Heath Ledger was an Australian actor whose career spanned Australian television and film in the 1990s before he moved to the United States in 1998 to further his career in cinema. Over the course of his life, he appeared in 20 films across a wide variety of genres, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight’s Tale and Monster’s Ball (2001), Casanova, Lords of Dogtown, Brokeback Mountain (all 2005), Candy (2006), I’m Not There (2007), and The Dark Knight (2008) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), the latter two released posthumously. In addition to acting, Ledger also produced and directed music videos and had ambitions of becoming a film director.
Ledger earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, receiving nominations for a BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, and Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2007, he portrayed the fictional actor Robbie Clark in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, one of six characters representing facets of Bob Dylan’s life and persona.
In January 2008, Ledger was found dead from an accidental overdose of prescription medications. At the time, he had recently completed filming his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, which would earn him critical acclaim and numerous posthumous awards, including the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ledger’s work left a lasting impact on film, with performances celebrated for their depth, versatility, and emotional resonance.
