NEW YORKHeath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan apartment, and police said drugs may have been a factor. The Australian-born actor was 28. Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the residence in the tony SoHo neighborhood, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. A housekeeper who went to let him know the massage therapist had arrived found him dead at 3:26 p.m.

A large crowd of paparazzi and gawkers began gathering Tuesday evening outside the building on an upscale block, where several police officers guarded the door.

Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," where he met Michelle Williams in 2005. The two lived together in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda, until they split up last year.

Ledger most recently appeared 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 Tuesday for best supporting actress.

Ledger was to appear as the Joker this year in "The Dark Night," a sequel 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.

Just another example of how fame is NOT all it's cracked up to be.  Sad.  Very sad.

What a shame, someone so young on top of the world per say and it ends like this.

Among other things, he left a child without a father. :'(

If it was suicide, what a selfish, cowardly act. If it was an accidental OD, what a selfish and irresponsible act.

Flechero, you took the words right out of my mouth.

Flechero, you took the words right out of my mouth.

x2

Suicide is a permenant solution to a temperary problem no the way to go!!!

yupp will always be remembered for his part in brokeback mountian in which he won a grammy...

but seriouly he had ever thing going for him very selfish... i feel bad for his family  :'(

Sean

You guys don't even know the situation he was in or what really happened.

I wouldn't go calling him selfish just yet.

yupp will always be remembered for his part in brokeback mountian in which he won a grammy...

A Grammy?  For a film role?  :-?

If drugs are the reason then i dont feel sorry for him i feel sorry for his daughter who has to grow up without a father, and his wife who has to go through the pain of losing her husband and having to raise the girl on her own. I hope it wasn't his fault.

If drugs are the reason then i dont feel sorry for him i feel sorry for his daughter who has to grow up without a father, and his wife who has to go through the pain of losing her husband and having to raise the girl on her own. I hope it wasn't his fault.

He wasn't married to the mother of his child. She probably will not have any rights to his estate, except child support hopefully. Nothing seems good about this situation. Sad, very sad.

Ronnie

You guys don't even know the situation he was in or what really happened.

I wouldn't go calling him selfish just yet.

Okay, then please explain to me in exactly which situation is it acceptable to take your own life and leave your 2 year old daughter to grow up not having her father around.

You guys don't even know the situation he was in or what really happened.

True, it was reported on the local news as drug related, and implied it was suicide.  I shouldn't have assumed they checked the facts...  If it turns out that he was not responsible for it, I'll delete my post above.

He wasn't married to the mother of his child. She probably will not have any rights to his estate, except child support hopefully.

One can only hope that he had a will and had a provision for his daughter...

if not-

The state laws vary on intestacy.... the daughter is very likely (the or) a primary heir, and the courts would appoint a guardian to the minor for the financial oversight.  

yupp will always be remembered for his part in brokeback mountian in which he won a grammy...

A Grammy? For a film role? :-?

LOL, Thank you.

And he didn't win anything for Brokeback...was only nominated.

You guys don't even know the situation he was in or what really happened.

I wouldn't go calling him selfish just yet.

Okay, then please explain to me in exactly which situation is it acceptable to take your own life and leave your 2 year old daughter to grow up not having her father around.

Nobody knows the whole story though.Just simply implying that.It was prescription drugs.Did the doctor recommend that many?Did he take the right dose but his body just couldn't handle it? Nobody knows just yet.

Just don't jump the guns too quick and come to a conclusion that might not be facts.

This whole thing however does show the deadly sign of prescription drugs.Prescription dugs will kill if not taken correctly.

Hell Elvis died the same way.... :-/

I'm going to side with Grimlin on this one. The autopsy was inconclusive, and there was no suicide note. It may have been intentional or it may have been an accident, but why the rush to label the guy before his family can even get him in the ground?

The news of Heath Ledger's death was a shock to me. I always thought he was a fine actor.

If it was suicide, what a selfish, cowardly act.  If it was an accidental OD, what a selfish and irresponsible act.

I'm truly humbled by the warm display of such Christian spiritual principles,

as forgiveness and compassion.

WWJD Flech?

 All the family issues aside.

 Without trying to be calous (SP) why does this guy warrant any more ink than you neighbor?

 I'm sorry he's dead and sorry for all of the people that it affects.  

I just don't understand why it is such a new worthy deal for basicaly a no name actor.

If it was suicide, what a selfish, cowardly act. If it was an accidental OD, what a selfish and irresponsible act.

I'm truly humbled by the warm display of such Christian spiritual principles,

as forgiveness and compassion.

WWJD Flech?

What makes you think I can't or haven't forgiven him? My forgiveness doesn't change what the act was, be it cowardly, selfish or irresponsible.

I have much more compassion for those left behind to deal with the mess. I imagine JC wouldn't be so happy with it. It is discussed in scripture.

Funny that you only addressed me in your post. Even funnier that you failed to consider my second post. In your obvious quest to champion all that is right in the world, your blinders must have gotten in the way of the rest of the text.

You haven't thrown stones in a while... what made today so special?

All the family issues aside.

Without trying to be calous (SP) why does this guy warrant any more ink than you neighbor?

I'm sorry he's dead and sorry for all of the people that it affects.  

I just don't understand why it is such a new worthy deal for basicaly a no name actor.

good question.....

It's a simple truth that American culture is star struck.

One of the benefits is that it serves as a vehicle for informing the public about various issues.

The media always focuses on celebs.  The media covers it and brings on the various experts to discuss the problem, condition or whatever.

The public gets informed by this.

a good recent example of this was when Tom Cruise went bezerk on Oprah regarding Brooke Shields' post partum depression.  Mixed in with all the hoopla was alot of good info on the disease and the treatments.

You guys don't even know the situation he was in or what really happened.

True, it was reported on the local news as drug related, and implied it was suicide.  I shouldn't have assumed they checked the facts...  If it turns out that he was not responsible for it, I'll delete my post above.

He wasn't married to the mother of his child. She probably will not have any rights to his estate, except child support hopefully.

One can only hope that he had a will and had a provision for his daughter...

if not-

The state laws vary on intestacy.... the daughter is very likely (the or) a primary heir, and the courts would appoint a guardian to the minor for the financial oversight.  

Well concerning his daughter I am sure it will be a great loss for her, not really knowing her father. On the financial matters she is the daughter of Michelle Williams ( the cute blonde from Dawson's Creek), so she is pretty much set.

As far as it being suicide, nobody knows. No illegal drugs were found in his bedroom. The only pills that were found in his bedroom were prescribed by a DR, 3 in fact; a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication, a prescription for a sleeping aide, and a prescription for an anti-histamine.