RIP Heath Ledger

[FormerBondFan]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/heath-l ... 37592.html

[Goldeneye]

Yes, very tragic.
When I received an email about this my first thought was it has got to be a prank.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.
The Academy Award-nominated actor was 28.

Ledger was found naked and unresponsive, facedown on the floor at the foot of his bed by a housekeeper trying to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse, said police spokesman Paul Browne.

"Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed," he told CNN.

"This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet."

Browne later told reporters some prescription medications were found in the room, including sleeping pills.

But he stressed police have made no determination of the cause of Ledger's death -- that would be done by the medical examiner.

He said the pills were not "scattered about."

No note was found and there was no indication of foul play, Browne said. Ledger was found at about 3 p.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel about 3:30 p.m.

A crowd of onlookers, photographers and reporters gathered outside the apartment building after news of Ledger's death was reported. Police officers were guarding the doors.

Browne said he did not know how long Ledger had been renting the apartment, which he said took up the entire fourth floor.

An autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner's office.

Hollywood reacts

Condolences began pouring in from Ledger's friends and co-stars.

"I had such great hope for him," said Mel Gibson, who played Ledger's father in "The Patriot," in a statement.

"He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."

Actress Nicole Kidman, a fellow Australian and close friend of Ledger's, said in a statement, "What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family."

At the time of his death, Ledger had just finished playing the villain The Joker in "The Dark Knight," the latest installment in the Batman series. The film is to open in July.

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, and named Heathcliff Andrew after the main characters of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." He began acting at a local theater as a child.

Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999, and he immediately attracted attention from Hollywood. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball," among other films.

"In a way I was spoon-fed a career," he told the Glasgow Herald in 2005. "It was fully manufactured by a studio that believed it could put me on their posters and turn me into a product. ... I hadn't figured out properly how to act, and all of a sudden I was being thrown into these lead roles."

Controversial role

But Ledger was perhaps best known for his 2005 portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned him an Oscar nomination.

"I felt that choices were being made for me, so I feel this has been my time now to find the good stories and test myself," Ledger told the Glasgow Herald in the 2005 interview. "It has been an interesting year, where I finally have a sense of accomplishment."

Asked how he felt about filming love scenes with another man, Ledger said he and his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal simply focused on their roles.

"We can't say that we weren't nervous about it," Ledger told Oprah Winfrey in 2006. "But once the first take was over, it's like, 'OK. So what? It's kissing another human being. How are we going to finish this scene? Let's get on with it and let's get out of here.' "

In a written statement, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said it mourns Ledger's death, adding that his portrayal of Del Mar "changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways."

Ledger has a daughter, Matilda Rose, born in 2005 to his then-girlfriend, Michelle Williams, who played his on-screen wife, Alma, in "Brokeback Mountain." The couple have since separated.

"He was just so respected in the industry," said Kim Serafin, senior editor of In Touch Weekly.

"It's just horribly tragic. He was just a fine actor and a good person, so this is horribly sad and very unexpected."

[bjmdds]

He was so wrapped up in the role of the Joker he had to take Ambien sleeping pills to get the character out of his mind to sleep. At 28, he was much younger than Nicholson was when he played the role in 1989. This unfortunate news will probably be a magnet for the audiences to see him in his last feature film, as was the last Elvis concert TV special in 1977, just after his death.

[stockslivevan]

I was shocked and thought it was some kind of hoax until CNN started covering it. Very tragic.

[The Sweeney]

I can't believe it.

[Kristatos]

This unfortunate news will probably be a magnet for the audiences to see him in his last feature film, as was the last Elvis concert TV special in 1977, just after his death.

I had the opposite reaction. I was looking forward to The Dark Knight, but now I think I'm going to find it tough to watch.

[carl stromberg]

That's a bit of a shocker.

[Goldeneye]

He was so wrapped up in the role of the Joker he had to take Ambien sleeping pills to get the character out of his mind to sleep. At 28, he was much younger than Nicholson was when he played the role in 1989. This unfortunate news will probably be a magnet for the audiences to see him in his last feature film, as was the last Elvis concert TV special in 1977, just after his death.

I had not heard about his trouble getting out of character.

[bjmdds]

They showed a recent interview where he stated he would not mind if he were dead given he would live on in his 2 year old child, but then said, he needs to be around to watch his child live. He took his breakup with his wife very hard his friends said. It probably was not a good time to play the character of the Joker in his tortured life I guess.

