HEATH LEDGER - LEDGER'S THEATRE TRIBUTE

LEDGER'S THEATRE TRIBUTE

Tragic actor HEATH LEDGER has had a theatre named after him in his Australian hometown of Perth, as a tribute to his life.
The 575-seat Heath Ledger Theatre, which cost $87 million (GBP43.5 million) to build, opened on Tuesday (01Jul08) to honour the star's commitment to acting.
Ledger's father, Kim Ledger, attended the ceremony and says, "He was such a giver to the arts right across the board. I really feel that there's not a lot of things he'd put his name to, but he'd put his name to that."
And he also told reporters the increased attention the family had received after Ledger's death had made the grieving period difficult.
He adds, "It's just been a little more public and the films make it a little more public as well. It's been a little bit hard, but we've always been extremely proud of his work and that hasn't changed."
Western Australia state Premier Alan Carpenter was present at the naming ceremony and says, "Heath Ledger was totally dedicated to the craft of being an actor and that's what made him successful.
"I think what we're doing is continuing that support for young people who want to make a career in the arts and acting, stage and in film, whatever it happens to be."
Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment in January (08). Toxicology reports released a month later (Feb08) state he was killed by an accidental overdose of prescribed medication.