A Filmmaker's Guide to the Best Performances: Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger was one of the most promising actors of the early 21st century with a ton of roles under his belt before his untimely death at the age of 28. Born and raised in Australia, he was working on TV shows there before breaking into his film roles in the late 90s. He worked on films in which he thought he wouldn't be typecast. Fearing the pressures of gaining more experience in different types of roles, Ledger also didn't like the celebrity lifestyle, often citing it as some sort of curse to followed around by the press everywhere he went. This fear was only exemplified with the birth of his daughter in 2005.

Ledger began working with Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale on the new Batman film "The Dark Knight" and then, on the Bob Dylan movie (and my personal favourite movie of all time) "I'm Not There" - his final film being "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" in which Ledger died halfway through filming. The film was completed by Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell who had agreed to help out after Ledger's passing. His death delayed the release of "The Dark Knight" and shocked the entire planet. I think nobody really saw this coming and so, it has frequently been dubbed as the most shocking death of an actor in the 21st century. Next to Robin Williams, I think it is fair to say that is true.

Ledger was an incredibly versatile actor and had absolutely no intention of being typecast. From portraying the rebellious teenager in "10 Things I Hate About You" to the rugged knight in "A Knight's Tale" to Jacob Grimm, collator of fairy tales in "The Brothers Grimm", to the most researched Australian outlaw "Ned Kelly" and all the way to a personality of Bob Dylan and The Joker in the same year, it is easy to see why Heath Ledger is often cited as one of the greatest actors of the early 21st century. His print on the film world will never be forgotten and I can guarantee you that people, in 100 years time, will still be citing his name.

What we're really here for though is to have a look at the greatest film performances of Heath Ledger. Now there are a lot of them and yes, this is purely opinion based and so, you may be surprised at what is on the list. Coming from a person who went out of their way about a year before his death to watch his entire filmography - I think I can say I'm well-researched in the topic of Heath Ledger's career. Instead of being upset that he's dead, let us celebrate what he gave us on this day. It has been 12 years since he died and yet, there are still people making documentaries about him, learning from his acting style, citing his name when they talk about great actors and re-watching his movies over and over again.

Let's take a look at the top ten greatest performances by Heath Ledger:

The Greatest Performances by Heath Ledger:

10. Alex in "The Order" (2003)

9. Harry in "The Four Feathers" (2002)

8. William in "A Knight's Tale" (2001)

7. Patrick in "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

6. Tony in "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" (2009)

5. Robbie in "I'm Not There" (2007)

4. Sonny in "The Monster's Ball" (2001)

3. Ennis in "Brokeback Mountain" (2005)

2. Ned Kelly in "Ned Kelly" (2003)

1. The Joker in "The Dark Knight" (2008)

I know there are some surprises but I seriously think that Heath Ledger's role in "Ned Kelly" (2003) as the Australian outlaw is severely underrated. It is an incredible performance as deserves far more recognition especially from the Joker fans who think that Ledger was the best actor for the job. You seriously need to watch it because it is a piece of acting that is normally overlooked and yet, it is absolutely beautiful to watch. Another surprise may be the fact that "The Order" (2003) is on there at all. I mean it is another underrated performance and I vow that people should watch it more.

No matter how big or small he felt the film or his role was going to be, Heath Ledger always gave 10'000% to his performance, believing it was the most important thing in the world. Not only an incredible actor, but also cited as an amazing human being - Ledger was one of the few men not corrupted by the Hollywood Lifestyle. He was an actor, not a celebrity. And he will always remain an actor - and one of the best of his time.