Heath Ledger famously won a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker.
Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose aged just 28 in 2008, won Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Dark Knight at the 81st Academy Awards.
Though he had been previously nominated for Best Actor in 2006 for Brokeback Mountain, he lost out to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Truman Capote.
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Footage of celebrities' reactions to him winning the Oscar is heartbreaking to look back on now, with several in the room being former co-workers of Ledger.
Ledger’s family accepted the award he had won posthumously
The star's award was accepted by his father, Kim Ledger, mother Sally Bell, and older sister Kate Ledger.
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Ledger died on 22 January, 2008 after accidentally overdosing on prescription painkillers.
The Joker actor stands as one of only two actors to receive an award posthumously - the first being Peter Finch who won Best Actor for his role in 1976's Network.
Though many felt it was a foregone conclusion that Ledger would win, he came up against several iconic roles.
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Also nominated was Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt, Josh Brolin in Milk, and Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road.
The emotional speech by Ledger's family
The speech given by Ledger’s family was deeply emotional, with them noting how they felt the Oscar would have been validating for Ledger. Kim said: “I have to say this is ever so humbling, being amongst such wonderful people and such a wonderful industry.
“This award tonight would have humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be accepted by you all here, his peers, within an industry he so loved.”
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Kate went on to say: “Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives.
“We have been truly overwhelmed by the honour and respect bestowed upon him by this award.
“Tonight we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he achieved.”
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While his mother said they would be using the moment to be 'happy for what he has achieved', the room full of Hollywood's brightest lights was clearly struck by sorrow for having lost one of their own number.
The reaction of Hollywood A-list stars
The reaction of major stars like Brad Pitt, Anne Hathaway, Ben Kingsley, and Kate Winslet to a much-deserved award Ledger didn't live to receive himself was truly heartbreaking.
Kate spoke to her brother the night before he died and said they were 'laughing and joking', while she dispelled any rumours that his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight or his preparation for the role had contributed to his death.
There had been claims that Ledger's dedication to the role, including locking himself in a hotel room for weeks and keeping a diary of his character's thoughts had contributed in some way to his death, but his sister refuted those suggestions.
Kate explained that he'd been 'so proud' of what he'd done in the movie and was looking forward to appearing in another as he'd 'had the best time ever' working on the film.
She said: “He loved working with Chris Nolan and Christian Bale and Gary Oldman.
“When he came home at Christmas, he couldn't wait to tell us all about it, and he was doing the voice and laughing, showing me all the rushes. We had a great time.”
For many fans, he's the greatest actor to play the Joker of all time and his performance in The Dark Knight will live forever in memory.
Joaquin Phoenix also won an Oscar for playing the same role in 2019's Joker and paid tribute to Ledger, saying: “I'm standing here on the shoulders of my favourite actor, Heath Ledger, so, thank you.”
Topics: Celebrity, Film, Heath Ledger, Oscars, TV and Film, Joker
Michael Slavin