An incandescent young actor poised for glory, heartbreakingly struck down in the prime of his years. And he was just getting started.

At 28, he'd already garnered high praise and picked up a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars for his work in Brokeback Mountain. But his truly iconic part came only posthumously with his devastating performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

Truly one of the most chilling villains of all time, and a performance impossible to judge minus the performer's context. Indeed, this man will be missed.

Text: Raja Sen

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