">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Exactly 1 year after death, Ledger's legacy grows
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Exactly 1 year after death, Ledger's legacy grows
By JAKE COYLE,AP Entertainment Writer AP - 1 hour 37 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Last year's Oscar nominations day was tragic. This year's was bittersweet.
It was exactly one year ago Thursday when Heath Ledger was found dead in a New York apartment, just hours after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had announced its nominees. Outside the Soho building, a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles quickly accumulated.
The academy paid its own tribute to the actor Thursday by nominating him for best supporting actor, honoring his mad, incendiary performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
"Today was the day," said Josh Brolin, who last year was celebrating the Oscar success of "No Country for Old Men" when the news on Ledger broke. "It was a very sad day. I knew Heath loosely. I think it's a great performance. It's a very bittersweet thing."
"The Dark Knight" earned eight nominations in total, but was shut out of other major award categories. Ledger's nomination, though, came as expected.
Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at the age of 28, was nominated along with Brolin ("Milk"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt") and Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road").
Many expect Ledger to win when the awards are handed out Feb. 22, which would make him only the second actor to posthumously win an Oscar following Peter Finch in 1976's "Network."
Other actors have been nominated after their deaths, though: Massimo Troisi (1994's "The Postman"), Spencer Tracy (1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"), Ralph Richardson, (1984's "Greystroke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes"), Jeanne Eagles (1929's "The Letter") and James Dean (twice, for 1955's "East of Eden and 1956's "Giant").
At the time of Ledger's death, comparisons to Dean were rife _ and perhaps always will be. Both were young, provocative talents snuffed out just as they were reaching full expression. But since "The Dark Knight" was released, Ledger seemed to make a mythology of his own.
A groundswell of acclaim and sentiment has coalesced around his performance. When the Golden Globes awarded him best supporting actor, the crowd stood in applause _ the first standing-O of the night _ as "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan accepted the award for Ledger.
"That really hit us in the heart, you know?" his father, Kim Ledger, later said of the ovation. "I just really wish our boy was here to see that."
At the podium, Nolan said he and those who worked on "The Dark Knight" accepted the award "with an awful mixture of sadness but incredible pride. After Heath passed, you saw a hole ripped in the future of cinema."
Ledger's mother, Sally Bell, has said his Golden Globe would be given to his 3-year-old daughter Matilda.
"I just saw `The Dark Knight,'" said Richard Jenkins, nominated for best actor for his performance in "The Visitor." "He's extraordinary in it. I think the response that his win got at the Golden Globes is kind of how everyone feels. He was a brilliant, brilliant actor."
A spokeswoman for Warner Bros. said Nolan and others from "The Dark Knight" would not have reaction to the nominations. A spokeswoman for actress Michelle Williams, the mother of Ledger's daughter, said Williams would also not be commenting on Ledger's nomination.
Ledger's family was to hold a brief press conference in Perth, Australia on Friday morning.
It's the second Oscar nomination for Ledger, who was nominated for best actor in 2006 for his performance as a gruff-voiced, gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain." Before the Joker came along, it was his most indelible role. He lost the Oscar to Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote").
Ledger's Hollywood career essentially started with the romantic comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" and continued with Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" and the medieval adventure "A Knight's Tale." But Ledger began gravitating more toward indie fare, like "Monster's Ball," "Lords of Dogtown" and "The Brothers Grimm."
In 2007, he played one of many Bob Dylans in the unusual biopic "I'm Not There." Ledger's musical side will also be posthumously displayed on an upcoming album paying tribute to singer-songwriter Nick Drake. On it, Ledger covers "Black Eyed Dog," which he recorded in 2007 for an art installation.
Ledger's posthumous on-screen life isn't over yet, either. He died while in the midst of production on "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," which re-teamed him with "Brothers Grimm" director Terry Gilliam.
After Ledger's death, Gilliam had to shut down "Dr. Parnassus" and the film's future was in doubt since Ledger was a key performer in a film that had much still to shoot.
