Heath Ledger

Although the short-lived series Roar introduced this hunky actor to American audiences (as well as his ex-girlfriend, costar Lisa Zane), this Aussie player was already well-known in his homeland. His winning turn as a witty rebel with a full head of sexy locks in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You made him a teen heartthrob, and Hollywood earmarked him as the next big thing. Yet after a couple of blockbusters — the American Revolution drama The Patriot and the medieval action fest A Knight's Tale — his star receded in a string of pricey high-profile flops (including The Four Feathers and Ned Kelly, which introduced him to ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts). By the mid-2000s Ledger's career was on the rocks, although his on-again, off-again relationship with the more mature Watts kept him in the tabloids. In 2005 he seemed to be getting back on track, both personally and professionally: Not only did he win rave reviews as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nods for his compelling performance as a gay cowboy in the critically and commercially successful Brokeback Mountain, he also fathered a baby girl with his costar-cum-fiancée Michelle Williams. Although that relationship ended in 2007, fans assumed he was riding high and looking forward to the 2008 release of The Dark Knight, in which he played The Joker opposite Christian Bale's Batman. His promising career was cut short, however, when in January of '08, the 28-year-old was found dead in his Manhattan bedroom of what was ruled an accidental drug overdose.