10 Movie Myths You Probably Believed

There's no questioning the fact that Heath Ledger managed to masterfully capture the chaotic madness of the infamous Clown Prince of Crime during Christopher Nolan's outstanding The Dark Knight feature.

But that Academy Award winning performance was said to have come at a price as various media outlets reported that the mental and physical toll of playing The Joker had a serious impact on the star's health in the lead-up to his eventual death.

When held up against what his co-stars and family had to say on his approach to the role, however, those reports, which soon became the stuff of movie legend, couldn't be further from the truth.

According to Ledger's sister, "it was the absolute opposite" as she later revealed that "he wasn't depressed about The Joker." Michael Jai White, who appeared as Gambol in The Dark Knight, also confessed the actor was "having a ball" and even consulting his fellow cast members on what they thought of his inspired choices whilst filming.

Ledger absolutely threw his all into bringing this version of the iconic villain to life, but its clear from those who experienced his work first-hand that his death had little to do with the role.