Heath Ledger's family accepted the "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar at the 81st Annual Academy Awards for Ledger's performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Ledger's father, Kim Ledger, his mother, Sally Bell, and older sister, Kate Ledger, took to the stage to collect the posthumous award.

Ledger died at the age of 28 on January 22, 2008, after accidentally overdosing on prescription painkillers while "The Dark Knight" was in the final stages of production. Since the film's release, the commitment and execution Ledger brought to his interpretation of the Joker have revealed his dedication to "method acting." He had famously locked himself away in a hotel room and kept a diary to prepare for the role. Ledger also received the "Golden Globe" Award for "Best Supporting Actor" posthumously for this role. He had previously been nominated for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" at the British Academy Film Awards in 2006 for his role in "Brokeback Mountain," losing to Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote."