2009: Heath Ledger wins Best Supporting Actor as the Joker
If sci-fi and fantasy films have faced a long road toward Oscar respectability, films based on comic books have had it even tougher as no comic-inspired film has yet to be nominated for Best Picture. But the late Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" was just too good for the Academy to ignore and Ledger's posthumous Oscar marked the first time a comics film had won one of the major awards. Ledger's family graciously accepted the award on his behalf during the ceremony.
