Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger Heath Ledger was an Australian actor of exceptional intensity and physical courage who left behind a small but extraordinary body of work before his accidental death from a drug overdose at age 28. Born in Perth, he moved to Sydney as a teenager and broke through internationally in '10 Things I Hate About You' (1999), going on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his landmark performance as Ennis Del Mar in 'Brokeback Mountain' (2005). His posthumously Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' (2008) — a ferociously original and disturbing creation — is considered one of the greatest performances in cinema history.