Shaun Cassidy Says He 'Kind of' Discovered Heath Ledger: 'I Bought Him His First Plane Ticket to America' (Exclusive)

Heath Ledger was celebrated for his activity connected The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain, but America’s preamble to him came via a short-lived TV show called Roar, which Shaun Cassidy created. 

“I bought him his first level summons to America. He'd ne'er been,” Cassidy told PEOPLE of the precocious Academy Award-winning star. “I don't want to opportunity we discovered him, but we benignant of did. I mean, we surely introduced him to America.”

Cassidy, a GRAMMY-nominated erstwhile teen idol who went connected to nutrient and create TV shows, wrote Roar successful nan precocious ‘90s, which centered connected a young Irishman freeing his onshore from nan Roman Empire. 

“It was Braveheart ray for a TV show,” Cassidy said of nan show that aired connected Fox for 13 episodes successful 1997. 

After unsuccessfully scouring some Ireland and America for an character to play nan lead domiciled of Conor, Cassidy headed to Australia and saw Ledger pinch nan thief of a section casting director. Impressed pinch what he saw successful the Perth native, Cassidy instantly called nan TV studio.

“I said to Warner Bros., ‘You person to alert this feline over. This guy's going to beryllium a large deal,’ ” Cassidy said. 

While screen-testing nan future A Knight’s Tale star, web executives were mesmerized, and Cassidy recalled big women “falling each complete themselves.”

“He had specified gravitas for an 18-year-old, and he could transportation himself, and yet he was for illustration this surfer kid, really sweet, really bully heart,” said nan "Da Doo Ron Ron" singer, who sets retired connected his The Road To Us circuit successful September, his first afloat circuit since 1980.

Ten years aft that surface test, successful 2008, Ledger died of a supplier overdose astatine nan property of 28. 

Still, Cassidy will ne'er hide Ledger’s beingness connected his TV show. 

“I'm sorry that show didn't spell longer, but he was truthful bully successful it, and it was 1 of nan champion experiences I had,” Cassidy said. “And aft that, he sewage 10 Things I Hate About You, and he was disconnected and running. God bless him.”

While Cassidy brought nan celebrated character to nan States, he won’t return in installments for Ledger’s success, saying, “He would've happened pinch aliases without me, for sure. I'm grateful that I was location astatine nan early portion of his career.”