For many people, Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight will go down in history as one of the greatest character portrayals there has ever been. The role is largely attributed to Ledger's extreme method acting technique - with it being widely reported that he would lock himself away for days on end in order to fully immerse himself in the psyche of The Joker.

However, for some people, Ledger's career is hard to view objectively due to the fact that he died at the age of 28. The argument is that if Ledger hadn't died shortly after finishing his portrayal of The Joker, would people hold it in the same regard? Yes, he played the character expertly, but, due to the fact that he passed shortly before the film was released, the role already has an air of mythology around it - it was already his character.

Someone who certainly agreed with this line of thought was David Thomson. In a think-piece for The Guardian, Thomson argues that while Ledger may have been put on a posthumous pedestal when Batman was released, his career may have spiralled if he had not died. He wrote:

"Ledger in his early 20s was a young hunk, a nice-looking fellow with some pride and panache. He is watchable in The Patriot, Monster’s Ball and Casanova, and helpless in many other things.

"His very success as the Joker almost certainly means he would have been offered loads of money to spin off a Joker franchise. And one day soon, that might have seemed like a prison as grim as Mission: Impossible."

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion on the actor and not everyone will agree. On actor who certainly holds Ledger in extremely high-regard, is Daniel Day-Lewis.

Lewis, who is one of the most decorated actors of all time, described Ledger as the "perfect actor." During a speech at The Screen Actors Guild awards in 2009, Lewis took the time to praise the other actors in his category - particularly Heath Ledger.

"The thing that gave me a sense of wonderment, of renewal, the thing that teased me with the question 'How is such a thing possible?' and then 'Dare you go back into the arena one more time?' with longing and self-doubt jostling in the balance - it's always been the work of other actors.

"There are many actors in this room tonight, including my fellow nominees who've given me that regeneration. Heath Ledger gave it to me. In Monster's Ball, that character that he created seemed to be almost an unformed being retreating from themselves, retreating from his father, from his life, even retreating from us - and yet we wanted to follow him and yet were scared to follow him, almost.

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"He was just unique and then of course in Brokeback Mountain he was unique, he was perfect. That scene in the trailer at the end of the film is as moving as anything I think I've ever seen and I'd like to dedicate this to Heath Ledger."

It's a testament to the regard other actors held Ledger in that, during his own acceptance speech, Day-Lewis felt the need to dedicate his award to the late actor.

It seems remarkable that it has been 10 years since Ledger passed and, given that today is his birthday, it only seems right to remind ourselves of what a wonderful talent he was. While it's true that his career could've spiraled, it could've also gone the other way. Who knows what he would've gone on to achieve?

An artist has used AI to create images of celebrities who have passed away and has shown us what they might look like if they were still alive.

Seeing your favorite celebrity pass away can be an extremely difficult experience, especially if they had an impact on your life with their work.

Thanks to the modern technology and the incredibly talented photographer, Alper Yesiltas, we've been given a glimpse of what some celebs may have looked like, as part of his "As If Nothing Happened" photo series.

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger tragically passed away in 2008 when he was just 28 years old. The actor had just received widespread acclaim for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, and his career looked like it was going from strength to strength.

As per the Mirror, Ledger became plagued by insomnia and was taking prescription medication in order to combat it. Coroners reported that he died of "acute intoxication" after he took a "cocktail" of drugs. His death was ruled as an accident.

Tupac Shakur

Arguably one of the most iconic people in the music scene in the '90s, Tupac was shot and killed in 1996.

The driveby shooting was carried out by an unknown assailant who shot him four times in the chest in LA. Tupac died six days later.

His murderer remains unknown, and according to Britannica, this is due to uncooperative witnesses and police not pursuing gang-related violence.

Michael Jackson

As the king of pop, Michael Jackson's death sent shockwaves across the world as one of the most iconic voices and dancers passed suddenly.

Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50, and as per the Sun, his death was due to an overdose of the drugs propofol and benzodiazepine following a cardiac arrest.

Jackon's physician, Dr Conrad Murray, would later be charged with involuntary manslaughter because he supplied the pop star with the medication.

Princess Diana

On 31 August 1997, the world stood still as the beloved Princess Diana was declared dead following a horrific car accident in Paris.

Fleeing from the paparazzi, her driver turned into the Pont de l'Alma tunnel and sadly, the car wouldn't come out the other end. Diana was rushed to hospital, but her life could not be saved.

The Royal Family in the UK came under intense scrutiny for their treatment of Diana, and she did not receive a state funeral, but it was still perceived that way.

She is the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, thus meaning that her bloodline will occupy the throne for decades to come.

Paul Walker

Paul Walker was a star in the Fast and Furious movie franchise and his death came as a massive shock to millions of fans.

In 2013, Walker lost his life in a car crash and a coroner revealed that his vehicle was travelling at over 100mph (160km/h), as per the Guardian.

Ayrton Senna

Senna was one of the greatest drivers to grace the sport of Formula One. The Brazilian was set to race in the Imola Grand Prix when Roland Ratzenberger crashed into a barrier and sadly lost his life.

Senna believed that the race should be cancelled, but it went ahead anyway. The driver took to the track where he himself collided with a concrete barrier, and he died as a result of catastrophic head injuries.

The world mourned who many believed to be the great racing driver of all time, and safety measures have come on leaps and bounds in the wake of his death.

Freddie Mercury

The leading man of the band Queen, Freddie Mercury was easily one of the greatest showmen to ever take to the stage, as he had a magical ability to transfix thousands of people at once.

The singer was diagnosed with aids in 1987 and he lost his battle with the disease in 1991. His voice lives on as one of the most iconic of all time.

John Lennon

Famed for his part in the Beatles, John Lennon was one of the most influential men in music as he, alongside his bandmates, proved that English bands could break the American market.

As one of the most famous men on the planet, Lennon drew widespread attention. It was on December 8 1980, when he was 40 years old, that Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, who was allegedly jealous of the musician's rich lifestyle.

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse lived a troubled life as she battled addiction throughout her illustrious music career. Releasing hits such as 'Back to Black' and 'Valerie', the singer was a household name.

As per the Mirror, Winehouse lost her life in 2011 when she died from alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27.

Other work by Yesiltas includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Gandolfini and River Phoenix, amongst other names.

His work can be found on his Instagram page, where he has since begun a series displaying what young celebrities might look like when they get older.

Featured image credit: dlxmedia.hu / Pexels

It's hard to believe it's been 11 years since Heath Ledger passed away.

Before he was taken in 2008 after an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs, the actor had a bright future ahead of him and much to do and see in life. But the most important thing he never got to do is watch his daughter grow up.

However, while Matilda - who was just two years old when he died - never got to know her biological father, she still had plenty of people watching over her: three of these people being Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.

In August 2008, the incredible gesture these stars made to Heath's daughter was revealed by director Terry Gilliam.

Before his untimely death, the Australian actor was in the middle of filming The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, a film which follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations.

Production was almost cancelled when the 28-year-old's death was announced, but the role ended up being recast with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell portraying transformations of his character as he travels through a dream world.

After Heath's sudden and unexpected passing, it was reported that the last will he wrote was signed on April 12, 2003, two years before Matilda was born, so all of his fortunes was to go to his parents and three sisters.

Concerned that Heath's daughter would not inherit anything, the three actors who had replaced him decided to give the money they had earned from the movie to Matilda.

After filming was completed, Gilliam spoke out about their generous action, stating: "They didn't take money - it goes to Heath's daughter. That's extraordinary. And wonderful and when you're part of that, you think, 'Ah, this is maybe why I went into the movies in the beginning. I thought it would be full of wonderful people.' And we've got a movie full of wonderful people who did extraordinary things to help."

Thankfully, in the end, Matilda ended up being given every penny of her father's fortune.

It was reportedly expected that Heath's former fiancee, Michelle Williams, would lodge a claim on the will on behalf of their daughter, but this action would prove needless, as Heath's father, Kim confirmed that the family had decided to give everything to Matilda.

"There is no claim," he told Australia's Herald Sun. "Our family has gifted everything to Matilda."

Matilda is now 13 years old and said to know all about Heath, with his memory kept alive every day by her mother Michelle.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2018, the Brokeback Mountain actress said: "I always say to Matilda, ‘Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes.’"

RIP, Heath.