Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Heath Ledger

MSNBC is reporting 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger was found dead today in his apartment. More comment later when details are available.

UPDATE: Reports are that Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment, and may have died as a result of either an accidental overdose or suicide. Apparently, he was found with what is believed to be sleeping pills scattered around his body.

I recall Ledger from his role in The Patriot, but it was his role in Monster's Ball that made me take notice of his artistry. His work as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain deserved an Academy Award.

He was a real artist.

UPDATE II: Reports are scaling back on the idea of suicide. The sleeping pills are now described to have been "on a nightstand beside his bed," and there is talk of Ledger having pneumonia. This very well could have been the result of a tragic accident.

11 comments:

Ian C. said...

Wow. Just... wow.

I don't know what else to say. That's unbelievable. Only 28 years old.

I try not to pay too much heed to celebrity news, but what a shocker. He was a great talent.

The Film Geek said...

He was a terrific talent, Ian. A real artist. I'm very curious to see how this plays out over the next few days. Already several media outlets are subscribing to suicide.

larryosaurus said...

Isn't that the guy who called DubVians "racist bastards" or something?

The Film Geek said...

I forgot about that, Jackie. During an interview about Brokeback, he was told some in WV (and Utah) wanted to ban the movie, and he said: “I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it but that’s a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago so that’s to be expected."

Elvis Drinkmo said...

I guess they finished his role as the Joker in the new Batman film. There's something I find sort of creepy about someone who's dead starring in a new film. Like Aliya in Queen of Damned.

The Film Geek said...

I hear ya, Elvis. My first thought was: "Ohmigod, did he finish Batman?" then, very quickly" "Oh, man, that's gonna be strange."

Reports are that he had been getting some attention of late for turning down roles he normally would have been taking.

Evil Twin's Wife said...

I just feel super sorry for his daughter with Michelle Williams. Poor little baby.

Barbie Girl said...

I am incredibly sad over this. He was extremely talented.

Buzzardbilly said...

Now it's starting to remind me of when Jim Henson died from the flu. One of those fucked-up things nobody ever saw coming.

Who knows? We can be sure the gossip media will be all over this.

primalscreamx said...

The uber creepy anti gay church is planning on putting in an appearance at his funeral. You have to expect this will also attract the usual entertainment sharks.

All Click said...

This was incredibly tragic and sad. He was only 28. I hope they are able to discover what happened.