This girl tragically lost her father, a star, when she was just two — since he left her out of his will, his co-stars decided to forfeit their money for her benefit.

When this Hollywood icon passed away, his daughter was crushed since she couldn’t locate him. However, it wasn’t just his presence that she would long for. The actor did not mention her in his will.

Concerned for her well-being, three of the actor’s colleagues donated their paychecks for her. 

This famous actor was renowned for portraying The Joker, a psychopathic criminal genius with a twisted sense of humor, in the superhero movie “The Dark Knight.” Furthermore, the actor took on various other characters, such as in “Lords of Dogtown” and “I’m Not There.”

In 2004, while shooting “Brokeback Mountain,” the actor encountered and developed feelings for Michelle Williams. A year later, they celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Matilda Rose. Sadly, in 2007, the couple separated, yet the actor’s affection for his daughter stayed just as intense. 

Director Terry Gilliam mentioned that the actor would place his daughter in his backpack, take the tube, and head to his home to discuss a film they were collaborating on.

Sadly, in 2008, when Matilda was only two, her father passed on accidentally at his New York Apartment. Little Matilda could not understand her father’s sudden absence and constantly bombarded her mother with questions about him that Michelle did not know how to answer. She would always ask:

“Where’s my daddy?”

The Actor’s Costars Financially Rescue His Daughter

Right before he met his tragic death, the actor was in the middle of filming “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” The film is about a traveling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, presents his audiences with a choice between self-fulfilling enlightenment or gratifying ignorance.

After the star’s passing, the director, Terry Gilliam, was uncertain whether to abandon the film or find a replacement. After some persuasion from his daughter, he chose the latter option. He selected Hollywood A-listers Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell to take Ledger’s place in the film and portray the remaining roles. Gilliam stated: 

“No one inquired about their compensation or whether the role suited them.” All of them were friends of Heath, and they aimed to ensure the film was completed in his honor.

Other top-tier celebrities, like Tom Cruise, volunteered to assume Ledger’s role, but Gilliam declined their offers as they were not familiar with the actor. 

As Gilliam pondered if substituting him with three actors was financially viable, the trio was preoccupied with a different issue — his daughter.

In a remarkable display of generosity, the three performers accepted minimal compensation and kept none of the earnings for themselves, choosing instead to contribute their entire salary to Matilda. It would be revealed that the star had left his two-year-old daughter out of his will.

Confrontation for the Actor’s Millions

The acclaimed actor, Heath Ledger, had created a will well ahead of his daughter’s birth, designating his estate, valued at $118,000, to his parents and three sisters. He didn’t revise the will following the birth of his daughter.

In typical situations, that would imply his daughter couldn’t inherit anything from her father. Nevertheless, everything changed significantly one year following the actor’s passing.

Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, informed The Sunday Times that his family would not take any portion of Ledger’s fortune and would instead allocate it all to the actor’s daughter. He mentioned according to reports from Fox News:

“There is no assertion.” “Our family has given everything to Matilda.”

The ruling sparked a disagreement among Kim and his siblings, with two arguing that Ledger’s father was unsuitable to be the executor of the actor’s estate due to his past mismanagement of their grandfather’s estate. 

Nevertheless, Robert John Collins, an Australian executor of Ledger’s estate, intervened for Kim, stating that the claims made against him by his siblings were nonsense. The accusations resulted in disputes between the siblings, who have since stayed distant.

Present Life of Matilda, Who Mirrors Her Departed Father

Matilda was just two when her father died, but now 15 years have gone by, and she is fully grown. One can easily observe how the 17-year-old looks like her father from the few photos of her found online. The similarities are striking among her relatives, including her grandfather Kim, who remarked:

“She possesses a vast array of his mannerisms.” She is quite curious. She has his energy because Heath hasn’t slept since he was two, and Matilda is similar.

Kim was affectionate towards his granddaughter, describing her as a bundle of energy who exuded a presence similar to Ledger’s. Along with resembling her father, Matilda also got characteristics from her mother, who works diligently to preserve Ledger’s memories in their daughter. 

What stays the same about the little girl is her never-ending inquiries in an effort to learn about and understand the person her dad was when he was alive. 

Ledger’s family praises Michelle for the wonderful job she’s done raising Matilda independently since her father’s passing, and as the actor’s sister Kate Ledger mentioned to People: 

“I believe she creates an amazing atmosphere for Matilda to develop in, particularly within the type of industry she works in.” 

Kate described Michelle as down-to-earth and observed how much Matilda looked like her deceased brother. She mentioned that all of Matilda’s actions bring her thoughts of her brother. 

Basic tasks executed automatically by Matilda resembled how Ledger would have accomplished them, including straightforward actions like picking up a pencil and getting on the skateboard. 

She works hard to preserve her brother’s memories in his daughter and shares with People:

“I speak to her about her dad whenever we meet.” I share small tales of his childhood and how he would run after me with the cricket bat.

Even with celebrity parents, Matilda maintains a relatively low profile, and the photos that exist of her are mostly with her mother taken in various public locations.