Heath Ledger's greatest performances

Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

Looking back at the best performances of late actor Heath Ledger might seem like a depressing task. But quite the opposite is true. It's inspiring to see how much Ledger left us with, and to marvel at the range and depth of his 15 on screen portrayals from his leading man debut in 1999 until his death this year.

There's still one more film to come—Terry Gilliam's fantasy "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is due next year—although Ledger's work on that project was not completed and Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jude Law were recruited to step in to flesh out the shape-shifting character. So, with his final complete performance about to hit theaters (and, oh yes, it's on this list), it seems like as good a time as any to survey the cinematic riches that Ledger left behind. —Geoff Berkshire, Metromix