Ledger legacy lives
WHEN Heath Ledger was alive, his home in Los Angeles had an open-door policy for young Australian actors attempting to follow in his footsteps and make it big in Hollywood.
Five years after the Oscar winner’s death from an accidental prescription drug overdose, Ledger’s legacy lives on with the Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship, an annual prize designed to give a young Australian actor a helping hand.
The scholarship, whose benefactors include Ledger’s family, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams and Baz Luhrmann, was awarded on Wednesday to 28-yearold James Mackay.
The Bathurst- born, Sydney Grammar- educated actor was announced the winner at a ceremony in the Hollywood Hills.
‘‘It is a difficult thing to absorb, especially in a fog of jet lag,’’ Mackay, who flew in from Sydney for the ceremony, said.
Mackay, son of Australian social researcher and author Hugh Mackay and whose Australian credits include the TV series The Straits, is the fifth recipient of the scholarship, with past winners including Bella Heathcote, Ryan Corr and Anna McGahan.
‘‘Heath had a generous nature and he used to help so many when they’d move to the US,’’ Ledger’s father, Kim, said.
‘‘ They could stay at his house or drive his cars to interviews.
‘‘He had a generous nature so this scholarship is fitting.’’
The scholarship includes $10,000, one year of acting classes at the Stella Adler Academy, a VIP casting package, a 10-day Californian trip from Visit California and a return Australia-Los Angeles airfare on Virgin Australia.
A panel of judges, including head of casting at DreamWorks Leslee Feldman, casting director Ann Fay, actor Wes Bentley, director Gregor Jordan and manager Will Ward, chose Mackay as the winner.
This year’s scholarship runners-up were Will Howarth and Georgia Flood.
Australians in Film is a non-profit organisation that supports Australian movie and TV artists.
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