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An enduring legacy
Heath Ledger was born on 4 April 1979 and was one of Hollywood's prolific leading men. Ledger tragically passed away in 2008, leaving a legacy of memorable and powerfull performances. On what would have been Heath Ledger's 46th birthday, we take a look at his insights into some of his famous roles and honour his enduring legacy.
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The Patriot (2000)
Ledger starred alongside Hollywood legend Mel Gibson in this period war drama, marking one of his breakthrough roles. Speaking about working with Gibson, he recalled, "I was very excited to work with him and extremely nervous. God, when I first turned up on set, I was literally shaking in my boots, but he just put me at ease straight away."
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A Knight’s Tale (2001)
In this cult classic medieval comedy, Ledger played William Thatcher, a peasant who pretends to be a knight. Reflecting on the film, he said, "It was wonderful, and the friendship was the stronghold of the movie. [Director] Brian [Helgeland] brought us all into Prague a month early so we could rehearse, and we just spent a month drinking together. So rehearsals were just drinking and getting to know each other."
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Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ledger received critical acclaim for his role as Ennis Del Mar, a cowboy struggling with his feelings for another man in this groundbreaking romantic drama. He described the challenge of playing such a reserved character "The challenge was to capture the stillness of him. I have kind of semi-frantic, nervous energy. Harnessing that was something I thought I'd have to work out. Shooting in the wilderness, the stillness became like this innate quality."
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The Dark Knight (2008)
Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker remains one of the most celebrated performances in film history, winning him a posthumous Academy Award. Speaking about the role, he said "The Joker, so far, is definitely the most fun I've had with any character. He's just out of control—no empathy, he's a sociopath, a psychotic, mass-murdering clown. And I'm just thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying it. It's just exceeded any expectations I had of what the experience would be like."