Actor Heath Ledger is pictured in a scene from "Brokeback Mountain" in this undated publicity photograph. The cast of upcoming Batman film "The Dark Knight" are lobbying for their late co-star Heath Ledger to be awarded an Oscar. (Xinhua/Reuters, File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Heath Ledger's family expressed pride in his acclaimed turn as the Joker in the movie "The Dark Knight" after attending the New York premiere, according to media report Wednesday.

    "The Dark Knight is everything we hoped it would be and more," Ledger's father, Kim, said in a statement on behalf of Ledger's immediate family. "Heath loved the experience of creating this character and working on the film. We are so proud of our boy."

    Kim Ledger and his wife, Heath's mother Sally Bell and her husband, and Heath's older sister, Kate, flew in from Australia to join the movie's stars at Monday night's premiere, where the audience broke into cheers when Ledger's name appeared in the credits.

Actors (L-R) Chin Han, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman pose for photographers during the premiere of the film The Dark Knight in New York, July 14, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Three weeks before shooting began on "The Dark Knight," Heath Ledger called director Christopher Nolan to discuss an epiphany he had about his character, The Joker. The key to the demented killer, Ledger said, was his voice. Without a menacing hiss, it would be a retread of Jack Nicholson's satirical turn when he played the character in 1989.

    "He said he found the perfect one," Nolan recalls. "He had been studying ventriloquist dummies and thought they had terrifying voices. He was going to emulate one. I remember saying, 'Yeah, that sounds great.' When I hung up the phone I thought, 'God, I hope that's going to work.' "

    There's little question now. The demonic voice floats through the myriad trailers promoting the film, opening Thursday night in many cities. And the late actor's performance -- eight months from the Academy Awards -- is garnering Oscar talk.

    (Agencies)