But Gilliam and writer Charles McKeown rewrote the script (it's about a journey through the imagination via a magic mirror) so that the part could be played by not one, but a group of actors. Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell all joined to round out the part.
Gilliam has insisted Ledger was clean of illegal drugs at the time of his death, but rather was suffering from insomnia. The director is currently cutting "Dr. Parnassus," which doesn't yet have a release date.
Whatever might still be seen of Ledger's work, though, a sense of loss was pervasive on the anniversary of his death.
"He would have been nominated either way. It has nothing to do with his passing," said Ron Howard, who was nominated for directing "Frost/Nixon." It's a great piece of acting, and I, as a creative person, feel cheated in knowing I'll never have the opportunity to work with him."
___
Associated Press reporters John Carucci in New York and Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
Exactly 1 year after death, Ledger's legacy growsAP - 1 hour 37 minutes ago
"Spore" computer game evolvingAFP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago
'Waltz with Bashir' won't be screened in LebanonAFP - 1 hour 47 minutes ago
Disney-ABC reorganization expands McPherson roleAP - 2 hours 1 minute ago
NY exhibit "On the Money" finds humor in boom, bustReuters - 2 hours 23 minutes ago
Most Popular – Entertainment
Viewed
Obama retakes oath of office
'Dogs don't wear condoms,' says Baywatch star Anderson
World crisis deepens as downturn bites in Asia
US activists vent their rage as Bush exits
Clinton confirmed as new US chief diplomat
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Other News on Friday, 23 January 2009
US envoy in Iraq warns against hasty withdrawal
Irish woman jailed for incest, abuse of children
| International
|
Gates says Iraq meeting was start of process
Croatia hails EU initiative to resolve border row with Slovenia
Army: Negligence caused soldier's electrocution
Microsoft still interested in : Ballmer
"Columbo" Star Peter Falk's Wife Blocks His Adopted Daughter's Bid For Conservatorship
Nazi forced labourers recount ordeal online
Turkish police detain 30 more in coup probe
| International
|
AP: Iraq forced to cut spending as oil price falls
Nazi forced labourers recount ordeal online
Ty Pennington Offering $10K Reward For Information On Hit-And-Run Accident
Global banking losses to hit 3.6 trillion dlrs: Roubini
Iraq ready for US troop cutback
Diane Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock And Mandy Moore Team Up To Sue Online Electronics Peddlers For Unauthorized Use Of Their Images
Israeli PM says war could speed soldier's freedom
RIM execs face record fines for options backdating: media
Iranian AIDS doctors get several years in jail
Al Pacino Film "Righteous Kill" Sues Watchmaker For Non-Payment Of Product Placement Fee
Nokia profits slump, cuts industry outlook
At least 100 killed in Sri Lanka shelling: official
| International
|
Palestinian girls tell grim stories of survival
Microsoft to cut up to 5,000 jobs as earnings fall
Blogger indicted for spreading falsehoods on S Korean financial crisis
UN welcomes green initiative in stimulus packages
China brushes aside questions over censorship of Obama speech
Microsoft to cut up to 5,000 jobs
Nokia profits slump, cuts industry outlook
Microsoft stuns with profit miss, job cuts
| Technology
|
US refuses Chinese demand for Guantanamo prisoner return: official
Obama keeps BlackBerry, after all
| Technology
|
Afghanistan and India unveil strategic road
House panel clears $3 billion for Internet, wireless
| Technology
|
China sentences two to death over tainted milk
Obama signs death warrant for Guantanamo
Sri Lanka seize rebel command centre amid heavy fighting
