Heath Ledger was born on April 4, 1979, making today, April 4, 2017, his 38th birthday. The late actor was taken from the world too soon, yet he left behind a body of work the is still alive and entertaining audiences today, nearly a decade after his death on January 22, 2008.
In honor of Heath’s memory we thought we’d look back over some of the highlight moments of his career, to remind ourselves and fans everywhere why we still can’t take our eyes of Mr. Ledger, to this day.
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This 1999 high school version of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” introduced Heath Ledger to American audiences as a hunky hearthrob, playing brooding ’90s guy “Patrick Verona.”
Even sharing the screen with the likes of Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ledger was a clear standout as a performer. His rendition of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” remains a classic teen movie moment. See above.
The Patriot
Ledger hit the big leagues with this 2000 Roland Emmerich historical action drama, which paired the young actor with fellow Aussie Mel Gibson, for a story about one American family’s stand against British tyranny during the Revolutionary War.
The Patriot was unusually deep and epic for an Emmerich film, and Ledger helped bolster the drama with a richly layered performance as Gabriel, the obstinate eldest son of Gibson’s retired war dog, Benjamin Martin. The film allowed Ledger to show off great range (dramatic power, action chops), and gave him a memorably tragic death scene, which now seems slightly ominous.
A Knight’s Tale
This 2001 film was Ledger’s first big leading role, and it was an odd duck, to say the least. Writer/director Brian Helgeland constructed a medieval rags-to-riches story of a lowly man (Ledger) who cons his way into being a prestigious knight, all to win the hand of a lady (Shannyn Sossamon). And yet, as you can see above, it also featured classic rock dance numbers, for some reason…
A Knight’s Tale is one of those crazy odd B-movies that you can watch on cable whenever it’s on, and it’s indeed easy to watch, thanks to a cast led by Ledger that includes now-famous names like Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk and James Purefoy.
Monster’s Ball
This is the moment where Heath Ledger crossed over from would-be leading man hunk to respected thespian.
The 2001 Oscar-winning Marc Forster film dove deep into American racial politics, as reflected in the cycle of poverty and incarceration that still plagues the nation today (see: The 13th). Ledger’s smoldering dramatic power was put on full display, playing a third-generation corrections officer, who was deeply unhappy with his lot in life, and the company of his racist father (Billy Bob Thornton) and grandfather (Peter Boyle).
Even more so than The Patriot, Monster’s Ball now stands as ominous foreshadow to real life, thanks to a tragic death scene Ledger masterfully plays out in the film.
Lords of Dogtown
Ledger hit something of a career slump after Monster’s Ball in 2001 until 2005, but Lords of Dogtown was the first real signal that the actor was back on his game.
Ledger took a supporting role to play Skip Engblom, lager-than-life sponsor of the legendary Z-Boys skate team – yet he ended up stealing every scene like a true leading talent. In doing so, Ledger found a pathway back into true character acting that would only bring him greater acclaim during the rest of his career.
Brokeback Mountain
Ledger had a string of smaller roles or box office misses for a couple of years, before once again stepping back into the light of acclaim and fame, thanks to a daring performance in Ang Lee’s 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain.
Lee brought subject matter to the mainstream before LGBTQ was the thriving cinematic genre it is today; along with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, Ledger committed wholeheartedly to a complex and nuanced performance of a cowboy who discovers love with a fellow ranch hand during a summer on a secluded mountain.
Ledger shined particularly bright, as the mumble-mouthed steely Ennis, conveying heavy depths of closeted tormented with nothing but fire in his eyes and a tightly locked jaw.
The Dark Knight
In what would be the true pinnacle of his onscreen work (though not the last), Ledger won a posthumous Academy Award for his role as The Joker in Chris Nolan’s 2008 film, The Dark Knight.
Playing Joker truly took Ledger to some dark places. To this day, fans wonder if such deep and total commitment to Joker’s insane and nihilistic psyche somehow contributed to the actor’s woes, resulting in the mix of medications that led to his tragic death in New York City.
Whatever the case, the work speaks for itself; Joker’s mythos and iconography only got bigger and more expansive thanks to Legder’s contributions. It’s rare that a performer is so good that he makes icons more iconic, but such was the talent that was Heath Ledger.
Happy Birthday Mr. Ledger – your fans surely miss you.
