Best Heath Ledger Podcasts (2025)

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'I just felt like such a loser': Olympic champion Cate Campbell on loneliness and depression 44:23

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2d ago44:23

44:23

In this episode, we talk to Cate Campbell. Australian Dolphin number 665 debuted at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 at the tender age of 16. The teenager won two bronze medals at those games, and that was only the beginning. In her 16-year career in the pool, Campbell won eight Olympic medals – four of them gold – and breaking seven world records (her…

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Bonus Episode: Devo, Music Documentaries, Child Actors, and Herbie Hancock 39:33

4d ago39:33

39:33

This week, Zeth and Jake are talking about the new Devo documentary on Netflix, which begs the question: is Devo the greatest punk rock band of all time? Plus, movie and music recommendations inspired by this week’s Lindsay Lohan episode. Join the party and get in touch with your recs, your reviews, and any insane story from Hollywood history that …

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Lindsay Lohan: Morgues, Ankle Bracelets, and an Addiction to Chaos 39:43

6d ago39:43

39:43

Lindsay Lohan’s arrest record is overcrowded with charges involving theft, cocaine, and the transportation of narcotics. The one-time Disney queen bee shattered her Mercedes and her good girl reputation with back-to-back DUIs when her career was at its peak. After appearing in court 20 times in the span of five years, Lindsay’s acting opportunities…

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The “fusion of hilarity and horror” that inspired children’s author Andy Griffiths 40:32

9d ago40:32

40:32

In this episode, we talk to Andy Griffiths. The children’s author has written 40 books, including The Day My Bum Went Psycho, and the wildly popular Treehouse series. Griffiths has been published in more than 35 countries, and sold an astonishing 13 million copies in Australia and New Zealand alone. He’s led an interesting life, too. He wanted to b…

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Bonus Episode: Continued Confusion over Moe Greene, Mo Rocca, and Alex Rocco 44:00

12d ago44:00

44:00

This week in the Wrap Party, Jake and Zeth are discussing the differences between Moe Greene, Mo Rocca, and Alex Rocco. Plus ‘70s crime films, Sinatra at the Sands, and what if Old Blue Eyes sang songs by Helmet? Join the party and get in touch with your recs, your reviews, and any insane story from Hollywood history that you want to tell us! We wa…

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Alex Rocco: A Mob Murder, a Boston Gang War, and Leaving Winter Hill for the Corleones 36:28

14d ago36:28

36:28

Organized crime. A brutal assault that kicked off a gang war. Car bombs. The brazen assassination of a mob boss in broad daylight. These things all happened in Francis Ford Coppola’s groundbreaking film The Godfather – but first they happened in the real life of Alex Rocco, one-time Boston gang member turned Hollywood character actor whose star tur…

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Tracey Holmes: Meeting a Beatle, driving with Pele – and ‘this thing that still exists’ in sport 40:08

16d ago40:08

40:08

In this episode, we talk to Tracey Holmes. The TV trailblazer has spent more than three decades covering Australian sport and dissecting some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, bearing witness to the rise and rise of women's sport, which has had to bust through the walls of misogyny and male chauvinism. Her new book, The Eye of the Drago…

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Bonus Episode: Harrison Ford, Weapons, and Top 10 Westerns 50:33

19d ago50:33

50:33

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake talk about music and movie recommendations related to Harrison Ford, plus Zach Cregger’s new movie Weapons, great Westerns, stacks of books to be read, and more. Join the party and get in touch with your recs, your reviews, and any insane story from Hollywood history that you want to tell us! Call or text …

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Harrison Ford: Smashing Bottles, Slinging Weed, and Partying with the Stones 36:32

21d ago36:32

36:32

If someone had told Harrison Ford the odds early on, about his chances of making it as an actor in Hollywood, he may have given up. But he wasn’t an odds kinda guy. He was a guy who did what he had to do to make it. Sometimes that meant swinging a hammer and working as a carpenter on the houses of James Caan and Joan Didion. Other times he found wo…

