The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger as The Joker steals film from Christian Bale

Joining Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) cast, Heath Ledger came in as a wild card, leaving everyone to wonder how he would portray the villain The Joker. Ultimately, the film became his, and he would forever be remembered as The Joker. "Ledger threw himself into a role he clearly relished, giving a transfixing performance as a whiny-voiced god of chaos whose hard-core nihilism is bone-chilling," said The Los Angeles Times. Three months after filming wrapped, Ledger passed away due to an accidental overdose, but he posthumously won Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for his role.