The death of Heath Ledger from a possible drugs overdose on Wednesday has robbed the acting world of one of the great talents in cinema. The Australian had progressed from soaps to teen flicks to bone fide Hollywood star in just a short time.
tvnz.co.nz looks back at five of his top performances.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ledger picked up an Oscar nomination for his sensitive portrayal of a cowboy dealing with intense feelings towards a friend (Jake Gyllenhall).
Dubbed the "gay cowboy" flick, Ledger's mumbling but powerful performance marked his calling card to Hollywood and his promotion to the A-List. He was controversially picked to play the Joker in this year's Batman movie The Dark Knight thanks to his performance in Brokeback.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
One of the smartest teen comedies from the late 1990's and threw Ledger into the limelight for the first time ever.
He played the bad boy Patrick in a remake of Taming of the Shrew as he wooed Julia Stiles' character as part of a bet. He even picked up an MTV Movie Award nomination for best musical performance for his rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Of You.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
Ledger turned in another charismatic performance is this modern take on the middle ages.
He played the lowly peasant who pretends to be a knight in order to win the affections of Shannyn Sossamon's Lady Jocelyn. Set to a backdrop of jousting and songs from Queen the film established Ledger as a leading man.
Monsters Ball (2001)
Turning in a completely different performance for his next role, Ledger starred opposite the Oscar-winning Halle Berry in this harsh tale of racism.
Although he was overlooked for awards, his turn as the dark and brooding son of Billy Bob Thornton showing he could act with the A-List.
Casanova (2005)
And showing he wasn't adverse to some comedy he took the lead role of the famous romantic in Lalle Hallstrom's version of the legend.
While the film was not a big hit, it was light relief after Brokeback and showed that Ledger was not averse to sending himself up.
Heath Ledger filmography:
The Dark Knight (2008)
I'm Not There (2007)
Candy (2006)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Ned Kelly (2003)
The Four Feathers (2002)
Monster's Ball (2001)
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The Patriot (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Paws (1997)
Blackrock (1997)
Clowning Around (1992)
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