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‘Connecting your identity to sport is a dangerous game’: AFLW star Libby Birch 30:07

23d ago30:07

30:07

In this episode, we talk to AFLW star Libby Birch. She's done something no other female or male player has done - winning three premierships at three different clubs, with the Western Bulldogs, the Melbourne Demons and the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Since joining the league in its inaugural season, Birch has also played 91 consecutive games of AFLW…

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Dark Horse Westerns, Bad Moms, and Joan Crawford 41:58

26d ago41:58

41:58

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about digging up some crazy, unexpected stories about Joan Crawford, plus music and movie recommendations inspired by the Hollywood icon, and suggest starting a support group for those who mistake Vin Diesel for Walter Matthau. Join the party and get in touch with your recs, your reviews, and a…

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Joan Crawford: Stag Films, Dead Presidents, and No Wire Hangers 39:11

28d ago39:11

39:11

Joan Crawford once threatened the director of the FBI when she wanted an old stag film destroyed. She accepted an Oscar that wasn’t hers for the sole purpose to get revenge on her co-star. She wrote her daughter out of her will, before she knew the kid was about to permanently ruin her legacy. But how did she wind up at a party with Richard Nixon, …

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From dance floor to ‘orgy room’: What happens on a typical swingers’ night? 31:03

1M ago31:03

31:03

In this episode we talk to Jess Cattelly, the co-founder of Sydney swingers club Our Secret Spot. The 32-year-old got into swinging – also known as The Lifestyle - when she was just 20, and her Parramatta Road venue has since become an example of the way in which the swinging community is changing. Middle-class suburban key parties are no longer, n…

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Bonus Episode: The Greatest Movies of the 21st Century and the Greatest Comeback Stories 55:55

1M ago55:55

55:55

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about the New York Times’ list of the 100 greatest movies of the 21st century (so far), the greatest Hollywood comeback stories, and recommendations for music and movies inspired by this week’s full episode subject, Robert Downey Jr. Zeth and Jake want to hear from you. What are your favorite m…

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Robert Downey Jr.: Running on Empty, Rock Bottom, and Ironclad Resolve 41:21

1M ago41:21

41:21

The man who would be Iron Man was once an unreliable and uninsurable actor who lived many years at the bottom in a haze of drugs and alcohol. His transformation into the highest-paid actor in Hollywood is truly one of the most remarkable stories in the City of Angels. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.au…

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What worries Sarah Wilson? Nothing less than the collapse of civilisation 49:32

1M ago49:32

49:32

In this episode, we talk to Sarah Wilson. She’s had an incredibly diverse career - from teenage model, to newspaper columnist, to women’s magazine editor, and then best-selling author of the book, I Quit Sugar, in 2012. More books followed, on anxiety, and finding purpose in a disconnected world, especially through the climate change crisis. Now sh…

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Bonus Episode: Jayne Mansfield, Robert Downey Jr., Myth Busting, and Dates with the Devil 39:14

1M ago39:14

39:14

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about the kinds of roles that Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t take on anymore, plus they share some of their music and movie recommendations inspired by this week’s episode subject, Jayne Mansfield, and her connection to the Church of Satan. Zeth and Jake want to hear from you. What are your devilish…

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Jayne Mansfield: Nude Scenes, Satan’s Slave, and a Gruesome Death 37:19

1M ago37:19

37:19

Whether she was filming Hollywood’s first major nude scenes, or posing against a backdrop of Satanic skulls and pentagrams, Jayne Mansfield lived for exhibitionism. As a leading sexpot of the 1950s, Jayne was a genius, a bombshell, and a mother in an industry that demanded women be single, dumb, and blonde. When people whispered that Jayne lived in…

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Meet Hugh de Kretser - president of the Australian Human Rights Commission 49:40

