10 Great Posthumous Performances

1) Heath Ledger In The Dark Knight

“You’ve changed things…forever.” That’s a line spoken by Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, and the words arguably ring true about the actor himself. Ledger’s Joker has changed how villains are portrayed in cinema; he’s forged a path that other actors have inevitably had to follow. And the fact that Ledger has been so influential through just one role makes his passing all the more tragic.

Based on what we see in The Dark Knight alone, this could have been an all-time great actor. Unfortunately, Ledger passed aged just 28 due to a prescription drug overdose, before he saw the fruits of his efforts (critical and fan adoration, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Still, we’ll always have this one movie, and this performance – one of the most iconic, darkly comic turns of all-time.