When he was cast as The Joker, fans all over the world let out a unanimous "Him? Really?". He faced scrutiny from people from day one and it was beginning to look like Nolan had finally made a mistake. After all, what chance did a low key indie actor, best known for intense introverted roles, have in a role Jack Nicholson played? Then to absolutely everyone's surprise, he turned in a ballistic, absolutely terrifying performance that completely blew Nicholson's out of the water and which many critics have called a defining portrayal of the character. And became the first actor to win an Academy award for a Comic book character. Not a bad day's work.