He’s going to be remembered for decades as The Joker, let’s balance that inevitablility with a picture in which he doesn’t look like a lunatic psychopath.

More has probably been written about him since his death than any other actor.  His performance as The Joker was so indelible that it will not be forgotten. Unfortunately, his untimely death might ultimately lead to a sort of backlash among those arguing that without his personal tragedy, the role would not have been so praised. I think, though, that if you can remove yourself from Ledger as a person and simply fix on his wild performance (which I always saw as a sort of ramping up of the act Brad Pitt utilized in 12 Monkeys,) it’s a legitimately great performance. I believe that his death may have cemented his Oscar win (voters normally don’t vote for comedy or genre work), but the role stands up on its own.  Also intensely great in his limited screen time in Monster’s Ball.

Has any other young actor had two classic roles as different as The Joker and the cowboy-in-denial from Brokeback Mountain?

Ten best roles: 10) I’m Not There 9) The Order 8) 10 Things I Hate About You 7) Ned Kelly 6) Candy 5) A Knight’s Tale 4) Casanova 3) Monster’s Ball 2) The Dark Knight 1) Brokeback

Percentile ratings: 93.82

Peak Period: Strangely, 2001 – 2005 (The Dark Knight came after a bit of a dry spell for him; only two films in 3 years, and one of them was his small part in I’m Not There)

Neighborhood: Harriett Andersson, Jennifer Connolly, Chris Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Gambon, and, fittingly, Jake Gylenhall

His Italian name belies his innate Frenchness (Frenchitude?) Born and raised in France to immigrant parents, Luchini’s the centerpiece of a number of important French films in a career that spans 40 years. During the first half of his career, he normally landed supporting roles as a character actor; in the last 20 years he’s been recognized as a star of French cinema who never gained much acclaim outside of western Europe.

Ten best roles: 10) On Guard 9) Intimate Strangers 8) Beaumarchais L’Insolent 7) Un Air Si Pur 6) The Girl from Monaco 5) Full Moon in Paris 4) Colonel Chabert 3) Perceval 2) Moliere 1) La Discrete

Percentile rating: 93.39

Peak Period: 1996 – now

Neighborhood: Tadanobu Asano, Toni Collette, Laura Dern, Ben Gazzara, Kris Kristofferson, Angela Lansbury

Yet another link to Hollywood’s olden days, she’s star of film, TV, and screen. To give you an idea of the breadth of her career, she received an Oscar nomination for Gaslight, a film she shot in 1943. She’s best known among younger folks for the disturbingly pervasive reruns of Murder She Wrote, but not as many people know of her prominence in both dramatic and musical theater.

Ten best roles: 10) The Dark at the Top of the Stairs 9) The Court Jester 8) Samson and Delilah 7) Something for Everyone 6) National Velvet 5) The World of Henry Orient 4) The Private Affairs of Bel Ami 3) Bedknobs and Broomsticks 2) The Manchurian Candidate 1) The Company of Wolves

Percentile Rating: 93.34

Peak Period: 1962 – 1984

Neighborhood: Tadanobu Asano, Toni Collette, Laura Dern, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, Fabrice Luchini

With his sudden maniac laugh, he’s legitimately scary, like a half-cocked pistol. Perhaps typecast as a lunatic. Does rage really well; probably should do some comedy to convince people he’s not actually dangerous.  Wait, Corrina Corrina was a comedy? Never mind.

Ten best roles: 10) Corrina Corrina 9) Phoenix 8) Identity 7) Cop Land 6) Field of Dreams 5) Something Wild 4) Narc 3) Observe and Report 2) Dominick and Eugene 1) Goodfellas

Percentile rating: 92.75

Peak Period: 1986 – 1994

Neighborhood: Kathy Bates, Richard Bohringer, Timothy Bottoms, Bryan Brown, Rutger Hauer, Scarlett Johansson

She’s been around so long she’s essentially had three different careers, with her most publically recognized role on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks series. She’s the crazy Mom in the first version of Carrie (and in retrospect, the scariest character in the film, because she probably lives just down the street from you.) She went 15 years in the middle of her career without a single film role; I am interested whether that was a) Kids b) Theater c) TV or d) Other. Classy link to the end of “old Hollywood.”

Ten best roles: 10) Distortions 9) The Mississippi Gambler 8) Days of Wine and Roses 7) Johnny Dark 6) Francis Goes to the Races 5) The Grass Harp 4) Children of a Lesser God 3) Tim 2) The Hustler 1) Carrie

Percentile rating: 92.48

Peak Period: 1958 – 1986

Neighborhood: Joan Allen, Timothy Bottoms, Bryan Brown, Danielle Darrieux, Derek Jacobi, Jude Law

Can a promising film career be scuttled by a single sexual scandal? The word is still out, but he’s been pretty quiet for a few years. Technically still in his peak, though. I still like Sky Captain, no matter what the world says.

Ten best roles: 10) Road to Perdition 9) Gattaca 8) My Blueberry Nights 7) Breaking and Entering 6) Alfie 5) Wilde 4) AI: Artificial Intelligence 3) The Talented Mr Ripley 2) Cold Mountain 1) Closer

Percentile rating: 92.38

Peak Period: 2003 – now

Neighborhood: Joan Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Danielle Darrieux, Annie Girardot, Derek Jacobi, Piper Laurie

How many sleazeball characters can an actor play before you’re allowed to ponder whether or not the actor actually IS a sleazeball? Leguizamo’s done   good work, but I get tired of the snark.

Ten best roles: 10) Undefeated 9) Zigzag 8) Nothing Like the Holidays 7) William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet 6) Where God Left His Shoes 5) Spawn 4) Land of the Dead 3) Summer of Sam 2) Moulin Rouge 1) The Take

Percentile rating: 91.74

Peak Period: 2001 – now

Neighborhood: Don Cheadle, Judi Dench, Jeff Goldblum, Bruce Greenwood, Jeroen Krabbe, Christopher Lloyd

A zany character actor whose over-the-top qualities made it hard for audiences to find him satisfying as anything approaching a “normal” guy. In his heyday, though, immediately following his popular run as Jim Ignatowski on TV’s taxi, he had a number of great years as one of Hollywood casting director’s favorite oddballs. Many of his greatest roles occurred in early Robert Zemeckis films.

Ten best roles: 10) Eight Men Out 9) Premonition 8) The Dream Team 7) Goin South 6) Addams Family Values 5) Back to the Future Part III 4) Back to the Future Part II 3) Wit 2) Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1) Back to the Future

Percentile rating: 91.68

Peak Period: 1985 – 1989

Neighborhood: Don Cheadle, Judi Dench, Bruce Greenwood, Greg Kinnear, Jeroen Crabbe, John Leguizamo

She’s one of those rare child stars whose abilities only flourished as she aged. Current favorite of 40-something females, she projects an intelligence that is an appealing alternative to the Sandra Bullocks and Meg Ryans of the world, but many of her film choices leave a lot to be desired (Jumper? Untraceable?) She’s like the slightly more mature version of Kate Beckinsale.

Ten best roles: 10) Rumble Fish 9) A Little Romance 8) Under the Tuscan Sun 7) Must Love Dogs 6) A Walk on the Moon 5) Lonesome Dove 4) Unfaithful 3) My Dog Skip 2) Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All 1) Fierce People

Percentile rating: 91.47

Peak Period: 2000 – now

Neighborhood – Karen Black, Judi Dench, Robert Downey Jr, Colin Farrell, Bruce Greenwood, Greg Kinnear