Heath Ledger Remembered

22 January 2009

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It's expected that the first anniversary of Heath Ledger's death will be marked by the actor receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

And it's hard to believe that a year has passed since the death of the star from an accidental overdose but what a year it has been.

There was already hype surrounding the release of The Dark Knight and a new actor in the role of The Joker, a part made famous by Jack Nicholson, but all that heightened after Ledger passed away.

That hype turned into major box office success as the film went on to be the biggest grossing movie of 2008 and, with it's re-release this awards season, it looks set to break the $1 billion barrier joining Titanic, The Lord of the Rings Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

You have to applaud every scene that Ledger was in as he took the audiences concept of the Joker and smashed it to pieces. Gone was Nicholson’s comic interpretation of the character replaced instead by a real menace and madness as the Joker lived with no rules robbing and killing simply because he could.

And it's great to see an actor attempt a whole new take on a role that we have become so familiar with. And the critics have also recognised this great performance as Ledger has been awarded a string of posthumous gongs.

While the film has done well in terms of award nominations it's Ledger's performance that has been the toast of the award season with awards from the Golden Globes, Boston Society of Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics Association and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

There are also nominations at the Baftas, Screen Actors Guild and Satellite Awards with a Best Supporting Actor nod expected.

After finding success in television and film in his native Australia Heath Ledger came to the attention of everyone else when he starred in 10 Things I Hate About You and The Patriot. He went on to star in a sting of hit movies including A Knight's Tale, Monster's Ball, The Brothers Grimm and Candy. But it was his role as Ennis del Mar in 2005's Brokeback Mountain that propelled him to the big time.

For his performance he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, Golden Globe, Bafta and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

But there is still one more big screen performance to come from the actor in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a role he was filming when he passed away. To complete the film Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell have stepped into the role and it will be released later this year.

And yet when the credits of any of his movies role there is still a tinge of sadness about the talent that has been lost. Ledger was the heart and soul of The Dark Knight and all are deeply saddened that he is not able to pick up the awards and celebrate his performance with us.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw