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Heath Ledger is dead. I have never been more shocked by the death of a celebrity in my life.

Ledger, known best for his portrayal of a gay cowboy, was just 28 years old when he died of a possible drug overdose Tuesday.

There has been much speculation over Ledger's death, whether it was an accident or a suicide, but one thing I know is true: Ledger was one of the greatest actors our generation will ever see.

My admiration for him began years ago when I watched him as the young rebel Conor on Fox's short-lived series "Roar."

Despite the silly story line and Ledger's terrible impersonation of an Irish accent, "Roar" was a great show.

In the very best of the high school films of the 1990s, Ledger played outcast Patrick Verona in "10 Things I Hate About You."

My friend and I watched "10 Things" every weekend during our freshman year of high school. Nearly eight years later, I still quote it.

I remember dragging my mother to see "The Patriot" because I wasn't old enough to buy my ticket, searching a dozen video stores to get my hands on a copy of the Australian film "Two Hands" and seeing "A Knight's Tale" the day it hit theaters. I may have been in my obsessive teenage phase, but I also recognized something in Ledger's acting. He was brilliant and not the kind of "I'm so pretentious, my mother named me after a literary anti-hero" brilliant. He was honestly gifted. If you don't believe it, watch "Monster's Ball." Even though his character appears in only 30 of the film's 112 minutes, Ledger's subdued performance made the film.

He followed "Monster's Ball" with several films that fell under Hollywood's radar: the epic remake of "The Four Feathers"; supernatural thriller "The Sin Eater"; the story of a legendary outlaw, "Ned Kelly"; the story of the Z Boys, "The Lords of Dogtown"; and the fairy tale "The Brothers Grimm."

All the aforementioned were good films, but the film that followed will forever define Ledger as an actor: "Brokeback Mountain."

His portrayal of Ennis Del Mar, a rough cowboy who fell in love with his herding partner, made cinematic history and cemented him as a real star in Hollywood.

It was so beautifully done. It was an absolute shame that Ledger did not win the Oscar for best actor; he more than deserved it.

I think "Brokeback" will go down in history as one of the greatest love stories ever in a film.

Ledger followed up with "Casanova," the heroin-induced love story "Candy" and a small role in the Bob Dylan-inspired "I'm Not There."

Recently, his most talked about role was The Joker in the latest Batman flick, "The Dark Knight." It's painful to see movie posters with Ledger's painted face and the words "Why So Serious?" written in blood.

Gruesome images aside, it's terrible to think of all the roles Ledger will never have. I hope that the world remembers Heath Ledger as an amazing actor who was taken long before his prime.

treagan@dailyemerald.com

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