Heath Ledger (1979–2008), was an Australian film actor whose career lasted more than 16 years. Ledger received acclaim for his acting in the Australian crime film Two Hands (1999), receiving nominations at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) and Film Critics Circle of Australia in the categories for Best Actor. After starring in the 2001 films A Knight's Tale and Monster's Ball, Ledger was cast as the title character in the 2003 biographical film Ned Kelly for which he received his second AFI and Film Critics Circle award nominations.
Ledger's breakthrough performance as Ennis Del Mar in the 2005 film adaptation of Brokeback Mountain earned him nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, all for Best Actor in a Leading Role. At age 26, he became the ninth-youngest Academy Award Best Actor nominee at the time. In addition, Ledger received recognition from several North American critics' associations, winning the 2005 Las Vegas Film Critics Society, New York Film Critics Circle, Phoenix Film Critics Society, and San Francisco Film Critics Circle awards, as Best Actor. In 2006, he starred in the Australian romantic drama Candy, and was nominated in the category of Best Actor at the AFI, Film Critics Circle, and Inside Film awards ceremony.
Following his death on 22 January 2008, Ledger received numerous posthumous awards and honours. He shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast for the 2007 biographical film I'm Not There. In his penultimate film performance, Ledger was nominated and awarded for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008). His wins include an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ledger also won the Best Actor International Award at the 2008 AFI Awards ceremony, for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously. In August 2008, Ledger was posthumously honoured at the Brisbane International Film Festival with the Chauvel Award in recognition of his contribution to the Australian film industry.
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2006 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2009 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2006 Best Actor in a Leading Role Brokeback Mountain 2009 Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Dark Knight
Critics' Choice Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2006 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2009 Best Supporting ActorThe Dark Knight Best Cast
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2006 Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Brokeback Mountain 2009 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Dark Knight
Screen Actors Guild Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2006 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Brokeback Mountain Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role 2009 Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role The Dark Knight
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Australian Film Institute Awards 1999Best Actor in a Leading Role Two Hands 2003 Ned Kelly 2006 Best International ActorBrokeback Mountain Reader's Choice Award for Best Actor 2006 Best Actor in a Leading Role Candy 2008 Best International Actor The Dark Knight Brisbane International Film Festival 2008 Chauvel Award Independent Spirit Awards 2005 Best Male Lead Brokeback Mountain 2008 Robert Altman Award I'm Not There Inside Film Awards 2006 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain People's Choice Awards 2009 Best Ensemble CastThe Dark Knight Best Onscreen Match-up Satellite Awards 2005 Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture The Dark Knight Saturn Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Scream Awards 2008 Best Fantasy ActorThe Dark Knight Best Villain
Critic awards Organizations Year Category Work Result African-American Film Critics Association 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Austin Film Critics Association 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Boston Society of Film Critics 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Chicago Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Film Critics Circle of Australia 1999 Best Actor in a Leading Role Two Hands 2003 Ned Kelly 2006 Candy Florida Film Critics Circle 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Iowa Film Critics Awards 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Kansas City Film Critics Awards 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight London Film Critics' Circle 2005 Actor of the Year Brokeback Mountain 2008 Actor of the Year The Dark Knight Los Angeles Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Online Film Critics Society Awards 2006 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2009 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight San Diego Film Critics Society 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight San Francisco Film Critics Circle 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2006 Outstanding Performance of the Year Award Brokeback Mountain Southeastern Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Toronto Film Critics Association 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2005 Best Actor Brokeback Mountain 2008 Best Supporting Actor The Dark Knight
See also List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees List of actors with Academy Award nominations List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees
Notes Shared with rest of the ensemble cast, director, and casting director of I'm Not There Shared with rest of the ensemble cast of Brokeback Mountain Shared with rest of the ensemble cast of The Dark Knight Shared with Christian Bale
References General
Specific
External links