Where Is Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams’ Daughter Matilda Today?
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams's daughter Matilda is growing up so quickly.
Believe it or not, Matilda Ledger will turn 17 this October. The teen largely lives a life out of the public eye. However, there are some things we have learned about her over the years.
For starters, she very closely resembles her late father.
What else do we know? The Daily Mail reports that she currently lives in New York with her famous mom, as well as her stepdad Thomas Kail and a young sibling. She's been settled there for a while now, but it looks like there may be some traveling in Matilda's future.
Woman's Day reports that Matilda is pushing for an opportunity to return to her father's home in Perth, Australia.
It's believed this would mark the first time she has visited the continent since her father's funeral in 2008. She was only 2 years old at the time of the actor's passing from an accidental overdose.
Matilda's grandparents, Kim Ledger and Sally Bell, and her aunt Kate Ledger still live in Australia.
Her grandfather Kim told Woman's Day that they used to travel to New York to visit Matilda at least once a year. Of course, that was recently made impossible by the ongoing pandemic.
"It's heartbreaking for the Ledgers, they're missing so much," a source told the publication. "But Matilda is a strong-willed young thing, just like her dad, and she's informed Michelle that she wants to go to Perth."
It's reported that Matilda is very excited to visit Cottesloe Beach, which was her dad's favorite spot.
A source claims she is even more excited to get to know her aunt, something she sees as an opportunity to learn more about her dad: "She knows how close Kate and Heath were growing up, and Matilda wants to learn more about her dad as a kid."
There's also speculation that a trip to Australia may lead to offers for an appearance on Home and Away. The long-running soap opera was one of Ledger's breakout roles. He appeared on the show for 10 episodes in 1997, according to his profile on IMDb.
We don't know much about Matilda's interests since she lives a very private life. However, there is some speculation that she may take after her talented parents.
After all, her grandfather said that she shares several mannerisms with Ledger. "She's very inquisitive, she's got his energy, because Heath never slept from when he was 2 [years old] and Matilda's like that," he said, according to the U.S. Sun.
The Daily Mail reports that Matilda also expressed an interest in chess last year, which was one of her dad's old hobbies. She even apparently plays on the late star's old chess board.
"Heath was obsessed with chess, and now Matilda is getting quite good at it," a source said.
For Williams' part, it appears the actress told her daughter a lot about her father as she grew up.
"She knows how Heath died, and how much he loved her," a source told Woman's Day. "Not to mention how much his family loves her and that she always has a home with them."
Ledger and Williams were together from 2004 through late 2007. Matilda was born in 2005.
In a 2016 interview Williams said "it just won't ever be right" that Matilda won't be able to grow up knowing her father.