It’s been five years since Heath Ledger passed away. JOE takes a look at his finest movie moments.
At the height of a promising career, Australian actor Heath Ledger died in an unfortunate accident when he accidentally overdosed on prescription pills.
At just 28 years old, the actor was just starting to be acknowledged for his incredible acting skills after his eerily brilliant take on The Joker in The Dark Knight. He received a posthumous Oscar for the role, something he almost certainly would have been honoured with had he been alive, so good was his dedication to the character.
JOE takes a look at the actor’s best moments of his career.
Dark Knight (2008)
Possibly even better than Jack Nicholson’s version of The Joker, Ledger took method acting to a new level. As The Joker, he pulled out all the stops and was terrifying, disgusting and brilliant all at once. In fact, his performance even outshone the usually brilliant Christian Bale as Batman in this movie.
I’m Not There (2007)
An ensemble cast played six characters based on versions of Bob Dylan’s life and songs. Ledger played a character called Robbie Clark, a moody, counter-culture actor based on a romantic side of Dylan. The cast were awarded an Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award for their performances.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Anyone who can pull off a gay cowboy in a tragic love story and still draw millions of viewers and awards gets our nod of approval. Ledger played Ennis, a ranch hand who falls for Jack Twist, an aspiring rodeo rider played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Ledger was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his difficult role and deserved to win.
Monsters Ball (2001)
While only taking on a small role in this movie, Ledger played Sonny, the son of Billy Bob Thornton’s Hank Grotowski, an unwavering racist. The two are prison guards but Sonny can’t handle the executions or his father as he gets kicked out of his home.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
In a teenage-angst movie based on Shakespeare’s Taming of The Shrew, Ledger stands out above the rest of the cast as a moody rebel who gets paid to date Julia Stiles so her younger sister can date a wealthy sleaze. Fair play to him for the public singing of ‘Can’t take my eyes off you’ in a football stadium to woo his lady.
Rest in peace Heath, you’re still sorely missed.
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