Remembering Heath Ledger Eight Years Later

Eight years ago today, the world lost the iconic and inspiring young actor, Heath Ledger.

A highly respected actor taken too early, Ledger electrified audiences worldwide as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. In a transformative role, Ledger played the Clown Prince of Crime to chilling effect. With his Academy Award-winning performance, he helped boost the Batman Begins sequel into a pop culture phenomenon with record breaking numbers and near-universal critical acclaim.

Sadly, Ledger never saw the fruits of his own work. Ledger tragically died from a prescription overdose in January 2008, just six months ahead of the Dark Knight's release.

Fortunately, Ledger's esteemed talent lives on in a number of iconic performances. Ledger also turned heads for roles in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Brokeback Mountain, The Lords of Dogtown, and A Knight's Tale.

Born in Perth, Australia, Ledger would be 36 years old today. We can only imagine how brilliant his career would have continued to be.