In 1998 the WB launched a new show called Dawson’s Creek and American teens had four new idols. Within a few weeks of its debut, Michelle Williams who starred on the show as Jen Lindley, along with her co-stars James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, was talked about in every high school homeroom in America.

Born on September 9, 1980 in Kalispell Montana, to father Larry and mother Carla, Michelle Williams has one younger sister, Paige, and three older half siblings on her father’s side, Jason, Kelly and Sara. Her parents would later divorce. She shared a close bond with her father who taught her to be independent. This independence led her to quit high school at the age of 15 and get her high school diploma in one year through independent study and correspondence courses. Soon after, she had herself declared a legally emancipated minor and headed for LA to pursue acting.

In her early career, Michelle Williams found work in guest starring roles on shows such as Bay Watch, Step by Step and Home Improvement. She also had roles in movies such as 1994’s Lassie, Species (1995), Timemaster (1995) and A Thousand Acres (1997) starring Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Then came Dawson’s Creek, the show that would change Michelle Williams’ life and career forever. Shortly after its debut she was offered roles in Halloween H2O (1998), Dick (1999), But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) and Prozac Nation (2001). She was now a celebrity, although she never seemed to fall into some of the destructive patterns that many teen celebrities fall into.

At the age of 25, Michelle Williams was enjoying a successful career with an Oscar nomination for the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain. She also found herself enjoying motherhood when she and her Brokeback Mountain co-star, Australian Heath Ledger had a daughter, Matilda, born in October 2005. The two became engaged but in late 2007 they called it a day on their relationship but remained very close and both enjoyed raising Matilda together.

Before getting involved with Ledger, Michelle Williams was romantically linked to Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes, although she has never confirmed the relationship. Many of Oberst’s songs are thought to be about Michelle Williams. She has also been linked to Andy Herod of the band the Comas. The Comas’ album, Conductor, is said to be inspired by the couple’s breakup.

Heath Ledger took a break from acting to raise their child so that Michelle Williams could focus on her career. She was seen in The Hawk is Dying, a top film at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and has four other films in various stages of production.

On January 22nd 2008 Heath was found dead in his Greenwich Village apartment in Lower Manhattan. His death was thought to have been from an accidental overdose of sleeping tablets which he had been taking together with pills perscribed for other illnesses.