• the217
• Movies + TV
• Rest in peace Heath Ledger

Related Media

Actor Heath Ledger attends a special Cinema Society and Hogan hosted screening of "I'm Not There" at the Chelsea West Cinemas, in this Nov. 13, 2007, file photo in New York. A New York Police Department spokesman says the actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a downtown Manhattan residence. (Evan Agostini, Associated Press)

Heath Ledger, whose meteoric rise began with a plum role as Mel Gibson’s son in The Patriot, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday January 22. The Oscar nominee’s passing reverberated as an abrupt shock to many. At the time, he was filming Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus; production was canceled the following Thursday.

Formerly a teen heart-throb, the golden-maned Aussie first came to stateside attention in the adolescent-fueled 10 Things I Hate About You. Later films like A Knight’s Tale granted him cover-boy status, but it wasn’t until Ledger explored his darker side in Monster’s Ball that critics began dolling out the acclaim.

He had the charismatic 'suavitude' of old Hollywood and a versatile resume rivaling some of the greats. His smile had the sly cockiness of a child planning epic feats of mischief. But his eyes revealed nothing. Soft-spoken and averse to the omnipresent paparazzi, Ledger avoided shameless celebrity by alternating indie rolls with blockbusters.

And each time he made it his own. Gay cowboy. A rumination of Bob Dylan. The blundering Jacob Grimm. The Clown Prince of Crime. Seamlessly shedding his Australian brogue for a menagerie of accents and disguising his surf-boyishness behind impenetrable facades, Ledger didn’t just embody these roles; he became them.

We mourn the loss of youth. At 28, a great talent is gone. Some may (mistakenly) think him selfish for leaving so soon. I don’t think so. His legacy will remain emblazoned upon the screen’s Valhalla of iconic greats like Dean and Monroe. After long, their images become part of the cultural subconscious – ubiquitous as popular movie quotes and great characters.

Asked why he chose Ledger to portray the psychotic Joker in this summer’s The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan summed up what may have described Ledger’s life: “[he’s] fearless.” And it’s evident through his work. His bravery to defy what defined conventional Hollywood was truly profound.

Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger.