Heath Ledger should have got more awards while alive, says Terry Gilliam

Director Terry Gilliam has said it’s a shame that Heath Ledger’s talent is only been recognised after his death.

Heath was nominated for the Best Acting Golden Globe, Oscar and SAG Award for Brokeback Mountain in 2006 but while the film itself was a success, he lost out to Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote for all three. However, this year he has already been posthumously been awarded the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe and SAG Award for his role in The Dark Knight, and is expected to pick up the Oscar later this month.

Terry, who was directing Heath in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus when he died last January, picked up the Best Supporting Actor trophy on Heath’s behalf at the BAFTAs in London last night.

He explained: “It would have been nice if Heath had won more awards when he was alive.

“Heath was a genius, I think there was nothing he could not do. We hadn’t seen anything from him yet.”

Terry picked up his own award at the ceremony last night too, the 2009 Academy Fellowship For Exceptional Contribution To Filmmaking.

• See a list of all the BAFTA 2009 winners