Apparently, a compromised has been reached
The potential awarding of a posthumous Oscar to Heath Ledger, the odds-on favourite in the supporting actor category for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, has created one of the trickiest situations in the history of the Academy Awards. Typically, in such situations, the Oscar is claimed by an actor’s spouse or child. But the unmarried Ledger was estranged from Michelle Williams, the mother of his only child, Matilda, who is only three and unable to sign the standard contract that stipulates the winner will not resell his or her Oscar without offering it back to the academy for $1. A compromise finally has been reached: should Ledger win, the statuette will be held in trust for his daughter by Williams until she reaches 18 when she can execute an “heir’s agreement” to keep the Oscar or return it. Who will claim the Oscar for Ledger, should he win, remains under wraps, though tradition holds that it be “an artist who was close to the nominee, and who can speak credibly for him or her.” In that regard, our odd-on favourite is Jake Gyllenhaal.