by Ron Busby

Created on: August 18, 2008

Without a doubt we have seen Heath grow as an actor. From his first film, "Ten Things I Hate About You," it was apparent that he was somewhat typecast in that role. It was as if they wanted Heath to be another teen heart throb. Little did they know, or even expect, that he really had some acting chops. With every role he played he seemed to peel back another layer that proved he was much more than they had originally thought.

The Patriot was a breakout role for Heath as it showed depth far greater than anyone expected. Of course it didn't hurt that his co-star was another Aussie Mel Gibson. Gibson may have been the reason most people went to see the film but I believe that many who saw the film left a Heath Ledger fan. He definitely showed he was much more than the teen idol they thought he would be.

Monsters Ball with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry, who won an Oscar for her performance, gave some credibility to Heath as a serious actor. The thing I noticed about the roles Heath took on is that none were the same and he stretched his acting ability. With each film he showed another layer of what can only be called acting genius.

Then there was the off beat comedy "A Knights Tale", though not critically acclaimed it showed that he had the ability to do comedy. Many actors have said that comedy is hard to do but Heath seemed pull it off with ease. He stayed very busy acting in film after film. There were 2 films released in 2003, "The Order" and "Ned Kelly". Which proved, at least to me, that all Heath wanted to do was make films for the sake of bettering his craft.

In 2005 he was everywhere on the big screen releasing, Casanova, The Brothers Grimm, and Lords of Dogtown. His most critically acclaimed film that year was "Brokeback Mountain", Ledger received "Best Actor of 2005" awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle for his performance. He also received a nomination for Golden Globe Best Actor in a Drama and a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the hit "Brokeback Mountain.

In a review in Rolling Stone, Peter Travers states: "Ledger's magnificent performance is an acting miracle. He seems to tear it from his insides. Ledger doesn't just know how Ennis moves, speaks and listens; he knows how he breathes. To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack's closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost." It was evident that Heath Ledger had arrived as a true star and a viable leading

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