50 Greatest Heath Ledger Movie Moments
Remembering the ledge
I Want You
The Moment: A montage from I’m Not There , in which Ledger’s Robbie finds love with Charlotte Gainsbourg, all while Bob Dylan’s ‘I Want You’ plays.
Ledger Magic: It’s all about the naturalism, and Ledger has that in spades.
How Does An Englishman Laugh?
The Moment : Harry (Ledger) holes up in a cave with Abou (Djimon Hounsou) in Four Feathers . By the firelight, they joke about how an Englishman laughs .
Ledger Magic: Ah, there’s that smile again.
Jack Fuckin Twist
The Moment: Jack arrives on Ennis’ doorstep and the two hug – before crashing into one another for a kiss pent-up with emotion.
Ledger Magic: “There’s a fine line between love and hate” goes the saying, and this scene perfectly embodies that – Ledger beautifully captures Ennis’ inner struggle.
Wink Wink
The Moment: Having just won a jousting match, William (Ledge) winks back at Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon) in A Knight’s Tale .
Ledger Magic: A smile. A wink. That tousled hair. No wonder we all fell for him.
Ned Kelly?
The Moment: “Ned Kelly? I’m sure I’ve heard that name somewhere before?” ponders an upper-class gent, seconds before Ledger’s Kelly pulls a gun on him, revealing he is the famous gang leader.
Ledger Magic: He’s hidden behind a massive beard, but still Ledger has the Midas touch.
Golden Years
The Moment: David Bowie’s ‘Golden Years’ plays in A Knight’s Tale as William (Ledger) cracks out a few medieval dance moves on the dance floor.
Ledger Magic: Ledger shows how versatile he really is – he could act, sing and dance.
The Kiss
The Moment: Wet kisses aren’t generally considered romantic, but they are in Casanova . Here, Ledger’s lady lover gets the better of Sienna Miller’s ballsy author, and they lock lips in a downpour.
Ledger Magic: All tender and furtive, Ledge is every bit the romantic hero here.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Whos The Fairest?
The Moment: Jack (Ledger) puts things to right in Brothers Grimm with the help of an axe, smashing the Evil Queen’s mirror and destroying her for good.
Ledger Magic: Considering he’s clearly acting against a green screen, Ledger’s right in the moment here.
Maggie May
The Moment: A barely-recognisable Ledger plays Skip in Lords Of Dogtown . In this scene, he’s crafting a surfing board when Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’ comes on the radio, inspiring an impromptu sing-a-long .
Ledger Magic: Ledger loved to exercise the pipes, and he matches Stewart’s breathy vocals beautifully.
I Love You, Baby
The Moment: 10 Things I Hate About You again. This time, Ledger’s Patrick is attempting to woo hard-nosed Kat (Julia Stiles). How does he get her attention? By singing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ over the school tannoy .
Ledger Magic: Cheesy? Hell yes. But in Ledger’s capable hands, this scene becomes effortlessly charming.
Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.