RIP: Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

[Renz]

Heath’s Bad Habits Worse Than Thought
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

By Roger Friedman

Heath Ledger’s untimely tragic death at 28 on Tuesday may have been accidental, but there was a path to it.

Ledger has many friends, I am told, who will turn up in the next few days with tales to make our collective hair stand on end.

As a reporter, I hesitate to start getting into this less than a day after his passing. But from what I was told Tuesday night by someone who really knew Ledger and ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, the young actor’s problems were severe.

"When they do the autopsy it will all come out, I’m sure," says one producer who knew the couple well. "They’ll find everything."

Ledger, he says, was morose over losing his life with Williams and their baby daughter in Brooklyn. He may not have committed suicide, but he carried on, my source says, with little regard for his health or well-being.

It’s hard for the average movie fan, including yours truly, to totally grasp why a guy like Heath Ledger — drop-dead handsome, popular, incredibly talented — could be depressed about anything.

My source reminds me: "You’re being paid $10 million and wondering if you’re worth it. Then your girlfriend kicks you out, you’re separated from your child and you’re thinking: 'I’m a big movie star but not popular at home.' That’s when the trouble starts."

Ledger’s death is heartbreaking to those who knew and loved him, for his child and his parents as well as friends. I won’t belabor the point. But when all the facts are in, Ledger’s accidental death will certainly seem like one that could have been prevented.

 

[bankybruce]

Heath’s Bad Habits Worse Than Thought
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

By Roger Friedman

Heath Ledger’s untimely tragic death at 28 on Tuesday may have been accidental, but there was a path to it.

Ledger has many friends, I am told, who will turn up in the next few days with tales to make our collective hair stand on end.

As a reporter, I hesitate to start getting into this less than a day after his passing. But from what I was told Tuesday night by someone who really knew Ledger and ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, the young actor’s problems were severe.

"When they do the autopsy it will all come out, I’m sure," says one producer who knew the couple well. "They’ll find everything."

Ledger, he says, was morose over losing his life with Williams and their baby daughter in Brooklyn. He may not have committed suicide, but he carried on, my source says, with little regard for his health or well-being.

It’s hard for the average movie fan, including yours truly, to totally grasp why a guy like Heath Ledger — drop-dead handsome, popular, incredibly talented — could be depressed about anything.

My source reminds me: "You’re being paid $10 million and wondering if you’re worth it. Then your girlfriend kicks you out, you’re separated from your child and you’re thinking: 'I’m a big movie star but not popular at home.' That’s when the trouble starts."

Ledger’s death is heartbreaking to those who knew and loved him, for his child and his parents as well as friends. I won’t belabor the point. But when all the facts are in, Ledger’s accidental death will certainly seem like one that could have been prevented.

I think that article title is very misleading as the article really says nothing more than he and I have something in common, we both we left by someone and felt devistated by it at some point in our lives.

 

[bankybruce]

Looking at his film credits I really don't see one film that can be called a classic or any of his roles that were extremely memorable. I think his best acting was in Lords of Dogtown.

http://imdb.com/name/nm0005132/

I agree with Lords of Dogtown, but he was great in Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain as well. I also think we are going to see something speacial on the new Batman.

 

[Linderbee]

I absolutely loved the Patriot, and have not sat through Brokeback Mountain yet, but I am sure that I will now.

Truly sad.

Me neither. We can watch it together. I am certain it hasn't been on your list of must-sees, but I have always wanted to see it.

 

[Stout]

Thank you, Joe. I've been reading this thread and making myself wait to respond until I had read everything. Speaking as a professional actor, a 'method actor', or a person using the 'method' approach, can go from complete immersion to a small use. For instance, I once used a painful memory of my dad suffering after a heart surgery to help make me cry on stage. That is a small, specific use of the 'method' approach. I knew an individual playing a role once who would go into a dark room for several hours before a performance with depressing music to get prepared for the show. That is a larger, slightly more out-of-ordinary approach. There are also actors who will completely turn into the character they are portraying in order to act the role. Sasha Baron Cohen (sp?) is an actor who does this, and I read somewhere that his wife can hardly deal with it (imagine having to go to bed with Borat!). I myself have never used this as a complete approach to a role, but I won't rule it out. I haven't received a big enough or important enough role to do so, but if the role warrants it, I'll do it.

