Ledger On Film

On Jan. 22, 2008, the promising career of the talented 28-year-old actor who gravitated toward dark, brooding roles that defied his leading-man looks, was found dead in a Manhattan apartment, facedown at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills nearby. While not a marquee movie star, Ledger was an award-winning actor who chose his roles carefully rather than cashing in on big-money parts.

"Roar"

In 1994, Ledger joins the Globe Shakespeare Company in Sydney and acts in independent films. In 1996 he was seen on the TV show "Sweat" and in July 1997 was starring as Conor, a Celtic warrior prince, opposite Vera Farmiga as Catlin in a scene from the 1997 TV series "Roar."

"A Knight's Tale"

After several independent films, Ledger, 19, moves to L.A. and co-stars opposite Julia Stiles in the 1998 teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You." He turns down offers for teen films. In 2000, he shares the screen in Mel Gibson in "The Patriot." In 2001, he stars as William Thatcher in "A Knight's Tale." The same year, he plays Billy Bob Thorton's suicidal son in "Monster's Ball."

"The Four Feathers"

In 2002, Ledger stars as Harry with Kate Hudson as Ethne in Paramount Pictures' "The Four Feathers."

"Brokeback Mountain"

Actors Jake Gyllenhaal, left, and Heath Ledger, in a scene from "Brokeback Mountain." Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a gay cowboy in the film. "Brokeback" would be his breakthrough role, establishing him as one of his generation's finest talents and an actor willing to take risks.

"Casanova"

Following his success in "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger gravitates more toward independent fare, including Lasse Hallstrom's "Casanova" and The Brothers Grimm," both which were released in 2005.

"The Brothers Grimm"

In this photo provided by Dimension Films, Jake Grimm, played by Heath Ledger, left, and Will Grimm, played by Matt Damon, are seen in the 2005 movie "The Brothers Grimm."

"Lords Of Dogtown"

In another film from 2005, Heath Ledger stars as Skip Engblom in "Lords of Dogtown" -- a fictionalized version of a cult classic skateboarding documentary.

"Candy"

In the 2006, Ledger plays a poet wrestling with a heroin addiction along with his girlfriend in "Candy." Neil Armfield, who directed Ledger in the film, said the actor "handled his career incredibly well," steering himself toward more challenging roles.

"I'm Not There"

Heath Ledger was one of six actors portraying different sides of rocker Bob Dylan in the 2007 film "I'm Not There."

"The Dark Knight"

Heath Ledger in costume as The Joker in the upcoming Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures action drama "The Dark Knight." Ledger told The New York Times in a November 2007 interview that he had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he called a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy." Ledger most recently was in production for "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."