Heath Ledger 1979-2008

Heath Ledger was born in Perth on April 4, 1979. He left school at 16 to pursue acting.

One of Heath’s early roles was as a love interest for Home And Away‘s Sally (Kate Ritchie).

Kate was shocked to hear of Heath’s death while hosting the Breakfast Show on Sydney’s Nova radio.

But Home And Away was just the beginning for the determined young actor.

His television performances soon lead Heath to starring roles in feature films, including the award-winning Two Hands.

It wasn’t long before Hollywood called and Heath starred alongside Mel Gibson in The Patriot.

A Knight’s Tale saw Heath bloom as a Hollywood leading man.

His Hollywood career lead to romance with fellow star Heather Graham.

But Heath still called Australia home, returning to play Aussie folklore icon Ned Kelly.

Working on Ned Kelly saw Heath meet and fall for co-star Naomi Watts.

Heath received critical acclaim for his performance in Brokeback Mountain alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

It was on the set of Brokeback Mountain that Heath met and fell for co-star Michelle Williams.

Michelle became Heath’s fiancée and they soon had a daughter, Matilda Rose.

The couple split in September last year, but Heath remained a doting father.

Heath’s final role was as The Joker in The Dark Knight — a role that he said left him physically and emotionally exhausted, but one that already had the critics excited.

Tragically, on January 22 2008, Heath was found dead from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Friends, family and fans alike left flowers and letters of condolence outside the 28-year-old’s New York apartment and in his hometown Perth.

More pictures: Heath Ledger’s memorial