The Bittersweet Gift Heath Ledger Left His Daughter

It's been a little more than eight years since Heath Ledger passed away at just 28, leaving behind a legacy and a loving family — including his then toddler-aged daughter, Matilda. That same year, the actor received a posthumous Academy Award, for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Dark Knight. "Bittersweet is probably the best way I can describe that night," Ledger's father, Kim, recently told The Hollywood Reporter. "It was only a year and a month since his passing," he recalled. "We hadn't got our heads around the tragedy of losing him, but at the same time, he was receiving such accolades for what he knew was his best work." His family accepted the honor on his behalf. Currently, it is being exhibited at Western Australia Museum. Ultimately, though, Kim Ledger says the statue will go to Matilda, 10, who lives with her mother — actress Michelle Williams — in New York City. "At the end of the day, everything is there for Matilda, and when she can take possession of it, it's all hers," he went on. "One way or another, we are always in contact with our New York girls."