Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

When the 28-year old Ledger was discovered dead in his New York City apartment on January 22, 2008 of an accidental prescription drug overdose, the world mourned the Oscar-nominated star of Brokeback Mountain — and wondered apprehensively how Warner Bros. would handle his already buzzed-about performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. The studio considered rethinking the marketing of the film — what with the Joker's freakish face and bloody scar. Yet the public could not resist. Intrigued by his final performance, as creepy and diabolic as advertised, audiences lifted the film to record-breaking grosses. The reception was so positive that talk is still circulating of Ledger earning his second Oscar nod.

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