Heathcliff Andrew Ledger (4 April 197922 January 2008) was an Australian actor and director. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to develop his film career. His work comprised nineteen films, including
10 Things I Hate About You (1999),
The Patriot (2000),
A Knight's Tale (2001),
Monster's Ball (2001),
Ned Kelly (2003),
The Brothers Grimm (2005),
Lords of Dogtown (2005),
Brokeback Mountain (2005),
Casanova (2005),
Candy (2006),
I'm Not There (2007),
The Dark Knight (2008) and
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.