1M ago49:40

49:40

In this episode, we talk to Hugh de Kretser. The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission has quite the job. Never has society been more polarised, with distressing displays of religious and ethnic hatred bursting onto our streets - while at the same time the relevance of the commission itself has been called into question. De Kretser, w…

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Bonus Episode: The Next Brando, Hearts of Darkness, and Memories of Madonna 53:23

2M ago53:23

53:23

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about the legacy of Marlon Brando, cinematic descents into the jungle, and your recommendations for sweaty summer movies and classic movie soundtracks. Next week, get ready for our episode on Jayne Mansfield. In the meantime, Zeth and Jake want to hear from you. What sweaty summer movie gets yo…

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Marlon Brando: A Fake Kidnapping Gone Wrong, Jungle Madness, and a Dead Boyfriend 34:47

2M ago34:47

34:47

Marlon Brando once broke a paparazzo’s jaw with one punch. He hired private investigators to find his son when a fake kidnapping went horribly wrong. He nearly sank an already doomed film shoot all by himself when he arrived in the Philippines overweight, underprepared, and demanding millions of dollars. And at the very moment he was trying to resu…

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Soprano singer Danielle de Niese - making opera cool again 39:14

2M ago39:14

39:14

In this episode, we talk to Danielle de Niese. The internationally acclaimed soprano has dazzled audiences since childhood – from her breakthrough on the TV show Young Talent Time at just nine years old to starring on the world’s greatest opera stages. She joins us to chat about her life in music, and what keeps her voice – and spirit – so vibrant.…

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Bonus Episode - RIP Michael Madsen, Written out of Hollywood History, and the Greatest Movie Soundtracks 49:12

2M ago49:12

49:12

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about the great Michael Madsen, who recently passed away at the age of 67, as well as debating what is the greatest movie soundtrack of all time, and their music and movie recommendations inspired by this week's full episode subject, Sharon Stone. Next week, get ready for our episode on Marlon …

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Sharon Stone: Basic Instincts, Baring It All, and the Butcher of Montreal 39:19

2M ago39:19

39:19

In a single year, Sharon Stone was nominated for awards for both Best Actress and Worst Actress – for the same role. She launched a million sexual awakenings with one quick display in Basic Instinct. Her performance in that film was so vivid that it inspired stalkers to track her down. It may have even served as the inspiration for one fan to commi…

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True crime writer Mark Dapin on cops, Chopper, and the good within bad people 39:40

2M ago39:40

39:40

In this episode, we speak with Mark Dapin. Dapin is a veteran true crime writer, with a career including a stint as editor of the lad mag Ralph - but also as a columnist for Good Weekend. He has spent many, many hours with infamous hardened criminals, and now - for a story in the current issue of Good Weekend - has flipped sides to see through the …

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Bonus Episode - Separating the Art from the Artist, Heist Movies, and Directors in Exile 48:00

2M ago48:00

48:00

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about Roman Polanski and separating the art from the artist, handing out fresh music and movie recommendations, and responding to your voicemails, texts, emails, and DMs. Next week, get ready for our episode on Jane Fonda. In the meantime, Zeth and Jake want to hear from you. What are you watch…

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Roman Polanski: Nazis, Murder, and Life on the Lam 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

As a child, Roman Polanski escaped from a Krakow ghetto on the day the Nazis took his father to a concentration camp. As a new filmmaker, he became the toast of young Hollywood with his 1968 horror masterpiece, Rosemary’s Baby. But after the brutal murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, at the hands of the Manson family, Polanski unraveled. He wound up c…

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Artist Vincent Fantauzzo on fighting, dyslexia – and painting Heath Ledger 44:36

2M ago44:36

44:36

In this episode, we talk to Vincent Fantauzzo – the Melbourne portrait artist famous for hyperrealist renderings of a long list of prominent people. He’s painted movie stars (like Hugh Jackman), underworld figures (like Mick Gatto), politicians (like Julia Gillard), sporting heroes (like Oscar Piastri) and icons (like Michael Gudinski). Good Weeken…

