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SYDNEY (AFP) — Heath Ledger’s two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose will inherit the late Australian actor’s entire estate, estimated to be worth 20 million dollars (16.6 million US), a report said Sunday.

The 28-year-old actor, who died in New York in January from an accidential overdose of prescription drugs, had named his parents and sisters as the beneficiaries in his will, Perth’s Sunday Times reported.

The will, which has been probated behind closed doors at the Supreme Court in Perth, was made before Matilda was born, and there had been speculation that the child’s mother, actress Michelle Williams, would lodge a claim.

But Ledger’s father Kim has put an end to such speculation, revealing that Matilda will inherit the lot.

“There is no claim. Our family has gifted everything to Matilda,” he told the News Ltd paper.

Ledger’s will listed just 145,000 Australian dollars in assets and cash when it was drawn up in 2003, but the Hollywood star’s estate is now believed to be worth more than 20 million dollars, the Sunday Times said.

The Perth-born actor gained international stardom and was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain”.

Critics have hailed his performance as the deranged Joker in the recent Batman film sequel, “The Dark Knight”.

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Heath Ledger’s performance in the upcoming Batman film is winning him rave reviews, with many critics pushing for the late Australian actor to be awarded a posthumous Oscar.

Five months after his death, the first critics to see The Dark Knight – due in Australian cinemas in two weeks – are giving the actor plenty of praise.

Rolling Stone magazine critic Peter Travers says Heath’s portrayal as the Joker was brilliant.

“It’s typical of Ledger’s total commitment to films as diverse as Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There that he does nothing out of vanity or the need to be liked,” he wrote.

“I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker.

“If there’s a movement to get him the first posthumous [acting] Oscar since Peter Finch won for 1976′s Network, sign me up.”

Sam Rubin, a respected entertainment correspondent for Los Angeles KTLA network, said Ledger would “absolutely be nominated for an Oscar, and at this point in the year is a hands-down favourite to win it posthumously”.

“Ledger offers perfect pitch, perfect tone, his Joker hits all the right notes,” he added.

Meanwhile an Associated Press review described the Joker as possibly Ledger’s finest performance – even better than his Brokeback Mountain role for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

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