The first thing I thought of after hearing about his pills and his death was the possibility that he had immersed himself in the role of the Joker. Could that be enough to put him over the edge? It could, but under normal circumstances I don't think it would. Would it push him over the edge given his personal problems? It absolutely could. We might never know, but the next few weeks may point in such a direction.

Now, anybody on this thread trying to downplay the possibility of this needs to absolutely back off, as they don't have the first idea of what they are talking about. I have seen some uneducated and ignorant posts completely denigrating the idea that method acting can drive a person to such lengths. THERE IS NO DENIAL THAT IT CAN BE A DANGEROUS THING. Was it the cause of Ledger's death? Who knows. Could it have been? Absolutely.

 

[Pariah]

I think Jack Nicholson played the Joker, rather well, and he is just fine.

This isn't a comment on the ability to mess yourself up (long or short term) playing a role, but Nicholson's Joker was clownish -- especially comapred to the phsychopath Ledger plays in The Dark Knight.

 

[Louis]

When actors become movie stars, it puts a strain on everybody. Family members get phone-called with no adjustment for the time difference; paparazzi stake out a fresh address; the rest of us lift our eyes to another personality we're obliged to have an opinion about. This is a drag for Heath Ledger, who is twenty-six and has learned to keep his personality locked in the house -- where it whines at doors, tears up furniture, gets into the yard at just the worst moments. ''In the past,'' he says, ''I've tried so hard to withhold myself — even down to giving a smile.''

David Lipsky, Rolling Stone March 2006
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9448111/heath_ledger_lonesome_cowboy

 

[Renz]

Rolled-Up Bill With Powder Reportedly Found in Heath Ledger's Apartment
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

NEW YORK — Cops investigating Heath Ledger's death found a $20 bill rolled up "in a certain way" with a powdered substance on it, which was being tested at the police lab, TMZ.com reported, citing NYPD sources.

CBS 2 in New York City is reporting that cops found drug packets along with the $20 bill in Ledger's apartment, and that the manner in which the bill was rolled made them "suspicious."

Earlier Wednesday, an autopsy on the Oscar-nominated "Brokeback Mountain" actor was inconclusive, and more tests are needed, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office said.

A spokeswoman for the office, Ellen Borakove, said Wednesday it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation.

Police on Wednesday said they found bottles of prescription sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication in his bedroom and in the bathroom; there were still pills in the bottles.

Earlier, police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.

The 28-year-old Australia-born actor's ex-fiancée, 27-year-old actress Michelle Williams, was flying to New York from Sweden with their 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, her father said.

"It has just broken everybody's heart in my family," Larry Williams, Michelle's dad, told The Daily Telegraph in Australia. "My heart goes out to everyone, his family, my family, we are just very saddened. The saddest thing is his daughter, whom he just loved dearly."

Ledger was found dead Tuesday at his downtown Manhattan residence, face-down and naked at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills in the apartment, police said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324802,00.html

 

[Covert Rain]

No Illegal Drugs

It appears the story is back to no illegal drugs. Is it me or does the fact that he was naked at the end of his bed seem odd? Maybe he wasn't alone when it happened and the other person booked when HL passed out from whatever.

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updated 1 hour, 19 minutes ago

NEW YORK - A rolled-up $20 bill was found near Heath Ledger’s body, though no illegal drugs were found in his apartment, police said Wednesday — the same day an autopsy on the “Brokeback Mountain” actor came back inconclusive.
The bill would be taken to a lab for testing, though no visible drug residue was found on it, police said. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly released the information at a Manhattan news conference, but did not elaborate on whether police think the bill, discovered on the floor near Ledger’s bed, may have been used to snort drugs.
The Australian-born actor was found dead Tuesday by his housekeeper and a massage therapist — lying naked and face-down on the floor at the foot of his bed, police said. Prescription sleeping pills and anti-anxiety pills were found in bottles in Ledger’s bedroom and bathroom, and police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

First, thanks Chris for shutting down the thread when it got out of control.

Second, while I don't think it is off limits to discuss rationally your feelings about how he died but I do think it can be done without personal attacks on other posters.