Panel clears Geithner for full U.S. Senate vote
Indonesia to repatriate 193 boat migrants
Chinese official visits NKorea, prospect of Kim appearance
New game genre taps into players' creativity
| Technology
|
Obama orders closure of Guantanamo Bay prison camp
Pakistan questions terror suspects
NATO: Aid needed for Afghan war
Pakistan arrests man linked to 2005 London bombs
Lack Of Customs Agents Keeps Passengers Aboard Diverted Flight For Four Hours
UN welcomes green initiative in stimulus packages
Former Merrill Lynch CEO Resigns From Bank Of America
TJX Cos. Thanks Customers With Nationwide One-Day Sale, 15% Discount
President Obama Orders Guantanamo Closed
Jan 22 Roundup Of Highlights Of Low Points In The U.S. Economy
Poll: Americans Split Over Obama's Plan To Shut Down Guantanamo
Hillary Gets Warm Welcome At State Department On First Day As Secretary
Liberia signs 2.6 billion dollar mining deal with China Union
Just a Minute With: Chris Rock on his Good Hair
| Entertainment
|
Geithner assails China as Treasury confirmation moves closer
India's Reliance Industries Q3 profit down nearly 10 pct
Oscar voters fail to make Clint Eastwood's day
| Entertainment
|
NY exhibit On the Money finds humor in boom, bust
| Entertainment
|
Future still unwritten for Punk legends
| Entertainment
|
Dita von Teese back at Paris revue
| Entertainment
|
Exactly 1 year after death, Ledger's legacy grows
"Spore" computer game evolving
'Waltz with Bashir' won't be screened in Lebanon
Disney-ABC reorganization expands McPherson role
NY exhibit "On the Money" finds humor in boom, bust
"Benjamin Button," "Slumdog" lead Oscar nominees
Washington Post launches "who's who" in government website
Luanda breathes new life into once-rusty Iron Palace
Dita von Teese back at Paris revue
Future still unwritten for Punk legends
Rock's provocative look at blacks and their hair heats up Sundance
Israel to open Gaza Strip crossing to journalists
US-TECH Summary
U.S. to set concrete, near-term Afghan goals: Gates
| International
|
They Wuz Robbed!
Crisis-hit Iceland heads for early election
| International
|
US unemployment spikes, housing crisis deepens
House panel backs $3 billion Internet stimulus
U.S. ambassador sees no sudden pullout from Iraq
| International
|
IBM tool helps companies cut costs and emissions
New game genre taps into players' creativity
Obama keeps BlackBerry e-mail device, after all
50 sperm whales beached off Australian island
US diplomat walks out on Bolivia's Morales
Sri Lanka troops allegedly kill 30 in 'safe zone'
Gates says Iraq meeting was start of process
Strong quake hits Indonesia
Obama lays out vision for Middle East peace
Google profit beats on strong ad sales
| Technology
|
Obama names top envoys to Mideast, Afghanistan, Pakistan
IBM tool helps companies cut costs and emissions
| Technology
|
Diving consumer demand hits technology firms
| Technology
|
Wall Street Closes Lower On Jobs Data, Microsoft News
Obama Staffers Try To Adjust To Less Tech-Savvy White House
S.Korean T-bond futures down ahead of holiday
Toyota may cut more than 1,000 jobs in NAmerica, Britain: report
Nippon Steel to cut output by 15 percent: report
Seoul shares open down; Samsung Elec, KT fall
War, immigration, politics mark foreign Oscar picks
| Entertainment
|
Milk screenwriter straddles two clashing worlds
| Entertainment
|
Hayden Panettiere's dad gets probation for assault
| Entertainment
|
Obama Staffers Struggle To Adjust To Lack Of Technology In White House
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Hayden Panettiere's dad gets probation for assault
Winning posthumous acting Oscar not easy
Hayden Panettiere's dad pleads to battery
Studios with multiple Oscar nominations
Oscars odds, ends, facts and figures
A tangled triangle unravels in 'The American Plan'
A father and son talk fitfully in `Sixty Miles'
