8 Performances Better Than What The Actor Won An Oscar For

4. Heath Ledger

Won For: The Dark Knight, Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Better In: Brokeback Mountain. Before I wake up to a bloody Joker's head in my bed, let me clarify that I do believe that Heath Ledger is great in The Dark Knight, and of course he deserved to win his only Oscar for it - the field was actually pretty weak that year, but that's no matter. With that said, let me also say that it shouldn't be sacrilege to suggest that Heath Ledger might be remembered for something other than The Dark Knight, and that he had a career full of great roles in his short life, so let's maybe respect his entire body of work rather than simply - and constantly - reducing it to one great performance. Best of all is Ledger's stunning, profound performance in Ang Lee's finest masterpiece, Brokeback Mountain. It's not hyperbole to suggest it's one of the greatest performances of all time, with Ledger solemnly going through the motions as Ennis Del Mar, a straight man tortured by his forbidden love for another man (Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist). Ledger captures and communicates internal angst better than any performance in recent memory, and the closing scene, which sees him clutching the since departed Jack's shirt, is his finest moment as an actor. It's a beautiful, devastating, annihilating performance, and there's no reason it can't coexist with his role in the Dark Knight to show both sides of Ledger's monumental talent. But, if it has to be only one performance, Ledger's work in Brokeback just outstrips his turn as The Joker.