Can Heath Win?

Heath Ledger’s Oscar nomination for his performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” was no surprise to anyone when it was announced this morning. But his winning isn’t a slam dunk since the Academy does not have a great record of rewarding actors posthumously.

The last time an actor won an Oscar after he was no longer around to enjoy it was more than 30 years ago—before Heath Ledger was even born. According to the Associated Press, the only Oscar awarded posthumously to an actor in the 81-year history of the Academy Awards went to Peter Finch for the 1976 film “Network.” So Ledger’s chances don’t look good. Tom O’Neil, a columnist for TheEnvelope.com, told AP, “The fact that only one actor has ever won an Oscar from the grave tells us that in general at the Oscars, the feeling is when you’re dead, you’re dead.”

So can Ledger be the one to break this jinx? His death so affected people that we’re still talking about it a year later, mourning the loss of so much potential, taken away so soon. Maybe his time will come—even if he’s not here to savor the moment.

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