‘I Am Heath Ledger’ documentary explores the actor’s struggles to fame

US Spike TV drops the first glimpse of “ I Am Heath Ledger .” The documentary details the struggles of the late actor to fame.

Ledger died at the age of 28 in January 2008 due to drug overdose after taking a cocktail of prescription drugs. The documentary offers an intimate look of the actor’s life using never-before-seen home videos shot by Ledger himself.

The film also features the Australian actor’s rise in Hollywood with interviews from those closest to him including his exes, colleagues and fellow filmmakers. Heath’s friend director Matt Amato talks about the actor’s struggle to stardom. "He wanted fame, and then when he got it, he didn't want it," Amato said in the teaser.

In the trailer, the actor’s childhood friend, Trevor DiCarlo, also reveals that it was Ledger’s dream to work behind the camera. DiCarlo said the actor used acting as a stepping stone to eventually direct a project. “He was always a director, acting was just a way to get there,” DiCarlo says.

According to Yahoo News, fellow Australian Naomi Watts also appears in the 90-minute documentary. Ledger dated Watts four years before his death in 2008.

Ledger is one of the best actors of his generation. He rose to fame with his roles in “10 Things I Hate About You,” “The Knight’s Tale,” “The Patriot” and “Monster’s Ball.” The most notable characters he played were in “Brokeback Mountain” and “Batman: The Dark Knight” in which he won a posthumous Academy Award and Golden Globe as the Joker.

The award-winning actor was previously the subject of “Too Young to Die” docuseries which is also now available on Netflix. In the series, the actor’s father, Kim Ledger, shared the pages of his son’s Joker diary, Entertainment Weekly noted.

“He pretty well locked himself up in a hotel, in his apartment, for a month or so, to sort of galvanize the upcoming character in his own mind. That was typical of Heath on any movie. He would certainly immerse himself in the upcoming character. I think this was just a whole new level,” the Ledger patriarch said.

“I Am Heath Ledger” is scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23 before it hit select theatres on May 3. It will also air on Spike TV in the US on May 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. A digital and DVD releases are also set on May 23. An air date for Australia is still to be confirmed.