It’s now been 17 years since her father’s untimely passing but the legacy of Heath Ledger is still very much alive in his only daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger.
Rare family photos make it easy to see just how much Matilda, now 19, looks like her Oscar-winning dad, who sadly passed away in 2008.
Indeed, the striking resemblance has been noticed by her loved ones including her Australian grandfather Kim Ledger.
“She’s got an enormous number of his mannerisms,” Kim told Channel Ten’s The Project in a past interview.
“She’s very inquisitive, she’s got his energy, cause Heath never slept from when he was two and Matilda’s like that.
“I mean, she’s just got this ball of energy and she radiates this little aura, Heath was kind of like that. So it’s fabulous really.”
The teen has also inherited traits from her mum, actress Michelle Williams, but Kim revealed the Hollywood star works hard to keep Heath’s memory alive in Matilda’s life.
“Michelle’s been brilliant. She’s kept Heath very much alive in her daughter’s eyes. She’s always full of questions, always wanting to know this or that about her dad.
“And I guess that will just get more intense as she gets older and obviously we would welcome that,” Kim poignantly added.
Michelle was with the Perth-born actor for three years between 2004 and 2007 but never let their split affect their bond with Matilda.
For Heath, becoming a father was a turning point in his life with the star admitting in 2006 that family “is everything to me – the most important thing I do.”
“Before, I felt like I was floating through life, like a ghost; I may not have even existed,” he mused.
In 2017, the Brokeback Mountain star’s childhood friend Kane Manera told People that he was a natural father.
“The shape of his body changed,” he said. “He became warmer – it was like he would stand in a way with Matilda that you knew they were linked.”
Michelle wed theatre director Thomas Kail in March 2021 and the couple have since welcomed four children together.
Keep scrolling to see how Matilda ledger has grown over the years and how she looks just like her dad today.
Matilda is a perfect mix of both her parents!
The teenager was seeb biking around New York City in September 2025.
The similarities are undeniable and as Heath’s only daughter continues to grow up we hope to see even more of her.
Matilda became a big sister in 2020, after her mum welcomed a child with husband Thomas Kail.
And while Matilda will always be in touch with her Aussie roots, mum Michelle has raised her daughter in NYC.
As she has grown into a young woman, Matilda has blossomed into her father’s mini-me, as proven by rare photos of her.
Matilda is only seen in rare photos.
Michelle has chosen to keep much of Matilda’s childhood private, a decision Heath would have likely been onboard with. But raising her without her dad around hasn’t always been easy.
“Michelle’s been brilliant. She’s kept Heath very much alive in her daughter’s eyes,” Heath’s dad told The Project. With her big eyes and blonde hair, Heath’s only child, pictured on the right in 2009, is certainly keeping his memory alive too.
Matilda was only two years old when her father, 28 at the time, accidentally overdosed in his NYC apartment on January 22.
It was clear from her earliest years that Matilda had inherited some of her dad’s features – as well as his cheeky personality.
“Becoming a father exceeds all my expectations. It’s the most remarkable experience I’ve ever had – it’s marvellous,” the Two Hands star mused of raising his lookalike daughter.
Newborn Matilda
For Heath, becoming a father was a turning point in his life, with the star admitting in 2006 that family “is everything to me – the most important thing I do.”
