On January 22, 2008, the world lost an incredibly talented actor and man. Heath Ledger is a common name thrown around by movie geeks, comic book fans, and lovers of the arts alike.

Born in 1979 in Australia, Ledger became a small scale actor while there. Primarily, he worked on commercials and television series. However, once he got his footing, the film industry could not contain him. He had acted in a total of 19 films in his short career. However, the movie to launch him into fame and prestige was his work on the movie Brokeback Mountain. His portrayal of the character Ennis Del Mar was critically acclaimed and put many awards under his belt. He was given the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actor, Best International Actor from the Australian Film Institute, and even the highly coveted Oscar for Best Actor. Ledger’s time in the limelight was far from over.

            The role that propelled Ledger’s legacy from beloved to legendary was that of the Joker. The 2008 Batman film by Christopher Nolan, a sequel to the film Batman Begins, is widely regarded as the best superhero/comic book movie of all time. Some even consider it one of the best movies of the 2000s. This is largely because of Ledger’s dynamic acting proficiency. He flipped the concept of the character on its head, in a risky gambit, and ended up creating one of the greatest on-screen villains in history. He truly transported the audience to the world of Gotham and convinced those watching that the Joker was real.

            Shortly after production wrapped on The Dark Knight, Ledger tragically died of an overdose of antidepressant medication. Whether the incident was accidental or of suicidal intent, the result remains; the modern world had lost one of its greatest actors. Many celebrities had expressed their respect for him, and pop culture was sprinkled with tributes to his work and life. But even after his death, Ledger’s artistic accolades had not concluded. In 2009, he won four awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Dark Knight, including the Oscar and the Golden Globe.

            After his death, the local cinema in Ledger’s hometown of Perth preserved his legacy by naming the theater after him. His Academy Award was displayed alongside his Joker costume, forever entombing the culmination of his work. The world was not prepared to see him go, and film lovers and filmmakers are still haunted by the tragedy of a wonderful career ended so early. Everyone should know about his work, his legacy, and his passing.