It's being reported that today we lost a gifted actor. Heath Ledger, who was only 28, has reportedly been found dead in New York. I am simply stunned by this. He was clearly on track to have a long and memorable career.The first time I ever saw Ledger on screen was in 10 Things I Hate About You, still one of the best teen comedies of the 90's. Amidst a cast of familiar teen faces at the time, he stood out. He moved on to star in such hits as The Patriot with Mel Gibson, A Knight's Tale, and Monster's Ball. But it was clearly 2005 and Brokeback Mountain that proved to be his big break. His Oscar nomination for that film was well deserved, and it seemed inevitable that he was destined for more nominations.
Truth be told, I have only ever seen Ledger in 3 films: 10 Things, Brokeback, and last year's I'm Not There. It was his upcoming film that had me truly excited about the potential he had as an actor. This summer Ledger's final film role will be that of The Joker in The Dark Knight, which I recently picked as my most anticipated film of 2008, in large part thanks to Ledger's performance in the trailer alone. It's truly tragic to see anyone die at such an early age, but it looks like we lost a true rising star today.