"Milk" screenwriter straddles two clashing worlds
Carter Center auction in Fla. to raise funds
Israel rules out opening Gaza border if Hamas gains
| International
|
Happy with wartime leaders _ and Netanyahu, too
Obama says Pakistan, Afghanistan require wider strategy
Spain arrests suspected leaders of ETA political wing: report
China parents press demands in wake of milk sentences
| International
|
Samsung posts loss as diving demand hits tech firms
Japan launches satellite to track greenhouse gases
Congo rebel Nkunda arrested: Rwanda-Congo military
| International
|
Obama wins first battle -- to keep BlackBerry
Obama steps up anti-recession offensive
Pakistani newlyweds live in fear of honor killing
| International
|
freezes employee salaries
Castro writes of death, illness in latest column
| International
|
North Korea's Kim well enough to meet foreign visitor
| International
|
Taiwan wins landmark access to WHO amid China thaw
| International
|
Samsung posts loss as diving demand hits tech firms
Japan launches satellite to track greenhouse gases
Castro says he won't outlive Obama's term in office
Polynesians originated in Taiwan 5,200 years ago: study
Microsoft stuns with profit miss, job cuts
| Technology
|
Thai PM heads to Laos for first official overseas visit
Jailed Myanmar monk goes on hunger strike
Google profit beats on strong ad sales
| Technology
|
NKorea's Kim meets Chinese envoy: state media
Afghan president welcomes order to shut Guantanamo
3 Filipino militants get life for 2000 bombings
Sri Lankan editor attacked
House Republicans File Bill Banning Release, Transfer Of Gitmo Detainees Into U.S.
SKorea blaze clouds nomination of new police chief
Thousands Attend 'March For Life' Rally In D.C. To Mark 36th Anniversary Of Rule Legalizing Abortion
Gunmen abduct 3 Filipino teachers
Pakistani Mulls Lawsuit Against U.S. Government For 6-Year Gitmo Detention
NKorea's Kim Jong Il meets with Chinese official
Philippines property group says buying two local AIG units
HK firm agrees to buy back Lehman investments
Sony stock tumbles after forecasting annual loss
Nippon Steel cuts production on auto demand fall
Asia-Pacific air travel fell 1.8 percent in 2008
Seoul shares fall on techs; Samsung, LG Elec slide
Toyota may cut 1,000 jobs in N.America, Britain: report
GDP growth declines in China's Guangdong province
Obama sets stage for likely trade war with China
Samsung posts first-ever quarterly loss
Benjamin Button, Slumdog lead Oscar nominees
| Entertainment
|
Mixed feelings for Ledger's family
| Entertainment
|
Oscar nominations come in tough week for Hollywood
US Senate passes wage discrimination bill
Actors union loses support for strike vote
Hint of hard times at Paris men's fashion week
Child matador bullfight suspended in Mexico
Soothsayers see no bull run in Year of Ox
Handwritten Lincoln speech to be auctioned at top price
CNN online traffic tops on Inauguration Day
Dudamel brings fresh approach to L.A. Philharmonic
Bus driver sued in crash that killed Dottie Rambo
Doctors Cut Hands, Feet Of Model With Septicemia
War, immigration, politics mark foreign Oscar picks
| Entertainment
|
Milk screenwriter straddles two clashing worlds
| Entertainment
|
Oscar nominations come in tough week for Hollywood
| Entertainment
|
Oscar voters fail to make Clint Eastwood's day
| Entertainment
|
Dudamel brings fresh approach to L.A. Philharmonic
| Entertainment
|
Gunmen kill family, including six women, in Iraq
Suspects arrested over German embassy Kabul bomb
Britain in recession, data confirms
German chipmaker Qimonda files for insolvency: court
China says 19 nationals freed from Myanmar kidnap
| International
|
Israel names justice minister to fight war crime charges
Warning strikes against Germany's Lufthansa: airline
Mobile phone market to shrink in 2009
World stocks slide
