Heath Ledger: A life in pictures
Iconic Australian film star Heath Ledger passed away today at the age of 28 due to an accidental mixture of prescription drugs.
Ledger’s career first started in the early 90s with smaller roles, but he quickly shot to fame after appearing in the hit 1999 American romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. This role, where he broke hearts as bad boy Patrick Verona, earned him several awards and brought him directly into the public eye.
Ledger went on to star in 2001’s A Knight’s Tale, which developed a cult following in later years despite not being popular at the time.
It was only once he appeared in 2005’s controversial film Brokeback Mountain, which saw Ledger fall in love with another shepherd, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, that he received critical acclaim for his role as the film showed his diverse acting range.
It was also while filming Brokeback Mountain where Ledger met his partner Michelle Williams and their love resulted in a daughter called Matilda.
Long-time friend Matt Amato told People that Ledger was a “natural dad”.
“I met Matilda three days after she was born and they were just a beautiful painting together,” he said.
“He just held her and would wrap her in her blanket.
He wasn’t treating her in any precious way, he was just natural and just trusted the whole thing, and I was really struck by that. And that’s kind of how it always was.”
In 2008, Ledger appeared in his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, which was a role he received widespread acclaim for.
After his passing, Ledger was posthumously awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. He also won a Screen Actors Guild award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role in The Dark Knight.
Scroll through the gallery to see Ledger throughout the years.