Heath Ledger’s 5 Most Memorable Movie Roles

While Heath ledger is no longer with Ushis spirit, sense of humor and sweet smile still lives on in his film roles.

Ledger rose to fame in the late 90s and early 2000s following his breakthrough performance in 10 Things About You. Following the beloved rom-com, the actor went on to snag supporting film roles in The Patriot, A Knight’s Tale and more.

In 2006, Ledger won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountainwhich earned him an Academy Award nomination. The actor didn’t slow down after that as he went on to star The Dark Knight as the villainous Joker.

Months before The Dark Knight Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his NYC apartment in January 2008. He is survived by daughter Matilda, who he welcomed with the actress Michelle Williams in October 2005.

Keep scrolling to see Ledger’s 5 most memorable movie characters below:

’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999)

The romantic comedy turned into Ledger’s breakout role on the big screen. Playing tough as nails Patrick Verona (but oh, how soft!) the hunk starred in fan favorite alongside Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitta Larisa Oleynik. “He was so nice. It was such a force,” Stiles said Us of her late costar in November 2014. “Even at that age, a very powerful, beautiful human being.”

‘The Patriot’ (2000)

What a ripper. With success 10 Things I Hate About You under his belt, Ledger plays Mel Gibson son on the screen a year later. The actor, who played the role of Gabriel Martin, proved that he could also become a scene guide in an action drama. “Maybe I could have called it,” Gibson said The Guardian in February 2009, following Ledger’s death. “When you see a kind of impending tragedy or something that could go wrong, it felt like I should do something about it.”

‘A Knight’s Tale’ (2001)

Still a dream boat! The ledger came to portray country squire William Thatcher (riding and hopping!) in the adventure flick. Following his release, he also became one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. “To tell you the truth I don’t think about it and I don’t dwell on it,” he said to view360 Cinema.com at the time. “I just turn up for work and live my normal life.”

‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)

Ledger starred in the powerful romance drama opposite his good friend Jake Gyllenhaallater named Matilda’s godfather. The film directed by Ang Lee, which also starred Williams, focused on a forbidden relationship between two cowboys.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

The Christopher Nolandirected film was the last film that Ledger would complete in its entirety. (He was still filming 2009’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus when he passed; Johnny Depp, Colin Farrella Jude Law he later stepped into it.) Ledger’s outrageous portrayal of The Joker won him an Oscar in the Best Supporting category. As most fans will know, it was fun to see Ledger and Levitt go by high school students in 10 Things I Hate About Youto DC Comics characters. Levitt later played Robin in 2012 The Dark Knight Rises.