Netizens remember actor Heath Ledger on his birth anniversary

Heath Ledger would have turned 42 today

Several movie buffs took to Twitter on Sunday to remember the late Heath Ledger on his birth anniversary. They shared stills from his movies and quoted some of his most memorable lines to highlight his contribution to the film industry.

Here are some of the most notable tweets:

Ledger, who was born in Perth in 1979, began his acting career by essaying a minor role in the Australian movie Clowning Around, which was released in 1992. He also acted in shows such as The Roar and Home and Away, gaining valuable experience. He eventually bagged a role in the 1997 release Blackrock, which marked his first 'credited' performance on the big screen.

He soon moved to the US to explore new avenues, a decision that yielded positive results as he bagged a supporting role in the 2000 release The Patriot. A few years later he garnered a fair deal of attention when he essayed the lead role in the critically-acclaimed drama Brokeback Mountain.

The film was directed by Ang Lee and revolved around the romantic relationship between two cowboys. He subsequently acted in films such as Casanova and Candy, finding a foothold in the industry. The star was, however, not able to enjoy his stardom as he passed away on January 22, 2008 due to an 'accidental drug overdose'.

In a twist of fate, The Dark Knight--the biggest film of his career-- released months after his death and emerged as a blockbuster .

Many feel that he managed to add depth to the character of iconic villain The Joker, which was no mean feat. The Australian heart-throb posthumously won the Academy Award for Actor in a Supporting Role, a development that left fans teary-eyed.

His final film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus hit screens in 2009 and made a decent impact at the box office, The movie was incomplete at the time of death, which forced the makers to rope in Jude Law and Colin Farrell to essay 'altered versions' of his character. Ledger may be gone but fans feel he lives on through his work.