If Heath Ledger wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on Feb. 22, his family will accept the award on his behalf, Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan told EW.com at the DGA Awards Saturday night. Nolan accepted Ledger’s Golden Globe award on Jan. 8, and Ledger’s Dark Knight costar Gary Oldman took the stage on behalf of the young actor at the SAG Awards on Jan. 25. Nolan did not elaborate on which members of Ledger’s family would accept should Ledger win, but previous family statements have been made by Ledger’s father, Kim, mother, Sally, and older sister Kate, and it’s possible all three would step to the front of the Kodak on Oscar night. The last (and only) time an actor has won an Oscar posthumously — Peter Finch as Best Actor for 1976′s Network — the film’s screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky and Finch’s widow Eletha accepted on Finch’s behalf.
For more on Heath Ledger:
Heath Ledger: The Untold Story
Heath Ledger: A Career Retrospective
Feb 1
2009
08:02 AM ET
Heath Ledger's family will accept Oscar if late actor wins
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Guaranteed to be a very touching moment. I cannot wait to hear his name announced as the winner. Well deserved, that’s for sure.
I do not want him to win.
It’s a pity win, that’s what this whole awards season has been. There have been truly more deserving performances this year.
Its not a pity win. His performance was amazing. Yes there has been other great performances this year, but please do not disrespect his performance with your petty comments.
*have been
His performance is definitely not a pity win. He deserves this just as much as any of the other people who were nominated.
It is NOT a pity win. If he were alive today, he would gotten all the accolades just the same, seeing as his was one of the most brilliant performances on film last year, if not THE most brilliant.
While I don’t doubt that he gave a great performance in TDK, I can’t help but think that it is a pity win. Cillian Murphy gave a brilliant performance in Batman Begins and he didn’t even get a nomination.
Jack Nicholson didn’t get a nomination for playing the Joker either.
It’s NOT a pity win. He deserves it for this performance, and he deserves it this year up against this competition.
I defy any haters to convince me anyone else is more deserving!
Josh Brolin was nominated because he is in a Best Picture nominee, in a high-profile biopic role, and is well respected in the industry. The part itself and the acting were not that great. It’s not big enough or good enough to win a major award.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is terrific in Doubt; he plays the character in such an interesting yet understated way that you can’t help but ponder whether he is guilty. Different viewers will respond differently. He is excellent, but it still isn’t quite Oscar-worthy. And he’s already won.
Michael Shannon is very lucky to be nominated. I thought he overacted, and the film and part sucked.
And Downey was terrific, but not hilarious enough to win, for a comedy.
No one else made their character feel as alive and as powerful as Ledger did. Heath hands down!
Its not a pity win. Heath desereved it!!!
And Sal, you can’t even compare Nicholson’s hammy though fine comedic turn in the original Batman to Ledger’s fascinating, gripping performance. You write as if you haven’t even seen the movie. Cillian Murphy was nowhere near as terrifying or impressive as Ledger.
Sal, it sounds like you haven’t even seen “The Dark Knight.” So you have no right to make any judgment about whether his performance is Oscar-worthy or not. It is not a pity win.
I think it’s a “deserved pity” win lol. If it hadn’t been for Heath’s passing, the Academy wouldn’t have looked twice at his marvelous performance. I guess someone else from the cast needed to die too for The Dark Knight to earn it’s rightful Best Pic nomination. I saw The Reader this past weekend, and both Gran Torino and TDK were better movies.
ok people, he’s been dead for over a year now, and I bet no one here even knew him. don’t get me wrong, i want him to win, but when he does, can we call a moratorium on the mourning please?
I’m just glad they cleared up the ridiculous rumour of Michelle William’s accepting the award on Heath’s behalf. If anyone should collect the award, it should be his family, hands down.