Heath Ledger tops ranking of 2000s acting Oscar winners

Collider has published a ranking of the 10 greatest acting Oscar winners of the 2000s, placing Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight at No. 1.

The list highlights a range of transformative performances across genres, noting actors from Charlize Theron and Hilary Swank to Javier Bardem. Its top entries are Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) at No. 1, Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) at No. 2, Denzel Washington (Training Day) at No. 3, Helen Mirren (The Queen) at No. 4, Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) at No. 5, Charlize Theron (Monster) at No. 6, Sean Penn (Mystic River) at No. 7, Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) at No. 8, Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) at No. 9, and Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) at No. 10.

The article praises these winners for commitment, transformation, and impact, calling the decade a highlight for memorable performances; it also notes Ledger’s Oscar was posthumous. The piece was published 8 hours ago and provides contextual commentary on each performance rather than forecasting future awards.

Key Topics

Culture, Heath Ledger, Joker, Daniel Day-lewis, Training Day, Academy Awards