On January 22, 2008, we lost one of the brightest young talents in film. Exactly one year later, Heath Ledger has been nominated for an Academy Award for his astonishing performance in "The Dark Knight." To mark the occasion, here is a look back at his eclectic and all too brief film career.
Ledger was never comfortable with the idea of stardom; he was the first choice to play "Spider-Man" but he turned it down. And now we're celebrating his role in another comic-book adaptation that he did not live to see become the second highest-grossing film of all time. He also had mixed feelings about acting awards. According to his friends, he was relieved when he did not win the Oscar in 2005 for "Brokeback Mountain" because he felt encumbered by the expectations that come with success. Still, it seems only right to pay tribute to what the young actor was able to accomplish in such a tragically short period of time.
TWO HANDS (1999)
Ledger's first leading film role was in this Australian crime drama. He plays a young man who owes money to a gang boss and is forced to commit a bank robbery. Ledger received an Australian Film Institute Awards nomination for Best Actor, but the movie wasn't released on DVD in the US until 2005.
This modern-day high school take on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" was Ledger's introduction to stardom in America. The movie was a modest financial success, and it received better reviews than most of the teen comedies of the time. Ledger was offered many other bubbly romantic comedies after this, but he turned away from becoming just another Hollywood pretty-boy.
THE PATRIOT (2000)
Ledger beat out many young actors -- including future costar Jake Gyllenhaal -- for the part of Mel Gibson's son in this Revolutionary War drama. The movie was a hit, and Ledger started to be noticed by the critics. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote, "the Aussie newcomer has the talent and looks to become a major star." But becoming a major star was not necessarily what he had in mind.
A KNIGHT'S TALE (2001)
A gleefully anachronistic tale mixing medieval pageantry with modern rock music, this flick was Ledger's first time carrying a big Hollywood production. Apparently, he was mortified when he saw the movie poster was just a close-up of his face and fought to have his costars included as well. The movie was a surprise hit, opening more doors for Ledger he was still reluctant to walk through.
MONSTER'S BALL (2001)
Following "A Knight's Tale," Ledger was offered the lead in "Spider-Man," but he turned it down to take a small part in this independent drama. As a third-generation Louisiana prison guard, Ledger does not get much screen time, but it was enough to change people's perceptions of him. However, it would take some time before he found a part that would truly make the most of his talent.
THE FOUR FEATHERS (2002)
A retelling of A.E.W. Mason's classic novel about courage during wartime, this Victorian-era war drama was ambitious but ultimately unsatisfying. In The New York Times, Elvis Mitchell wrote, "at this point in his career [Ledger is] the wrong actor for this kind of thing."
THE ORDER (2003)
Originally entitled "The Sin Eater," this supernatural thriller reunited Ledger with "A Knight's Tale" director Brian Helgeland and costar Shannyn Sossamon. But the idiosyncratic style that made the earlier movie a hit did not work for audiences this time around.
NED KELLY (2003)
It seemed like the role of legendary Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was a perfect fit for Ledger. Literally. Ledger tried on the real-life Kelly's signature metal armor and they were the same size. The film was well received in Australia, where Ledger earned another AFI nomination, but it did not get much of a release in the US.
LORDS OF DOGTOWN (2005)
Ledger went way against type to play Skip Engblom, the founder of the team that revolutionized skateboarding in 1970s Los Angeles. MTV's Kurt Loder praised Ledger for "nailing the stoned deportment of a SoCal slacker in the movie's funniest performance."
THE BROTHERS GRIMM (2005)
Ledger partnered with Matt Damon to play the fathers of the fairy-tale, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, in a visually inventive fantasy from director Terry Gilliam. Originally, Ledger was cast as the more dashing brother, but he and Damon thought the roles should be reversed, so he ended up as the nerdy one.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)
One of the rare films that was not just a financial hit, but also a cultural milestone, this drama earned Ledger an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Ledger's performance as Ennis Del Mar, the soft-spoken yet deeply emotional ranch hand, made audiences and critics re-evaluate how they viewed him as an actor. It was also on this film that Ledger met actress Michelle Williams, and together they had a daughter, Matilda Rose.
"Casanova" is costume romance as lightweight as "Brokeback" was solemn, and the title role as the world's most famous lover gave Ledger a chance to be playful for a change. Marrit Ingman in the Austin Chronicle said, "Ledger inhabits the role of history's famed horndog with ease and obvious delight."
CANDY (2006)
Again, after finding a degree of mainstream success, Ledger backed away to do a smaller independent film. In this Australian production, he and Abbie Cornish played a pair of romantically entangled heroin addicts.. Wesley Morris wrote in the Boston Globe that Ledger was, "at once charming, antic, funny, and vividly sad."
I'M NOT THERE (2007)
Ledger played one of six versions of Bob Dylan in this unconventional biopic. The variation he played, the movie star dealing with fame and attempting to hold together his personal life, seemed particularly suited for him. And though he never shared a scene with costar Christian Bale, soon after they would have the chance to work together on a film that would cement Ledger's legacy.
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
When it was announced Ledger would be playing Batman's nemesis, The Joker, it seemed an unconventional choice. Now it's impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Ledger disappeared completely behind the smeared makeup, greasy hair and twisted scars, and in doing so created one of the most memorable villains of all time. The film broke box office records and has already earned scores of awards. And now on the heels of his Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor, Ledger is the front-runner for this year's Oscar.
Though the world is poorer for having lost such an exceptional talent at that young an age, Heath Ledger left behind some indelible performances that will be watched for generations. If you have a memory of Heath Ledger you'd like to share, please add it to the comments below.
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