Heath Ledger

Biography:

Heath Ledger was an Australian film actor known for his range of roles from independent films to romantic dramas, action movies, and big Hollywood production companies. Born on April 4, 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, Heath started his acting career in Australian TV shows and movies, before moving to America. Some of the notable films he acted in include 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), A Knight’s Tale (2001), and Monster’s Ball (2001). After that, he played more difficult characters in such films as Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Candy (2006). His role in Brokeback Mountain directed by Ang Lee won him an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination and marked him as a powerful dramatic actor.

However, Heath Ledger is most famous for his part as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) movie directed by Christopher Nolan, whose highly unpredictable and disturbing acting was acclaimed by critics. For this role, he was awarded an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which was a posthumous award presented to him at the 81st Academy Awards. Other films in which he starred include The Brothers Grimm (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), I’m Not There (2007), and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), completed after his death with help from Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Heath Ledger died in New York City on January 22, 2008, at the age of 28 years, having left behind a relatively limited yet hugely influential legacy.