At 23, Heath Ledger was already a Hollywood star when he arrived back in Australia for the release of Ned Kelly in 2003. He had made his name with 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot and A Knight's Tale, then emerged as a serious actor in Monster's Ball. But it was refreshing how much he played down his stardom and referred to himself repeatedly during an interview as still being a kid.

"I just live in my own little world," Ledger said as he fiddled with a plastic cigarette lighter in a Melbourne hotel room. "I'm very content in that. For the past eight months, I've been sitting on my arse in LA in my home with my puppy dogs living a normal life."

Arriving back to see his face on Ned Kelly posters was a reminder of what he had become. "Up until this point, I've just been a normal kid doing my washing at home," he said.

Ledger, who was so polite during the interview that he jumped up to answer the phone and directed the caller to a publicist downstairs (sheepishly explaining "that was my next interview"), was dressed like a knockabout drama student in ripped jeans, a T-shirt and a no-fuss jumper that he sniffed at one point as if wondering whether it needed a wash.