Heath Ledger RIP

[R_of_G]

Apparently actor Heath Ledger has died... very sad for his family

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/b...012208.article

Actor Heath Ledger found dead in Olsen's apartment


January 22, 2008
BY TOM HAYS Associted Press
NEW YORK — Heath Ledger was found dead today at a downtown Manhattan residence, and police said drugs may have been a factor. He was 28.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let him know the masseuse had arrived found him dead at 3:26 p.m.





The New York Times reports the apartment was "inhabited by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police" and that "signs pointed to a suicide."

The Australian-born actor was nominated for an Oscar for ‘‘Brokeback Mountain,’’ where he met his wife, actress Michelle Williams, in 2005. Ledger and Williams had lived in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda, until they split up last year.

Ledger was to appear as the Joker this year in ‘‘The Dark Night,’’ a sequel (partly filmed in Chicago) to 2005’s ‘‘Batman Begins.’’ He’s had starring roles in ‘‘A Knight’s Tale’’ and ‘‘The Patriot,’’ and played the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton in ‘‘Monster’s Ball.’’

Ledger grew up in Perth, and began doing amateur theater at age 10. At 16, he moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career, quickly landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.

After several independent films and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series ‘‘Roar,’’ Ledger moved to Los Angeles and costarred in ‘‘10 Things I Hate About You,’’ a teen comedy reworking of ‘‘The Taming of the Shrew.’’

Offers for other teen flicks came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn’t like.

‘‘It wasn’t a hard decision for me,’’ Ledger said in 2001. ‘‘It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, ‘You’re crazy,’ my parents were like, ‘Come on, you have to eat.’ ’’

His latest role was in ‘‘I’m Not There,’’ in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan — as did Cate Blanchett, whose performance in that film earned an Oscar nomination this morning for best supporting actress.

[Algonquin]

Just saw this on the news as well.

Too bad really, he was a talented young man. It's a shame.

[Spudman***]

Sad for sure. But we all have to go when we're called.

[oldguy]

Man, that is bad news. If he did take his own life, what a shame, and what a waste of youth. We all have to go sometime......but what if one more day made a difference in someone else's life....in a positive way??? Sad...

[Robert****]

Doesn't quite seem like a natural death, does it? It is particularly sad when a person dies way too young.

[Jimi75]

I saw this on the breaking news on CNN yesterday, just one or two hour after he was found dead.

THIS IS SO DARN SAD!

Such a great actor! I remember seeing him for the first time in the movie "10 things I hate about you". It was great watching it, because it was shot in Seattle and I recognized all the surroundings because one year prior I had been for a long time in Seattle. Plus he looked like a good friend of mine. His later films were great, too - especially Broke Back Mountain is a masterpiece.

28 years old.....to me it seems as if all the young ones that die, die around 27-28, look at Jimi, Jim Morrison, Janis, Kurt, they were all that age.

R.I.P. Heath!

[R_of_G]

The first thing I recall seeing him in was "Lords of Dogtown" in which he played surf/skate shop owner Mitch Engblom. I thought he was great in that role, particularly having previously seen the "Dogtown and Z-Boys" documentary which preceded the feature film on that scene. The only other thing he did which I saw was "Brokeback Mountain," and again I thought he gave a great performance. He was definitely a very talented young man.

[oldguy]

I was reading this morning that he'd been suffering from terrible insomnia and had been taking sleeping pills to help get some rest. Also that the "suicide" statement may have been premature. Either way he's gone, but I get pi$$ed at the way the media sensationalizes every story. Sad no matter what the reason.

[R_of_G]

I was reading this morning that he'd been suffering from terrible insomnia and had been taking sleeping pills to help get some rest. Also that the "suicide" statement may have been premature. Either way he's gone, but I get pi$$ed at the way the media sensationalizes every story. Sad no matter what the reason.

The media coverage shows how far off-track this society of ours can get sometimes. They're so quick to get ratings and generate coverage that the facts wind up just another victim.

Techincally speaking though, if he did accidentally overdose, it's still considered suicide, though it would be termed "accidental suicide," the point being that he still died as a result of his own actions, albeit that not being the intended result of his actions. Either way, I think the media should wait until all the facts are known before hyping any specific angle of a tragic story. However he went, he had a child and that child now has to grow up without a father. That's sad no matter how he passed.

[Tone2TheBone]

I remember his work in Lords of Dog Town also and in The Patriot. He will be missed. Tragic.