[FormerBondFan]

Ledger wasn't married.

[FormerBondFan]

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/heath-ledgers ... e/13631?nc

By Us Magazine
2 hours, 58 minutes ago

Heath Ledger and his daughter Matilda Rose Ledger on November 17, 2007.Us Magazine Heath Ledger's 2-year-old daughter Matilda Rose will inherit the late actor's entire $16.6 million estate, according to Perth, Australia's Sunday Times.

The Dark Knight star -- who died last January of a prescription drug overdose at the age of 28 -- had named his parents and sisters as the beneficiaries in his will.

But the will was made before the birth of his daughter. Some reports speculated that Ledger's ex Michelle Williams would lodge a claim.

But Ledger's father Kim tells Perth's Sunday Times, "There is no claim. Our family has gifted everything to Matilda."

In March, Kim issued a statement: "Matilda is an absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family. They will be taken care of and that's how Heath would want it to be."

Both Williams and Ledger's family recently pledged to contribute an undisclosed amount to a scholarship to help emerging Australian actors and honor the memory of Ledger.

Applications are available online and will be accepted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 28, with the first beneficiary to be announced by mid-February.

[Dr. No]

It is good to know his family has some commonsense. Too many would keep the cash because they can.

[Dr. No]

Following up this sad story. Ledger's family seems to have their priorities right .

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedish ... ers-f.html
Heath Ledger's family on the Oscar, Matilda and his 'last film'
Heath Ledger's family's acceptance speech brought tears to everyone's eyes during Sunday night's Oscar telecast.

Backstage, the slightly overwhelmed family talked about their late son's Joker role, the details of the Oscar going to Heath's daughter, Matilda, and his final final role, in Terry Gilliam's next film.

His sister Kate Ledger was asked to elaborate on Heath's sense that this role was going to be important.

"When he came home for Christmas a year ago, he had been sending me shots and bits and pieces from the film," his sister said. "And he hadn't seen it, I hadn't seen it. No one had really seen it, but he knew. And I said to him, 'I have a feeling this is it for you. You're going to get a nomination for this. You know, for the Academy.' And he just looked at me and smiled. So he knew."

On taking the Oscar statuette home to Australia or handing it off Matilda, Kate said, "Obviously, it belongs to Matilda, so whatever has to happen. In the meantime, we don't know — or we haven't discussed it — because we're not too sure at this stage. But I'm sure it will just go somewhere secure in the meantime. And obviously, it will end up with Matilda.”

Heath's dad, Kim Ledger, added, "We intend, obviously, to keep it for Matilda. Whichever is the best way to keep it. With the Oscar, you're all aware what they do in this special circumstance for somebody when somebody passes away, then the next of kin, in this case Matilda, will be the recipient. But she can't sign for it until she's 18, so it stays in trust here or in Australia. We'll work that out, but possibly in trust here until Matilda turns 18."

How much is Matilda aware of about all the Oscar fuss about her father?

Kim Ledger says, "Well, firstly, I think Michelle keeps Matilda closeted in a nice way. I [don't] think she really knows very much about the fuss of what's going on, which I think is a good thing. And Michelle will make the decisions here when it's appropriate to celebrate this kind of thing. You know, she'll be an age when she can celebrate it, and Michelle will make that decision, I'm sure.

Are they looking forward to seeing "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"? Have they seen any footage yet?

Keep reading to find out more about Heath's real final film, how much Matilda is like Heath, and their relationship with her mother, Michelle Williams ...

Photo: WireImage

"We've seen a little bit of footage," Kate said. "He'd only completed, I think, about a third of the film. And then we've had some incredible actors — Johnny Depp and Jude Law and Colin Farrell — step in to complete it. And I think it's going to be, yeah, amazing. Terry is amazing, and Heath always had such enthusiasm and interest in whatever Terry was doing.”

What do they see of Heath in Matilda?

Heath's mum, Sally Bell, replies, "I think just to look at Matilda, to know that she's totally like her daddy. She has the same mannerisms. I really feel he's in her." She adds that she looks a little like him too.

Have they spoken to Matilda's mum, Michelle Williams?

"Not just yet, because we've just come here," says Kate. "But we're very close with Michelle. She's doing an amazing job with Matilda, and we speak all the time so we're in constant contact and always will be."