(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Christian Bale broke down after watching footage of his late friend Heath Ledger at the MTV Movie Awards.

The actor visibly struggled to hold back tears when a montage of clips from the first two Batman movies showed the tragic actor in his role as The Joker at last night's ceremony.

Christian has portrayed the caped crusader in all of the three Christopher Nolan movies and struck up a friendship with Ledger on the set of the second instalment The Dark Knight.

Christian was on stage to present the movie montage alongside Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt when he was overwhelmed by emotion. "It's great to see Heath Ledger up there," he said tearfully after the clips were aired.

The 38-year-old Golden Globe winner then stepped away from the microphone and lowered his head to lead a moment of silence for his late friend.

Oscar winner Heath was found dead in his hotel room after a suspected overdose of subscription medication in January 2008.

"Heath was infectious; his death makes me angry because I know our friendship would have blossomed had he not died," Bale said at the time. (C) Cover Media