Apart from Tejano culture, I’ve made similar statements about actress Rebecca Schaeffer and Heath Ledger — particularly Ledger. Would his role as Joker in The Dark Knight have been as widely celebrated if he hadn’t died? Would he have won that Oscar if he’d been there to possibly accept it in person? Or did he get so much hype — and the statue — BECAUSE he was dead? We’ll never know, but I do remember thinking he was largely an unremarkable actor before that role. And don’t get me wrong. He was awesome in that movie. But Oscar-awesome? I had my doubts.