Every news outlet is breaking with the news of the death of 28-year-old heartthrob Heath Ledger. MSNBC reports that Ledger was found dead in his bed at his residence in Soho, New York. Apparently a housekeeper found him surrounded in a bed of pills.
TMZ.com is reporting that, according to NYPD, a masseuse arrived at Ledger's apartment and was let in by a housekeeper. When he didn't answer his bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened it and found him unconscious. They attempted to wake him, and when they couldn't they called 911. TMZ said when the paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ledger just recently completed the filming of the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Night, where he is portraying the Joker. I had just finished watching the preview this weekend and was amazed at how Ledger looked in the role. It was kind of scary, but it displayed his talent for acting.
This is sad news to hear for me. I had just completed college when I first saw Heath Ledger on the screen. He starred as the scary misunderstood high school student in Ten Things I Hate About You. It was hard not to fall in love with that smile and hair.
Born in Australia, it did not take Ledger long to become a household name in the U.S. for my generation. His performance alongside Mel Gibson in The Patriot quickly made him one the better-known actors that women across the country was quick to fall in love with.
Of course, it is A Knight's Tale that has to be another favorite for my husband and me. If that movie is on anywhere on television, we have to stop what we are doing and watch it.
According to Wikipedia, it was these two performances that led to awards. In 2001, he won a ShoWest Award for the Male Star of Tomorrow based on his performance in The Patriot, and worldwide release of A Knight's Tale. In 2003, he was named one of Australian GQ's Men of the Year for acting.
His most recent honors came in 2005 when Ledger received a "Best Actor in Drama" Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for that performance.
Ledger was engaged to actress Michelle Williams, whom he met on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and they had a daughter together. He is survived by two-year-old Matilda Rose. Apparently, the couple ended their relationship because of busy schedules.
My heart goes out to his family during this time. It is sad to see so much talent end during a time of his life when he was at the highest. The Batman movie was scheduled to come out in July of this year and he was in the middle of filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
I will not speculate as to what was going on in his life or how this tragedy could have happened. I will just say that it is sad to think that we will not see his full potential or him in upcoming films. His legacy and smile will forever live in the hearts of his fans.
