When Heath Ledger died nine years ago of an accidental overdose, he left behind his ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, and their daughter, Matilda, who was just 2-years-old at the time. Now 12, Matilda looks strikingly like her late father, as captured in paparazzi shots published on Harper's Bazaar.
It's a fitting time to reflect on the late actor, who was just 28 when he died. Next month, an intimate new documentary titled I Am Heath Ledger premieres on Spike TV. The film stitches together handheld footage that Ledger shot, largely of himself, together with interviews with his family and friends.
Ledger's sister Kate spoke to People ahead of the film's release and talked about losing her brother and the strong connection between Matilda and her dad. "I still feel very connected to Heath. I feel connected to him through his beautiful daughter Matilda. When Heath was around, she looked so much like him, we used to say, 'It's Heath in pigtails.' Now everything she does, the way she rides a skateboard, reminds me of Heath. For the first five years every time I saw her I'd be in tears, but now I can be happy and feel her daddy's energy through her."
She continued, saying how glad she is that Matilda can gain insight into her father from the doc. “You can tell her about things, but with her being able to visually see his movement and his expressions, it’s almost like he had actually filmed the documentary himself and pieced it together for her."