Veteran actor Randy Quaid has paid tribute to Heath Ledger, describing his late co-star's turn in Brokeback Mountain as "one of the all-time great performances."

Quaid was shocked to hear 28-year-old Ledger had been found dead in his New York apartment last month, and believes Hollywood has lost one of its most talented actors.

He says, "Heath was a pretty low-key guy. We talked a bit while we were making the movie (Brokeback Mountain), mostly about Australian football - he was a big football player. The great actors are the ones that can slip into the role, lose their regular persona in the role, and Heath was able do that. He was a great actor.

"His performance in Brokeback was one of the all-time great performances on film."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)