But the young Ledger wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty, either. He played hockey. His dad, Kim, was a race-car driver, and according to CNN.com, he spent quite a bit of time at the racetrack in his youth.

The site posted a note from a reader who identified himself as "R. of Perth," who claimed to have grown up with Ledger near a speedway racing circuit.

"I remember the night he was a little boy and his dad was racing speed cars at Claremont Speedway (my dad was in the race, too)," the reader wrote. "His dad was coming third, then, in the final corner, the two lead cars spun out and Heath's dad ... took the lead and won the state title race.

"Heath was standing a couple of rows in front of me with his mum and sister, and they were all so excited, jumping up and down and cheering," the reader continued. "He was about as happy as a little boy could be watching his dad become a champion. ... Later Heath would pit crew for Graham Jones, and I crewed for my dad and brother. Heath and I were both the youngest on our crews, so that meant our job was to take the fiberglass bonnets over to the hoses and wash the mud off after each race. Really dirty work, but he managed to stay cleaner than the rest of us."

9. Perth was Ledger's refuge.

The actor's homeland was his safe place, his refuge. Ledger's final trip to his native country was for Christmas 2007. It was a happy time.

10. Ledger's first acting role was as Peter Pan.

He played the character in a school-theater production when he was 10. Like the mystical boy who could fly, Ledger would never grow old.

There were a lot of things there that I didn,t know for sure.  See just by reading that, it shows you just how much Heath had to live for. I had no idea he was going to start a record label. He had so many things planned for the rest of his life didn,t he? So much left to do. Now he,ll never do any of those things. There are some beautiful pictures of him on this thread too. What a killer smile he had. How could any woman resist that? Now we,ll never see it again. 

[cmr107]

Court, where is this one from?  I think that's the oldest I've ever seen her look. 

I don't know. All these pics I'm posting lately are posted on the many many Heath Facebook groups. Most of them don't say where they're from.