Originally published January 22, 2016
Today, April 4, Heath Ledger would have been 39. Ledger only scratched the surface of his acting potential when he died at the age of 29 from a prescription drug overdose. He left behind girlfriend Michelle Williams and their daughter Matilda.
Ledger got his start in the early 1990s on TV and advanced into movie roles quickly. He starred in Ten Things I Hate About You back in 1999 and quickly became a teen heartthrob. This only showed off one side of Ledger's evolving acting skills. Roles like The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain elevated his career and left a mark on cinematic history.
TheCelebrityCafe.com is counting down the top 10 Heath Ledger performances. From The Four Feathers to his role in I'm Not There, there was no role that Ledger was afraid to take on. He embraced every character and became a part of Hollywood history with his iconic performance as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. We honor and remember the work of Ledger today.
Click next to remember Heath Ledger in these roles.