Heath Ledger, 28, found dead in New York apartment...

[jordanmuehl]

Source: CNN.com -- http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/22/heath.ledger.dead/index.html

 

Wow... this is shocking. Such a young guy, and a very talented actor. I was very much looking forward to his take on the Joker in The Dark Knight, but now it seems the film will be beset by this very somber event.

[bobbledude25]

Wow, I hear a pill bottle was found next to him

[JoeHova]

whoa. That really sucks, I enjoyed his work quite a bit.

[And That]

I don't want to speculate on the circumstances... I do want to say he was a very good actor, I always enjoyed watching him. He was phenomenal in Brokeback Mountain and Ned Kelly. He even made The Brothers Grimm watchable. Too bad.

 

Also strange to me as I was going to go watch I'm Not There tonight. Best of wishes to his family, especially his child.

[brettac1]

Ugh. That's a shame.

 

I really liked him in "Candy", even.

[TooLiveBrew]

Police have confirmed that drug use may have played a role in his death, but haven't announced it as the official cause of death yet.

 

"'We are investigating the possibility of an overdose,' [NYPD spokesman Paul] Browne said."

[jordanmuehl]

He seemed to have everything going for him, too. While I don't doubt that drugs played a factor, I just can't believe he would need to turn to them. He's not one of those guys that you look at and immediately assume is strung-out.

[jaybird2001wi]

I will always remember him as the guy who once dated Naomi Watts of "Mulholland Drive" and "The Ring" fame. He was actually one of the very few young actors who didn't fit the norm of being troubled by any means. This news came out of left field. Never even knew he was into drugs. Drugs may have been a factor, but it could have been accidental or something.

[bobbledude25]

I just heard that the apartment is owned by actress Mary-Kate Olsen....

[TooLiveBrew]

As morbid as it is to say, I'd hope a million times over that this was an intentional overdose versus an accidental one. The guy has a young daughter (with Michelle Williams)... so sad, however it happened.

 

http://www.layercake.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/hmm.jpg

 

 

http://i.ivillage.com/E/325/mini_me/E_Mathilda_325.jpg

[RobertR]

I'm struck that while his professional life seemed in great shape, his role as The Joker should have made him a household name, his personal life must have been a real mess. That fact that he was no longer with his child and ex- certainly takes on added significance now.

 

Robert

[pogokat]

this is one of the weirder hollywood deaths in a while...

consider these details:

---found naked

---surrounded by pills

---mary-kate olsen's apartment

---found by masuese

---3:30 in the afternoon...

 

very strange...if i had to guess, i think this was probably a suicide...anyway, not expected in any way...definitely a will be missed guy...he was a very good actor...i feel like i would if an athlete i enjoyed watching died

[cweber39]

this is terrible news. I liked him in the Patriot a lot.

Just by seeing the The Dark Knight previews, it looked like he was going to be an amazing Joker, if the role continued after this Batman.

This is just shocking..........

[SeriesFinale]

I'm struck that while his professional life seemed in great shape, his role as The Joker should have made him a household name, his personal life must have been a real mess. That fact that he was no longer with his child and ex- certainly takes on added significance now.

 

Robert

Depression is irrational but still real.

 

That said, I have no idea if this was suicide or what or if he suffered from mental illness or what...it's just all sad regardless. He had what it took to be have possible grown to become one of the all-time greats.

[Paul77]

Awhile back I read that before filming for the new Batman movie began that he locked himself in a motel room for a few months to "get into character". He said he would stay up all night trying to think of things that the Joker would find funny (AIDS topped his list). The said he averaged 2 hours sleep a night - trying to run his body down like he imagined the Joker might feel.

 

Anyhow, after filming wrapped he said he had a very hard time getting back into a normal routine and began using sleeping pills which he said "failed to work". I wonder if the drug in this case was simply something stronger he hoped would help him sleep better.

[brewcrewreview]

I don't get why this is a shame or terrible news. He did it to himself, therefore I have absolutely no sympathy for him.

[And That]

IF he did it to himself or not, there's still the young daughter to be thought of. Surely you must feel some sympathy or heartache for her? Or maybe other family members?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I don't get why this is a shame or terrible news. He did it to himself, therefore I have absolutely no sympathy for him.

Ironic, considering your sympathy for professional baseball players and professional wrestlers who are accused of using steroids and/or other unnatural body enhancers. Kind of the pot calling the kettle black, if you ask me.

[RobertR]

I do think we should wait for more information. It's quite possible that since Ledger reportedly had trouble sleeping that it was no more than an accidental overdose. Other explanations are possible of course, drug abuse and suicide, but we don't need to rush to judgement.

 

Edit: And yes I may have been guilty of judging too early above as well.

 

Robert

[TooLiveBrew]

It's quite possible that since Ledger reportedly had trouble sleeping that it was no more than an accidental overdose.

Well...

 

He said he averaged 2 hours sleep a night - trying to run his body down like he imagined the Joker might feel.

 

Anyhow, after filming wrapped he said he had a very hard time getting back into a normal routine and began using sleeping pills which he said "failed to work". I wonder if the drug in this case was simply something stronger he hoped would help him sleep better.

 

Geez, I just hope it wasn't accidental - for his sake. If it was intentional, then it is what it is, I guess. I wonder if there's a real chance that it was stronger sleeping pills that got him really hooked... then mixed with a night of drinking? Ugh. In any event, I apologize for speculating.

[pitchleague]

call me ignorant but how do you "accidentally" overdose on something? He/she knows they are taking the pills so . . . . or is it more along the lines of taking something (aspirin, for example) for a headache and taking some more within the prescribed time because the first dose doesn't work fast enough for you? and then it keeps spiraling because you take more due to lack of patience?

 

this is an honest post, by the way. I don't know how it works. This is my assumption.

[Ralph Wiggum]

call me ignorant but how do you "accidentally" overdose on something? He/she knows they are taking the pills so . . . . or is it more along the lines of taking something (aspirin, for example) for a headache and taking some more within the prescribed time because the first dose doesn't work fast enough for you? and then it keeps spiraling because you take more due to lack of patience?

 

this is an honest post, by the way. I don't know how it works. This is my assumption.

I think you are prety close to correct. It's important to remember that a lot of these drugs severely impare your judgment, which can lead to someone taking moe than the prescribed/recommended dosage, especially in a small time frame.

[brewerjamie15]

call me ignorant but how do you "accidentally" overdose on something? He/she knows they are taking the pills so ...

 

I suppose I'm ignorant as well. I don't know how you could "accidentally" OD on anything either besides forgetting you took some and then some more but even then, you would most likely need to be taking quite a bit of medication. I'd have to guess that the pill companies put just enough in each pill to make you sleepy or less sore or whatever. I'd have to say that if the bottle says a dosage is 2 pills and you take 4, you won't die.

I'm only guessing here but it sure seems to me that if you die from pills it's because you meant to.

[brewers19]

I don't get why this is a shame or terrible news. He did it to himself, therefore I have absolutely no sympathy for him.

 

 

That's a pretty damn insensitive thing to say. Someone died under unfortunate circumstances at a fairly young age, how is that not a shame and terrible news?

 

If it was an accident, then it's tragic. If it wasn't an accident, it's still tragic because something drove him to it and he didn't get the help he needed before it was too late. I fail to see how this is anything but a very saddening occurrence.

[Schlitz001]

I haven't seen to many of his movies, but I saw him on Oprah promoting "Brokeback Mountain" and he seemed like a really genuine and sincere human being and I feel terrible for his family and especially his child. It seems to me as though this is a suicide and that is a damn shame.