Heath Ledger in Home and Away: 'Nothing but trouble'

Heath Ledger’s guest starring role on Home and Away was just ten episodes long, but he made quite the impact as bad boy Scott Irwin. His stories were mainly focused on his romance and rancour with Sally Fletcher, played by Kate Ritchie. Extra spice was added when the two were rumoured to be dating.

In this clip, Scott finally gets his comeuppance. His scheme to get Sally in trouble at school backfires and he finds himself in the principal’s office. When Mr Fisher, played by Norman Coburn, tells him that he’ll be excluded, Scott erupts into a tantrum, and the two face off. Coburn and Ledger pour intensity into the moment when we wonder whether or not Scott will back down. He does, and it’s off to Yabby Creek High for him.

Not long after, Ledger starred in the teen rom-com Ten Things I Hate About You, now regarded as a 2000s classic. He didn’t spend long in comedy territory, preferring deeper and darker roles like the Joker in The Dark Knight (for which he received a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and Ennis in Brokeback Mountain (for which he won a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor and was compared to Brando). His death at 28 from an accidental prescription-drug overdose cut short what would surely have been his enduring fame. 

This episode of Home and Away was directed by Philip East.