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Late Australian actor Heath Ledger won a posthumous Golden Globe award here Sunday for his performance as psychopathic villain The Joker in Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight."
Batman director Christopher Nolan collected the best supporting actor award on behalf of Ledger, saying the star's death at the age of 28 had "ripped hole in the future of cinema."
"All of us who worked with Heath on 'The Dark Knight' accept this with an awful mixture of sadness but incredible pride," Nolan said.
"For any of us lucky enough to work with him, I think for any of us lucky enough to enjoy his performances, he will be eternally missed, but he will never be forgotten," he added.
The victory cements Ledger's status as the odds-on favorite to win a best supporting actor Oscar at next month's Oscars.
Ledger has already picked up a series of minor awards for his performance in the phenomenally successful Batman sequel.
Perth-born Ledger gained international stardom and was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for his heart-breaking performance as a taciturn gay cowboy in the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain.
He had already served notice of his talent with parts in several films including "Monster's Ball", "A Knight's Tale" and "The Patriot."
As Batman's cackling arch-enemy, Ledger earned rave reviews from critics and co-stars.
"I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as The Joker," wrote Rolling Stone's film critic Pete Travers.
The cast and crew of "The Dark Knight" were similarly wowed.
British actor Gary Oldman, who plays Gotham City police officer Lieutenant Jim Gordon, is among those who believes Ledger's performance is Oscar-worthy.
"Over the years when I've seen great performances -- (Jack) Nicholson in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', Al Pacino in 'Dog Day Afternoon' -- you go 'wow, there's something really special at work here'. And I think Heath's done that here. It's like he's gone through the sound barrier."
Nolan said Ledger, renowned for taking on difficult, edgy roles, was chosen for the film precisely for that reason.
"For the role of The Joker I was looking for fearlessness," Nolan said. "I needed a phenomenal actor, but he (Ledger) also had to be someone unafraid of taking on such an iconic role.
"Heath created something entirely original. It's stunning, it's captivating," Nolan said.
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-23 17:35:20
