Remember the discombobulation of Summer ‘08, when people were still saying the Academy never awards posthumous Oscars, because they like to see people get out there and campaign? How we had to hammer the possibility into inevitability, and argue it like a Supreme Court case? Problems were simpler pre-economic meltdown, weren’t they?
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — If Heath Ledger is named best supporting actor at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony, his daughter, 3-year-old Matilda Rose Ledger, will become the owner of the Oscar statuette.
But of course, Nothing gold can stay, Ponyboy.
“It’s complicated, because there are two different questions that have to be answered,” says Bruce Davis, executive director of the academy. “First, we have to decide who gets the job of accepting the award onstage on the night of the ceremony. And then there’s the question of the eventual disposition of the posthumous statuette, which may not stay with the person who accepts it.”
Stay crassy, AMPAS.
34 Responses for "Matilda Ledger Owns Heath’s Potential Oscar"
Didn’t the widow of Peter Finch get his Oscar?
Widow / Mom / Dad accept, and Oscar later goes to offspring..
whats the problem?
T.
Geez it’s just a statue not the launch codes. Way to make thing way more complicatd than it needs to be. Maybe Beyonce can hold onto it til Matilda is old enough.
It’s already been confirmed that Heath’s family will accept on his behalf.
“It’s already been confirmed that Heath’s family will accept on his behalf.”
Source? Link?
Here is the link that confirms that Ledger’s family will accept his award:
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/heath-ledgers-f.html
I think they’re saying ‘what if we give it to his dad, and then his dad doesn’t give it to Matilda?’
I mean family dynamics are weird. Who knows who was talking to who, and who was part of Heath’s everyday life and who wasn’t at the time of his death. So the rightful owner should be his daughter, but since they aren’t going to physically hand it to her I’m assuming legal questions come up.
Remember when Heath died and they said he hadn’t changed his will since her birth and that his money would go to his dad? Well I never understood why that should be a problem either but then the guys who took over his roll in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus donated their salaries to her. It made me wonder if there wasn’t some sort of rift. So I’m sure whether there is or isn’t, the Academy just want to make sure the Oscar gets into the right little hands.
Couldn’t they have acted with a little more class and kept this private, unless his family wanted to talk about it.
All this talk about signing agreements is terribly crass in the circumstances.
So, it’s pretty much written on the statue that Heath wins? If the XD of the Oscars is talking about this… Heath wins.
Are there any unknowns this year? Even the supporting actress cat. is tightening to a win for Cruz no doubt. I think the only thing no one can guess at this point are the shorts. Kind of lame.
^ Jason – I still think Best Actor is a complete toss-up between Rourke & Penn. Could really go either way. And I’d be perfectly fine with that. In fact, how about a tie? That would be amazing.
Is stupid they make this way more complicated of what it is, come on is just a statue!
And the most stupid thing is that now there is no doubt that he is gonna win. If they are making such a problem about this, is because he is gonna win, why they would been doing this is he is not?
The only complicated part is that AMPAS requires (since 1951) the winner to sign paperwork saying they, or their heirs, will never sell the statue to anyone but AMPAS (for $1). Since Matilda is a minor, Michelle will sign on her behalf and be “custodian” of the statue until she is 18 when she will also have to sign the same agreement.
AMPAS is very fussy about it’s little statues.
Ok, this is retarded…
These are extraordinary circumstances. If the person just can’t be there for any other reason, then yes, there needs to be some agreement in place. But if the dude died…come on, you have to throw some of the rules out the window. Why not bring the whole family onstage? As much as I respect Chris Nolan and Gary Oldman, there’s nothing extremely personal about it when they accept it. If you want one of the best moments in Oscar history to happen, get his whole family up there – Michelle and Matilda, too – so people can recognize, for a change, the family legacy Heath is leaving behind, and not just this incredible body of work in movies, too.
“If you want one of the best moments in Oscar history to happen, get his whole family up there – Michelle and Matilda, too – so people can recognize, for a change, the family legacy Heath is leaving behind, and not just this incredible body of work in movies, too.”
That just sounds exploitative. The way to do this is whatever Ledger’s family wants – if that’s just Ledger’s dad quietly accepting the award, that’s what should be done. If they don’t want to go up on stage and would rather someone like Nolan or Oldman accept it, that’s what should be done. This is NOT the time to make a big show out of things. This is the time to show some freaking respect.
Michelle is very protective of her own and her daughter’s privacy. I would doubt that Michelle will even be there unless she’s agreed to present (also very doubtful). She’d never allow Matilda to be exploited no matter what the reason.
For once, I’ll defend AMPAS. They were just responding to a reporter’s question. I don’t think they called up the newspaper and issued a press release. It’s their rules. They are totally reasonable. They just answered what happens if (when) Heath wins. And, of course, they don’t know yet whether or not he will. The reporter, along with the rest of the world, just assumes it’s a given, so he asked what was going to happen.
