Any similarities? ... Luke Ledger, cousin of the late Hollywood actor Health Ledger / Supplied
Confidential can reveal the 16-year-old Perth boy has decided to follow the late actor into the entertainment industry.
He has also unwittingly become embroiled within the seemingly endless controversy and blanket media coverage that has befallen the Ledger tribe since the death of the Dark Knight actor in January.
These "bad experiences" with the press have given the year 11 student something in common with his late cousin - who often expressed a dislike for the media - while fuelling a strong determination to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor "on his own".
Despite a fear of journalists, Luke Ledger reluctantly spoke to Confidential yesterday. "Heath had always been an inspiration but I`m more so self-inspired," was the only mention the young actor made of his now-legendary cousin.
"I want to be an actor because I want to be an actor.
"I don`t want to be a celebrity - I just want to act."
A source close to the family said Luke`s apprehension towards showbiz was a result of watching "how tormented Heath became when the limelight got brighter".
In a world where famous blood relatives can be your golden ticket, the creative kid`s noble choice to shy away from the Heath Ledger legacy could have potentially already cost him a big break.
He recently entered into Dolly magazine`s nationwide search for a new Neighbours star - which brought Sam Clark onto the soap last year.
But he denied a relationship to Ledger before the auditioning panel, despite his unique surname and remarkably similar features.
He was the runner-up in the competition for Western Australia and has since signed with a talent agency in an attempt to find some work.
In his spare time, Ledger has starred in local plays and productions and is currently the lead character in a "mockumentary" being filmed by university students.
Last year he went on a school trip to poverty-stricken areas of Africa, where he got behind the camera to shoot his peers helping out and organising food programs.
He has submitted the tape to World Vision hoping "they could use it for something".
A move to the big lights of Sydney after the HSC to try and kickstart his career is also on the cards.
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