Michelle's Heath interview

Michelle Williams: 'Heath was sensitive, beautiful and masculine'

Heath Ledger's closest Hollywood friends – including ex-girlfriends Michelle Williams and Naomi Watts – have spoken out about the actor for the first time since his death.

The pair joined Tod Haynes, who directed Ledger's movie I'm Not There, his agent, Steve Alexander, Sean Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ellen DeGeneres in a feature for Interview magazine where they talk about their relationship with the star.

Michelle, the mother of his two-year-old daughter Matilda, describes his raw energy and talent, saying: 'He had an uncontrollable energy. He buzzed. He would jump out of bed. For as long as I'd known him, he had bouts with insomnia. He just had too much energy. His mind was turning, turning, turning - always turning.

'He had a talent for everything that he put his mind to. He didn't know limits. I think that the interesting thing about Heath, which maybe people have only really fully discovered in his death, is how vulnerable he was.

'You can pick up on it in his performances, but it's easy to overlook because he was so physical and beautiful and strong and masculine. But there was always that underlying sensitivity. That's who he was.'

Australian actress Naomi Watts, who dated Heath for two years before he met Michelle, added: 'His acting was just so touching, so connected in truth. I think he was just getting started.'

Philip Semour Hoffman, who met Ledger when they were both nominated for the Best Actor Oscar in 2006 describes his 'childlike enthusiasm', adding that 'his body was always in motion'.

Heath tragically died of an accidental prescription drug overdose on 22 January in New York.

CLICK HERE for our Heath Ledger photo retrospective