The only person who should accept that award is Michelle Williams , and keep it with her until the daughter is old enough .
Why should they give it to his dad ????
The daughter is the obvious choice .
I just wish the media would leave this little girl alone
I’m with Matt. The Academy is just trying to do the right thing in a rare situation. Although I’m not an attorney, it seems clear that Ledger’s daughter is his heir and the Oscar would be hers. It’s just a question of who would accept on her behalf. If Williams and Ledger had married, the matter wouldn’t be quite so delicate as she’d be his heir as well as a more likely choice to accept the award.
And, of course, if Michelle were “Michael” and the daughter were adopted, the entire thing would be a post-Proposition 8 mess not to mention a curious footnote in Academy annals.
There was footage of Ledger’s dad arriving at LAX. His family probably already knows he’s the winner.
…….i know this is irrelevant but
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
MELISSA LEO WILL WIN BEST ACTRESS
Anybody But Heath!!!!!
Anybody But Nyla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nyla, if you keep that retarded bullshit long, you’ll be yelled out of these boards faster than you can say “and the Oscar goes to Heath Ledger!”.
Thank mercy that I have a little Oscar party planned for Sunday, and will be too busy with guests to check here during the show, cuz if she’s here with her fucking 2nd-grade nonsense after he wins, and I probably will have at least four drinks in my system by that time, I’d probably go so Dick Donato on her ass my post would be deleted before the commercials end!
NOBODY BUT HEATH (BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR)!!!
xander needs to get a life and see more films. Perhaps then you will be able to discern the difference between a truly great performance and classic over the top showboating.
If ledger hadn’t risked his life away he would not be the lock everyone thinks he is.
oh…ANYBODY BUT HEATH, please!!
Nyla the nihilist.
#24, Xander:
Dick Donato! I get the reference! I’ve been a closet Big Brother addict since Season 2.
Oops. Think I just outed myself.
That’s cool that the daughter gets to keep the Oscar. I hope she accidently doesn’t break it.
Ryan, you’re too kind.
Nyla, you’re a moron. I’ve probably seen more movies in the last three years than you have your whole fucking life, and Ledger’s performance was the EPIDOMY of a truly great performance. There WAS nothing “over-the-top” or “showboating” about it. That would be your boyfriend Nicholson circa ‘89 BATMAN. Ledger never overacted, he played a truly convincing, brilliant but utterly deranged serial killer. A freak like that would be EXACTLY how Ledger played him, period! Nothing over the top about the performance, you’re just a nihilistic, cynical, boring-ass troll with shitty taste, sickening attitude, and probably many other problems we’re not aware of.
And hey Robert, surprised you got the reference! I was sure no one would (I use it all the time even if it’s obscure, lol). Yup, I was a HARDCORE fan from season 2 until season 8, but then the atrocious season 9 came and I quit watching less than two weeks in (the vast majority of the cast was far too despicable AND annoying). I’ve heard season 10 was good, and the little I saw seemed quite interesting (seems Dan was a heckuva player!), but I was going through some personal shit during the summer and didn’t have time to get hooked on a 3 times a week show. May return for season 11, but may not, remains to be seen (depends on what I have going on at the time).
Anyway, Evil Dick was CLASSIC (an utter asshole, but one of the most entertaining and skilled assholes I’ve ever had the pleasure of egging on!), and if Dummy Nyla shows up here on Sunday to be the usual douche and try to ruin the moment for the vast majority of the people (i.e. Ledger fans), it would be a dream come true for me if he showed up and went all Dickish on her!
Because Heath is a blatant frontrunner it would be a relevant question for a reporter to ask. AMPAS isn’t necessarily tipping its hand…
I go back and forth about the accepting thing. I could understand why Michelle Williams (and others) would think that having Matilda on stage with the rest of his family would be exploitative. On the other hand, what a wonderful memory that would be for Matilda to be there to accept her father’s Oscar. I think it would be a way to make a connection to his work and to the man himself–who unfortunately she probably won’t remember. She may not remember Sunday either, but there will be tons of photos and videos…and the Oscar itself (if he wins, of course). And if she’s there, I will sob like the little girl she is.
But yeah, the ED could have been more…well, human in his answer. But Oscars are considered valuable, and this one will be especially (again, if Heath wins). People sue for them, sell them and have had them stolen. So legally they have to make sure i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.
And Patrick, you are correct. Peter Finch’s widow accepted his Oscar.
Nyla: Why so stupid?
Nyla, shoot yourself.
Oscar belongs to Ledger.
Chris Nolan should accept it and give to Michele to hold for Matilda’s 18th….
Chris will then get the Academy’s nod they’ve somehow forgotten.
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