On January 22, 2008, people from all over the world were astounded by the news that one of Hollywood’s best actors, Heath Ledger, was found dead in his bedroom. Born on April 14, 1979 in Perth, Western Australia, Heath was only 28 at the time of his death. His ashes were scattered over Karratakka Cemetery.

Known for his exceptional performances in several highly acclaimed movies like The Patriot, Monster’s Ball, A Knight’s Tale, and Brokeback Mountain, which earned him rave reviews and nominations from the Golden Globe and Oscars, Heath also aspired to direct films and music videos. He was given the chance to fulfill this in 2006 when he directed the music video for Australian hip-hop artist N’fa’s solo debut, Case and Effect. Prior to his death, he expressed interest in directing a movie about Nick Drake, a singer-songwriter who died in 1979 due to antidepressant overdose.

Heath’s exceptional performance as Joker in The Dark Knight has received outstanding reviews and is expected to earn for him a posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Fans around the world will get the chance to see Heath one last time as the Terry Gilliam-directed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus hits the screens in 2009.

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