Please try to keep this thread under control. If anyone has a problem with a post - please report it. I'll selectively edit the crap out of the thread as we go forward.

Thanks, BIM

 

[SuperSpck]

It appears the story is back to no illegal drugs. Is it me or does the fact that he was naked at the end of his bed seem odd?

It's how I catch my Z's. Maybe nothing odd about that.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

First call after Ledger was found: Olsen
By TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jan 23, 2008

A massage therapist who discovered a lifeless Heath Ledger in his Manhattan apartment made her first call to Mary-Kate Olsen, according to an in-depth timeline police released Wednesday of the moments surrounding the Australian-born actor's death.

Police said Ledger probably died sometime between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday of what authorities say may be an accidental drug overdose.

Authorities found six types of prescription drugs in Ledger's apartment, including pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe, where Ledger had been filming recently.

Ledger's housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, arrived at his apartment with her own key and let herself in. At 1 p.m., she went to his bedroom to change a light bulb, and saw Ledger sleeping and heard him snoring. She left the room without thinking anything was wrong.

At 2:45 p.m., massage therapist Diana Wolozin showed up for her appointment with Ledger, who didn't answer when she knocked on his door. She then tried to call him on his cell phone, but again got no response. She went into the bedroom, set up her massage table and again tried to wake Ledger.

Wolozin told police that Ledger was cold to the touch, but that she assumed he was just unconscious. She grabbed his cell phone and called Mary Kate Olsen, whose number was programmed into the phone. Wolozin knew that the "Full House" star and Ledger were friends, and she asked Olsen for advice on what she should do next.

Olsen, who also lives in Manhattan but was in California at the time, responded by saying she would send over her private security guards to help deal with the situation. In the ensuing moments, Wolozin realized that Ledger might be dead. She called Olsen again, then called 911.

The emergency operator provided Wolozin directions on how to do CPR, but it was too late.

Paramedics arrived minutes later — at about the same time as Olsen's security guards.

Messages left at telephone numbers listed for Wolozin and Solomon were not returned Wednesday.

 

[Covert Rain]

It appears he went in his sleep. I guess if you have to go, I would rather go that way peacefully. If she heard the guy snoring and within the next hour or so he died, that means his body probably shut down from the sleeping pills.

The $20 bill came back clean as a whistle and their were no illegal drugs. So at the very least we can put the illegal drug thing to bed.

 

[bankybruce]

It appears he went in his sleep. I guess if you have to go, I would rather go that way peacefully. If she heard the guy snoring and within the next hour or so he died, that means his body probably shut down from the sleeping pills.

The $20 bill came back clean as a whistle and their were no illegal drugs. So at the very least we can put the illegal drug thing to bed.

That will be nice since the media has had a field day with possible drug use.

Hopefully now, he can rest in peace.

 

[former user 1]

What I still don't understand is why the masseuse would call Olsen, who was in California, instead of just dialing 911. I mean, even little kids know to dial 911 when there is an emergency. The masseuse called the cops 45 minutes after she first called Olsen. People.com is saying that it only took emergency services 7 minutes to get there ... 7 minutes! If I were an official investigating this case I would absolutely be asking the masseuse why she waited to call 911.

 

[Louis]

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/19635999.html

Ledger's death delays White House event

Ledger's death delays White House event

ASSOCIATED PRESS​

01/23/2008

WASHINGTON -- The death of actor Heath Ledger prompted the White House to postpone President Bush's event on Wednesday promoting an ad campaign aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse.

Ledger, 28, who was nominated for an Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead Tuesday in his New York apartment. There were sleeping pills near him, but the cause of his death remains under investigation.

The president was to make a statement in the Roosevelt Room on the Office of National Drug Control Policy's television advertisement about preventing prescription drug abuse. A federally financed study released in December at the White House showed illicit drug use by teens continued to gradually decline overall this year, but the use of prescription painkillers remained popular among young people.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush's event had been scheduled for a while.

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," she said.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

What I still don't understand is why the masseuse would call Olsen, who was in California, instead of just dialing 911. I mean, even little kids know to dial 911 when there is an emergency. The masseuse called the cops 45 minutes after she first called Olsen. People.com is saying that it only took emergency services 7 minutes to get there ... 7 minutes! If I were an official investigating this case I would absolutely be asking the masseuse why she waited to call 911.

