Heath Ledger could charm audiences as a rebellious teenager and terrify them as the Joker, but his rise to stardom began long before Hollywood crowned him a legend. In 1990s television, Roar gave the Australian actor an early leading role, only for Fox to pull the plug after eight episodes without a clear explanation. For a future Oscar winner, it was a remarkably brief beginning.

From 10 Things I Hate About You to The Dark Knight, Ledger built a legacy that makes his forgotten television breakthrough worth revisiting.

At 18, Heath Ledger was already preparing for a journey that would eventually take him from Australian television to Hollywood immortality, but his first American breakthrough came with a series that barely got the chance to roar. In 1997, Fox cast the Perth-born actor as Conor, an orphaned Celtic prince fighting Roman invaders in the historical fantasy Roar. The network pulled the plug after just eight of its 13 produced episodes had aired only 8, leaving Ledger’s first major American showcase unfinished.

Created by Shaun Cassidy and Ron Koslow, Roar was Fox’s attempt to capture the fantasy-adventure audience drawn to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Ledger’s Conor was no ordinary warrior, either; he had to unite fractured Celtic clans while learning to harness a mystical force connected to the land itself. Surrounded by allies played by Vera Farmiga and Alonzo Greer, the young actor had room to demonstrate the charisma and physical presence that would soon help him graduate to bigger screens.

Unfortunately, Roar faced a formidable opponent in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, according to Ledger's co-star Sebastian Roché, which occupied the same time slot and proved difficult to rival among young fantasy audiences. Its limited production budget and uncertain blend of Celtic history, mythology, and magic did little to help its ratings, and Fox cancelled the broadcast in September 1997. Although five unaired episodes eventually reached television in 2000.

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Of course, Roar was hardly the end of Heath Ledger’s story; ironically, the show that got axed helped set him on a path to Hollywood stardom and eventually impressed Christopher Nolan.

Sometimes, a cancelled television show can deliver a career-making plot twist, and Heath Ledger’s Roar proved just that. Although Fox cut the historical fantasy short, Ledger’s performance as Conor helped introduce the Australian actor to American audiences and opened doors in Hollywood. Soon, talent agent Steve Alexander of Creative Artists Agency helped bring the rising star to Los Angeles, where a much bigger breakthrough awaited.

That breakthrough arrived with 10 Things I Hate About You, when director Gil Junger reportedly knew Ledger was right for Patrick Verona within moments of his audition. Rather than settle for teen-heartthrob status, Ledger pursued more challenging roles, from The Patriot and A Knight’s Tale to the Oscar-nominated Brokeback Mountain. Eventually, Christopher Nolan entrusted him with the Joker in The Dark Knight, transforming an early television gamble into the beginning of an extraordinary Hollywood legacy.

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What did you think of Heath Ledger in Roar? Do you think it got axed too soon? Let us know in the comments!