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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Heath Ledger: 1979-2008

By now the news has spread that the 28 year Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead in New York City of still-to-be-determined causes. Ledger's resume was extensive for someone his age. At some point in his short career, Ledger began to gravitate more toward independent fare, including Lasse Hallstrom's "Casanova" and Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm," both released in 2005. His 2006 film "Candy" now seems destined to have an especially haunting quality: In a particularly realistic performance, Ledger played a poet wrestling with a heroin addiction along with his girlfriend, played by Abbie Cornish.

But Ledger's most recent choices were arguably the boldest yet: He costarred in "I'm Not There," in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan - as did Cate Blanchett, whose performance in that film earned an Oscar nomination Tuesday for best supporting actress.

And in what may be his final finished performance, Ledger proved that he wouldn't be intimidated by taking on a character as iconic as Jack Nicholson's Joker. Ledger's version of the "Batman" villain, glimpsed in early teaser trailers, made it clear that his Joker would be more depraved and dark. Hope you're in a good place Heath.

The Dark Knight Trailer



Collage Of Some of Heath Ledger's Movies