Heath Ledger Heath Ledger's family have made a public appearance to watch him in his final role.

They went along to The Dark Knight premiere in New York.

So what was their verdict?

Well his dad left the cinema and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Kim Ledger and his wife Ines, Heath's stepmother, unsurprisingly dodged the glitzy red threads on the way in and headed straight into the cinema to watch Heath play out his last role as the The Joker in the latest Batman film.

And other members of of his family also went along - Heath's mum Sally Bell and her husband, and Heath's older sister Kate were all at the screening.

As Kim left the cinema he told reporters the film was "very good".

It was a time for tributes to Heath, and his co-stars were full of praise.

"Working with Heath was fantastic," said Christian Bale, who plays Batman. "He steals the movie and I'm quite happy to say that. He's a hell of a talent and created a Joker that's very iconic and one that will become a classic portrayal of the ages."

Michael Caine, who plays butler Alfred Pennyworth, chatted about the "intensity and ferocity" of Heath's performance.

He went on: "But when we were sitting down between takes, he was completely ordinary. He wasn't preparing himself or saying, 'Please leave me alone, I've gotta do this.' Instead he was talking to me.

"We would sit and chat and have a cup of coffee, then suddenly they'd say, 'We're ready, Heath' and he'd go straight into The Joker.

"His energy was astonishing, especially when it came from this kind of calm. He's certainly the best villain I've ever seen."