In trying to understand what Heath Ledger's death and life can mean, I have reflected on his strengths as an actor: the ability to "put on his character like a coat" (to quote Michael Chekov) - and to do that with a magical ability to show us both the color and line of the coat and his own being under it.
Welcome Joey, any friend of Paul's is a friend of mine.
There is a video of a clip from an interview with Heath, done on the set of The Patriot, where he talks about literally putting on the clothes of the character giving him entrance into that character. In the interview, he mimes slipping on a jacket and straightening it on his body, and as he does, his bearing changes, his expression evolves, and even with the imitated gesture, he shows he becomes his part. I will try to find it.