Life After Heath

Heath Ledger may be gone - but thanks to the new scholarship for Australian actors established in his name, his memory will live on forever!

The Los Angeles Times reports that Australians in Film (AIF), an organization for Australians working abroad in the entertainment industry, has established the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund, an annually-given scholarship fund designed to help one lucky young Aussie actor or actress pursue a career in Hollywood.

The scholarship was introduced at AIF's 4th annual Breakthrough Awards ceremony held last night where longtime Ledger friend Gregor Jordan will read statements of support from the departed actor's family.

Before his tragic death in January, Ledger had been heavily involved with AIF, even serving as an ambassador for the organization. Ledger had maintained a long-standing friendship with AIF President Susie Dobson ever since 2000 - long before the Foundation had even been founded.

""Someone told me that there was a young and very, very shy Australian actor sitting on a couch by himself, and they suggested I go over and talk to him and try to make him feel at home," Dobson told the paper. "It was Heath Ledger, and he was here to promote his first big U.S. film, The Patriot, with Mel Gibson. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and was incredibly sweet, shy and soft-spoken."

"Through Heath's scholarship," she said, "we will be able to assist burgeoning Australian talent launch their careers in the U.S. to become potential future recipients of a Breakthrough Award."

Sounds like a great cause to us - and there's plenty more information on the AIF's website!