Aussies Establish Heath Ledger Scholarship

Heath Ledger was known for giving aspiring Australian actors a hand in Hollywood, so an Australian film organization has established a scholarship fund in his name.

"There's an entire tribe of Australians who have all benefited from his generosity," said Susie Dobson, president of Australians in Film, or AiF.

Dobson added that the new scholarship "captures Heath's spirit" and will help and celebrate Australian filmmakers.

Ledger's former girlfriend and mother of his daughter, Michelle Williams, will be involved with the program, said director Gregor Jordan.

Jordan announced the scholarship with a statement from Ledger's father, Kim Ledger, at a recent AiF function.

"Although reluctant to lend his name to anything commercial, we know Heath would be proud of his attachment to this scholarship," Kim Ledger said in a statement. "This scholarship in part does what Heath has done personally during the last 10 years and supported financially or in kind many friends, Australian actors, singers, directors or writers seeking to ply their talents in the USA."

Ledger, who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for the groundbreaking gay cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain," died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January at age 28.

He had already completed his role as The Joker in the upcoming "Batman Begins" sequel, "The Dark Knight," but shot only some of his scenes on director Terry Gilliam's fantasy film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

Variety said that Ledger's live-action scenes would stay in the film, and Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law were replacing Ledger in scenes he hadn't shot yet -- where his character passes from contemporary London through a magic mirror into the imagination.

Ledger's other films included the Bob Dylan-inspired drama "I'm Not There," the romantic comedy "10 Things I Hate About You," the romantic drama "Monster's Ball" and the Civil War drama "The Patriot."