The Dark Knight had its premiere in New York last night, and it gave Christian Bale and Michael Caine the chance to pay tribute to their late co-star Heath Ledger.

Stars including Ethan Hawke, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and her brother Jake, who appeared with Ledger in 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain, walked the red carpet to see the tragic actor's turn in the film.

And his co-stars were keen to honour his performance as The Joker in the Batman sequel.

Bale, who plays the caped crusader in the movie, says: "Working with Heath was fantastic. He steals the movie and I'm quite happy to say that.

"He's a hell of a talent and created a joker that's very iconic and one that will become a classic portrayal of the ages."

And Michael Caine, who plays the hero's butler, was full of praise for the "intensity and ferocity of the performance" given by Ledger.

He adds: "When we were sitting down between takes, he was completely ordinary. He wasn't preparing himself or saying 'Please leave me alone, I've gotta do this.' Instead he was talking to me.

"We would sit and chat and have a cup of coffee, then suddenly they'd say, 'We're ready, Heath,' and he'd go straight into The Joker. His energy was astonishing, especially when it came from this kind of calm. He's certainly the best villain I've ever seen."

Ledger was found dead from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at his New York apartment on 22 January. He was 28 years old.

See some of the stars who appeared on the red carpet at The Dark Knight premiere here.