Discovery

Starting his career at 16

Ledger’s rise on the screen started as a teen: At 16, he left his hometown of Perth, Australia, and headed to Sydney, where he appeared on the Aussie TV show Sweat and made his feature film debut in Blackrock. He then took the lead in the FOX series Roar(left), a warrior drama that filmed in Queensland and costarred Keri Russell.

The heartthrob

Ledger landed his first Hollywood lead in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You, opposite Julia Stiles. The teen comedy raked in more than $50 million, but Ledger admitted he was unhappy being labeled a heartthrob. “I was a young kid from Australia, and that was the only movie someone was willing to put me in, so what do you do ” he told the Houston Chronicle.

Gaining street cred

Ledger’s performances in such titles as Monster’s Ball and Brokeback Mountain won him industry awards as well as the respect of his peers.

Starring in Brokeback Mountain

At a Brokeback press conference

“I would have been crazy to turn it down,” Ledger (with his Brokeback costars Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal) told Entertainment Weekly of breaking barriers in the gay cowboy drama. “Any anxiety toward doing it was manufactured through the industry. It obviously wasn’t as big a deal for us, because we did it.”

In Love

“I’m so proud,” he told Oprah Winfrey in 2006. “I just fall deeper and deeper in love with both my girls.”

The skater

Ledger and Williams planted their new family in Brooklyn, where the actor easily blended with the locals. Ledger, who moved to Manhattan after their split, was an unassuming fixture in his brownstone neighborhood, often spotted taking the baby for walks, skateboarding or stopping by local restaurants.

The jokester

Ledger (kissing the air vacated by Michelle Williams at the post-Oscars Governor’s Ball) kept a sense of humor despite losing out on Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2006.

Heath and the fans

Playing Bob Dylan in I’m Not There

He has recently been seen in I’m Not There, in which he played one aspect of the life of Bob Dylan. The film also featured actors including Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere.

Heath as the Joker in The Dark Knight, the sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins

“It’s the most fun I’ve had with a character and probably will ever have,” he said. “The movie itself is far exceeding my expectations. I think it’s going to be a really fun movie to watch.”

Heath’s best role yet

Daughter Matilda (with actress Michelle Williams) was born Oct. 28, 2005. “It’s what I’ve always wanted,” the self-proclaimed Mr. Mom told Entertainment Weekly in 2006. “She’s just adorable. A beautifully observant, wise little kid.”

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