Remembering Ledger a year to the date
Emma Bigelow
Issue date: 1/22/09 Section: Entertainment
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Exactly one year ago today, actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment in New York City. Although rumors still fly about an alleged suicide, the official autopsy report indicates that he died due to an accidental overdose of various prescribed medications that produced a toxic blend.
His untimely death was tragic and still seems a bit unreal, especially after viewing Ledger's amazing performance as the Joker in this past summer's masterpiece, "The Dark Knight".
Since Ledger's death he has received numerous awards for his portrayal of the Batman villain and at the Golden Globes, he won the award for Best Supporting Actor. While his performance in "The Dark Knight" caused quite a stir for fans and critics alike, it is not certain the he will receive an Oscar.
Over the history of the Academy Awards, 70 nominations have been given out to those already deceased. These awards have resulted in 13 wins, but most of the posthumous winners were not in the main categories and represent costume design, sound editing, or make-up. James Dean is probably the most well known nominee of posthumous Oscars, receiving one each for "East of Eden" and "Giant" in the mid-1950's. It goes without saying that if Ledger does indeed receive a nomination it will be the most significant posthumous nomination of our time.
Even though we cannot predict what kind of recognition Ledger may or may not receive, we can take a moment to celebrate all of the remarkable work that Ledger was a part of and the incredible life that he lead.
Ledger was originally an Australian actor. He finally broke through in the U.S. with his performance in the romantic comedy, "Ten Things I Hate About You," which was a modern teen version of the Shakespeare play "The Taming of the Shrew". The movie was a success, but Ledger ventured outside the norm of a teen heartthrob and wound up taking bold risks with his career. He did perform in some big budget hits including "The Patriot," which starred fellow Aussi Mel Gibson, as well as "A Knight's Tale."
These early works were just the beginning to an outstanding career that showcased more than just box-office acting. Ledger took a break from the typical cinematic film to do more low key ones such as The "Four Feathers" and "Ned Kelly." He eventually got the chance to work on artistic films and got the chance of a lifetime to star aside Jake Gyllenhaal in the controversial love story, "Brokeback Mountain." This performance earned Ledger nominations for both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe.
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