Russia and Georgia must probe war crimes, watchdog says
| International
|
Gunmen kill family in Iraq
| International
|
Five dead in Pakistan's Swat
| International
|
Key Ukraine meeting on Russia gas deal postponed
| International
|
Japan launches rocket with greenhouse-gas probe
Obama names peacemakers to hotspots
US soldier dies when vehicle rolls over in Iraq
Mobile phone market to shrink in 2009
| Technology
|
Japanese learn English using Obama speeches
Rights group: Thais abandoned migrants at sea
Rights group: Tiananmen prisoner held in hospital
NKorea's Kim Jong Il meets with Chinese official
TV Network Speculates Kirsten Gillibrand Is Paterson's Choice To Replace Clinton In Senate
Djokovic, Roddick roll on at Aussie Open tennis
More Bank Mergers Foreseen As Small Banks Report Q4 Losses
Suicide bomber kills 2 in northwest Pakistan
Fears for 126 Rohingya rise as Thais deny holding them
India PM to undergo bypass surgery
Taiwan's ASE plans buyback worth up to T$4.85 bln
HK firm agrees to buy back Lehman investments
Taiwan dlr falls to 4-year low on data, c.bank
Japan's KDDI says 9-month profit rises 18.2 pct
Bridgestone says to shed 800 workers in US
Hanwha threatens legal battle to recover deposit from KDB
Japan stocks fall on dire Microsoft, Sony results
Indonesia Islamic body to mull ban on smoking and yoga
Iraq repeats pledge to close Iran opposition camp
Russia says ready to work with U.S. on Afghanistan
| International
|
Amnesty probes Israel's use of white phosphorus in Gaza
War boosted extremists in Gaza, says U.N. official
| International
|
Three die in Belgian child care center attack
| International
|
Microsoft leaves many sleepless in Seattle
Iraqi PM urges strong election turnout despite violence
Obama warns crisis must be dealt with rapidly
Sudan violated international law in Darfur raid: U.N.
| International
|
Larry Birkhead And Howard K. Stern Team Up To Discredit Anna Nicole Smith Tell-All Book Informants
Ring of fire: Indian Ocean to see solar eclipse
Congo's Nkunda arrested in Rwanda awaiting extradition
Learjet Responds To Travis Barker's Plane Crash Negligence Suit
US to carry out first human stem cell trials
SAG Wants To Avoid Strike Vote
Nine dead in suspected U.S. strikes in Pakistan
| International
|
Hayden Panettiere's Dad Receives Two Years Probation Following No Contest Plea To Hitting Wife
Cuba's Fidel Castro in first photo since November
| International
|
British 'hacker' wins right to fight extradition to US
Indonesian police say 2 killed in train collision
Thailand meets regional ambassadors over refugee issue
Australian rescuers try to save 7 beached whales
Oil pares losses on evidence of OPEC supply cuts
Microsoft leaves many sleepless in Seattle
| Technology
|
Ishikawa's dream closer to reality with surprise Masters invite
Indian PM in hospital for heart surgery
Nine dead in suspected U.S. strikes in Pakistan
Obama keeps BlackBerry, after all
| Technology
|
Reports: NKorea's Kim meets Chinese official
China welcomes Britain's call for closer ties
Ivanovic crashes out, Jankovic battles on at Aussie Open
Confirmation Of Attorney General-Designee Eric Holder Still Unclear After Meeting With Republican Leader
Geithner signals tougher stance on China
Norm Coleman Assures Supporters But Gets New Job While MN Senate Race Drags On
Thai economy set to grow by zero to 2.0 percent in 2009: central bank
California To Get $4.5 Billion Under House Stimulus Plan
Upstart challenges Chinese state TV New Year show
Civil Liberties Group Lauds Closure Of Guantanamo As Republicans Issue Warnings
AB InBev sells 20 pct Tsingtao stake to Asahi
New York Unemployment Rates Up Triggering Extension Of Benefits
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Will Not Sue To Stop Impeachment Trial
Intel tells Filipino workers about factory closure