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Bonus Episode - Gnarly L.A. Stories, Gnarly L.A. Gangsters, Porn Stars, and Washed-Up Protagonists 42:15

2M ago42:15

42:15

This week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about John Holmes, Boogie Nights, commercials from the ‘80s and ‘90s, Gen X, the difference between Eddie and the Hot Rods and Eddie and the Cruisers, summer playlists, and washed-up protagonists. Next week, get ready for our episode on Roman Polanski. In the meantime, Zeth and Jake want to hea…

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John Holmes: Big Units, Freebase Briefcases, Four on the Floor, and the Wonderland Murders 37:27

2M ago37:27

37:27

John Holmes unexpectedly found fame in the 1970s with a freakishly large appendage that proved a gateway into the burgeoning adult entertainment industry. He appeared in over 2,000 porn films and is alleged to have slept with over 14,000 women. But a severe drug habit put him in close contact with some strange bedfellows in the Los Angeles underwor…

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Crime writer Mark Brandi on the ‘incredibly painful’ experience that changed his life 39:51

2M ago39:51

39:51

In this episode, we talk to Mark Brandi. The renowned crime novelist writes about outsiders: heroin addicts, former prisoners and child victims of poverty and violence – and joins us to chat about his new book, Eden, out on June 25. We take a look at Brandi's family background, including the racist, small-town harassment of his father – as well Bra…

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Bonus Episode - Immortality and Invincibility at the Movies, and Posthumous Performances 43:42

2M ago43:42

43:42

On this week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about becoming immortal on the big screen, discussing music and movie recommendations inspired by the late, great Bruce Lee, and responding to your messages about everything from Will Smith to David Lynch. Next week, get ready for our episode on porn star John Holmes and the infamous Wonderl…

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Bruce Lee: Fists of Fury, the Death Touch, Murder Suspect #1, and Hollywood’s Ultimate Outsider 40:25

3M ago40:25

40:25

Bruce Lee got into so much trouble as a kid in Hong Kong that his parents banished him to the place of his birth: America. There he found all kinds of new trouble to get into. He upset kung fu traditionalists with his revolutionary style of fighting. He challenged long-held perceptions in racist Hollywood. He was an outsider determined to change th…

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How China ate Apple – and is now weaponising its technology against the West 35:53

3M ago35:53

35:53

In this episode, we talk to award-winning investigative journalist Patrick McGee, who for years led the Financial Times’ reporting on the meteoric rise of Apple Inc to become the world’s most valuable company after being on the brink of bankruptcy in 1996. As the iPod, iPhone and iPad revolutionised the way we live, Apple injected eye-watering amou…

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Bonus Episode – Triple Threats, Mobbed Up Producers, and Post Prison Movies 37:44

3M ago37:44

37:44

On this week in the Wrap Party, Zeth and Jake are talking about entertainers who simultaneously dominate the small screen, the big screen, and the airwaves, as well as responding to your messages about everything from Jack Nicholson’s wild Hollywood nights to how one big studio head may or may not have had mob ties. Next week, get ready for our epi…

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John Belushi: Punk Rock Riots, Chicago Street Brawls, and Missions from God 39:14

3M ago39:14

39:14

John Belushi may have been one of the funniest comedians of his generation, but he wasn’t just a funny guy. He was a rock star. He partied with the Stones, fronted a world-class band of R&B legends, and was responsible for a punk rock riot in Rockefeller Center. He drew the ire of street gangs in Chicago, attempted to steal a boat with his blues br…

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Dos and don’ts of home renos and building: A checklist from Grand Designs’ Anthony Burke 41:06

3M ago41:06

41:06

In this episode, we talk to Anthony Burke. You might know him as the ubiquitous host of multiple renovation TV shows on the national broadcaster, including Grand Designs Australia, Grand Designs Transformations and Restoration Australia. (He's even got a new one about Asian design, called Culture by Design.) Today, he shifts from sympathising with …