Friday, 15 February 2008

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Michelle Williams before Heath's death: I don't try and anticipate anymore

Actress talks about her public break-up

In a touching interview conducted before Heath Ledger's accidental overdose on Jan. 22, Michelle Williams opened up to Wonderland Magazine about their breakup – and learning to move on.

"Obviously so much has changed for me in the last few months that I don't really have and idea of what my life is going to be," the 27-year-old – who split with Ledger, the father of their 2-year-old daughter, Matlida, last September – says in the just-published interview. "I thought I knew certain things and it turned out that I didn't, so I don't really try and anticipate so much anymore. I'm not making any bets on the future."

The former Dawson's Creek star said she was throwing herself into life as a single parent, cherishing time with her daughter and nesting in her Brooklyn brownstone (the home she once shared with Ledger).

"I love domestic life," she said. "There's been a lot going on in my personal life and part of me is ... I don't know. I shouldn't talk about it, but it's like I'm re-emerging back into the world or something."

And while the breakup was painful, Williams said she had managed to find one silver lining: Less attention from the paparazzi.

"When you're in a relationship with somebody who is also a public personality, then it doubles the attention from the media," she explained. "When you minus that equation, it's just less enticing. That's been a real bonus. It's the plus side of the break-up for me."

That peace is certainly a distant memory now as Williams – just back from Ledger's funeral in Australia – settles back into life in New York.

On Monday of this week, the actress returned to work on the film Mammoth, which she had been filming in Sweden when she learned of the actor's untimely death.

In her only public statement since then, Williams said, "My heart is broken." But she vowed that Matlida – who is the "spitting image of her father," says the actress – "will be brought up in the best memories of him."

Kate Stroup