The masseuse new she was staying at a Holiday Inn Express so he/she figured Olsen could help revive Heath...


Okay, now that that is out of the way. People who panic don't do things that make sense....

 

[former user 1]

The masseuse new she was staying at a Holiday Inn Express so he/she figured Olsen could help revive Heath...

But how is that possible when all the reports I have read state that Mark-Kate Olsen was in California at the time? How was Mary-Kate going to help revive him?

 

[PortlandCardFan]

But how is that possible when all the reports I have read state that Mark-Kate Olsen was in California at the time? How was Mary-Kate going to help revive him?

The powers of HIE are amazing....

 

[Louis]

Heath Ledger's death has caused a lot of arguments in this thread.

Speaking of reacting to Ledger's death, here's a man from Fox News

On the day Heath Ledger died, Gibson opened his show with funeral music that had clips from Brokeback Mountain dubbed in. When the iconic quote from the movie, “I wish I knew how to quit you,” is played, Gibson responds with, “Well, he found out how to quit you.”

He went on to cold heartedly ridicule the tragedy and even called Ledger a ‘weirdo’ even though he did not know him. He rambled on, adding that Heath had a ’serious drug problem’ because he read it on TMZ and ‘TMZ is right about everything….about 90% of the time’

After that came the clip, “We’re dead,” as spoken by Ledger in the movie. Followed by Gibson repeating it. Then the clip again.

He brought up Ledger’s death throughout the remainder of his show, joking that maybe Heath killed himself because he was going to lose money in the stock market, or that maybe he was a John Edwards supporter.

 

[Rivercard]

If I were an official investigating this case I would absolutely be asking the masseuse why she waited to call 911.

Yes, she rubs me the wrong way.....

 

[abomb]

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," she said.

I thought the delay seemed ridiculous until I read that part yesterday.

Heath Ledger's death has caused a lot of arguments in this thread.

Speaking of reacting to Ledger's death, here's a man from Fox News

On the day Heath Ledger died, Gibson opened his show with funeral music that had clips from Brokeback Mountain dubbed in. When the iconic quote from the movie, “I wish I knew how to quit you,” is played, Gibson responds with, “Well, he found out how to quit you.”

He went on to cold heartedly ridicule the tragedy and even called Ledger a ‘weirdo’ even though he did not know him. He rambled on, adding that Heath had a ’serious drug problem’ because he read it on TMZ and ‘TMZ is right about everything….about 90% of the time’

After that came the clip, “We’re dead,” as spoken by Ledger in the movie. Followed by Gibson repeating it. Then the clip again.

He brought up Ledger’s death throughout the remainder of his show, joking that maybe Heath killed himself because he was going to lose money in the stock market, or that maybe he was a John Edwards supporter.

That is terrible. I hate Faux News.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I thought the delay seemed ridiculous until I read that part yesterday.



That is terrible. I hate Faux News.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

It will be interesting to see the fall out if he died with any Ambien/Stillnox in is system. I am fairly certain a lot of people are dependent on it, including most of Hollywood.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Heath Ledger's death has caused a lot of arguments in this thread.

Speaking of reacting to Ledger's death, here's a man from Fox News

On the day Heath Ledger died, Gibson opened his show with funeral music that had clips from Brokeback Mountain dubbed in. When the iconic quote from the movie, “I wish I knew how to quit you,” is played, Gibson responds with, “Well, he found out how to quit you.”

He went on to cold heartedly ridicule the tragedy and even called Ledger a ‘weirdo’ even though he did not know him. He rambled on, adding that Heath had a ’serious drug problem’ because he read it on TMZ and ‘TMZ is right about everything….about 90% of the time’

After that came the clip, “We’re dead,” as spoken by Ledger in the movie. Followed by Gibson repeating it. Then the clip again.

He brought up Ledger’s death throughout the remainder of his show, joking that maybe Heath killed himself because he was going to lose money in the stock market, or that maybe he was a John Edwards supporter.

Is there an actual clip of this?? I wouldn't put it past whoever this person is, as he is a TV personality after all and for the most part, scruples are not in adbundance there. Still, I need to see some evidence before I believe this...