It’s been nearly 10 years since Heather Ledger’s untimely passing and, on what would’ve been the Aussie actor’s 38th birthday, Spike TV has fittingly given us the first trailer for the upcoming I Am Heath Ledger documentary. Built around a series of home movies Ledger filmed before and during his meteoric rise to fame, the documentary paints a picture of an actor that, despite staggering talent and universal appeal, was never far away from leaving the profession behind.
“He was always a director. Acting was just a way to get there,” muses his childhood friend Trevor Dicarlo. Giving us an inside look into the actor’s private life, something he fiercely protected after finding fame in Hollywood, the documentary also features emotional interviews with musician Ben Harper, Kate Ledger (Heath’s sister), and Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee.
I Am Heath Ledger will premiere on Spike on May 17, with an Australian premiere soon to follow.