SLAYING ON-SCREEN

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

The cult-favourite ’90s teen rom-com kickstarted Ledger’s career and quickly turned him into a star. “He was a very magnetic presence on set, and he was like this force,” co-star Stiles shared last year.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

The actor’s portrayal as a closeted gay shepherd saw him nominated for his first Oscar for Best Actor. The set is also where Ledger met Williams.

HOME AND AWAY

Former co-star Kate Ritchie once shared that she was “the envy” of all the girls on set of the long-running soap. “Because I was the one that got to lock lips with [Heath], repeatedly,” she previously shared. Ledger played bad boy Scott Irwin in 1996.

NED KELLY

“I’ll certainly take a piece of Ned away with me,” Ledger shared in a 2003 interview about playing the Aussie outlaw. “He’ll be carried around inside my heart and mind for a long time, and just what he stood for.”

THE DARK KNIGHT

Shortly before his overdose, Ledger described his role as the Joker as being “physically and mentally draining”. And while his death forever cast a shadow on the film, he was recognised for his incredible performance with a posthumous Oscar.

A KNIGHT’S TALE

Ledger nabbed his first Hollywood leading role in the 2001 hit film at the tender age of 21. And director Brian Helgeland has said the actor used to tell him that the movie “felt like a photo album of how much fun he had making it”.

TWO HANDS

Ledger and co-star Rose Byrne were two virtually unknown teens when they were cast in the dark Aussie comedy in 1999, with the film receiving critical acclaim. The pair both left for Hollywood after filming wrapped.