Heath Ledger 1979-2008: A Retrospective

Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead Academy Award-nominated actor Heath Ledger was found dead yesterday in a Soho apartment at the age of 28. The tragic news of the Brokeback Mountain star's death came as a shock, and the cause (though speculated to be an overdose) is still undetermined. An autopsy this morning was deemed inconclusive. Ledger's family has been quoted as saying that the death is "very tragic, untimely and accidental." Here we take a look at some of Ledger's most memorable roles. Watch the video. | More online videos 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) After work in a small indie film followed by some television roles, Ledger got his big break in the Hollywood film 10 Things I Hate About You. One of his most memorable moments in this modern remake of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, in which he played bad-boy Patrick Verona, came when he serenaded Julia Stile's character with the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." Watch the video now. | More online videos Brokeback Mountain (2005) By far the most defining movie of his career, Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award for his heartbreaking performance as Ennis Del Mar opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Though several actors had previously turned down the role because of its homosexual subject matter, Ledger was quick to tackle this challenging part. His compelling performance earned him industry-wide praise. Watch the video. | More online videos
Candy (2006) Though this film didn't get a lot of mainstream buzz, Ledger gave an outstanding and richly textured performance as Dan, an Australian junkie whose heroin addiction destroys his life and the lives of those around him. The film brought home to audiences the horrors of addiction not only for the addict but for their loved ones as well. Watch the video. | More online videos The Dark Knight (2008) Ledger only recently wrapped on his role as the Joker in the latest installment of the Batman film series, one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. The actor admitted that playing a homicidal psychopath was in fact extremely taxing for him emotionally ( check out video of the interview here), but that the role was "the most fun" he had ever had. Watch the video. | More online videos Your take: What's your favorite Heath Ledger moment?