Heath Ledger found dead in his apartment in Manhattan

[trailerprincess]

According to CNN and the BBC :(

[Rock]

Just heard that too. That sucks.

He wasn't the best actor in the world and really knew hot to pick some bad movies early on, but I was kind of curious to see how he would do after this new batman. I'm actually a bit more sad than i thought I would be.

[beastiegirrl101]

all that I found (http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/753139,ledger012208.article)

I just got an email from my mom that Keith Ledger was found dead.....oh mom.


Dude, wow.

[Parkey]

Shit.

[kaiser soze]

Whoa, another young actor dead :(

[DandyFop]

Whoah. This really freaks me out because I just saw a movie two nights ago at the festival that stars Michelle Williams. In it she has a son and a husband (their marriage isn't really working - hence making me think of this movie due to Heath Ledger and Michelle's engagement break off AND kid) and they die. Whoahhh. (If anyone gives a shit this isn't really a spolier)

[MC Moot]

shiiiiittttt...that's tragic...the man had such potential...next Batman will box office break records....:(

[ms.peachy]

Really, really unfortunate. I am sad to hear this.

[saz]

:(

i can't believe it. just did a google news search and it's everywhere. it's going to be weird watching him in the dark knight this summer. i wonder if it was an accidental death, because i just can't see him committing suicide, his career was taking off.



January 22, 2008, 4:42 pm

Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead
By Sewell Chan

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain”, a 2005 film. The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”

Calls by The New York Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

Thomas J. Lueck contributed reporting.

link (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/actor-heath-ledger-is-found-dead/)

[Whatitis]

Wow!

[Burnout18]

Holy shit,,,, wow dam i was loving his joker too.

[cookiepuss]

whoa. this one is a bit shocking.

sad. I feel bad that he has a very young child that will never get to know him.(n)

[BBboy20]

Oh fuck...

[adrockmelanie]

Just heard that too. That sucks.

I was kind of curious to see how he would do after this new batman. I'm actually a bit more sad than i thought I would be.

that's exactly what i thought.

[Burnout18]

ummm,,, im guessing they were done filming batman. Right?

[BBboy20]

From what others are saying, no...

[Caribou]

Dude. Fuck. Woah...

I'm in shock.

:(

[b-grrrlie]

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!

[HEIRESS]

its the talk of the office!

[alikat]

This is so sad. I just watched Brokeback again last week and it made me cry, again. He was a great talent. Life is short.

[MC Moot]

I'd just like to say "Four Feathers" was a greatly overlooked movie...it was on one recent Sunday...check it out if you have yet to...memorial style...

[Planetary]

possible drug overdose/drug related death

[cookiepuss]

Life is short.
yeah. it's even shorter when you kill yourself. :(

[Rock]

i don't know if its because of Brad Renfro and now Heath dying, but does it seem like a lot more actors are dying younger these days than they were 10 or 20 years ago? Or was I just not paying attention?

[MIKEtotheD]

wow, i can't believe it.
what a bummer.
:(

[mikizee]

When I logged onto the board this morning I scanned the threads and went 'yep, heath ledger dead, fur, amy winehouse, yep, global economic meltdown.... WAIT A MINUTE!!! WHAT THE??'

How about that hey. Still my favourite movie of his is Two Hands.

[kleptomaniac]

RIP :(

[Guy Incognito]

I had to check something on wikipedia and they have already given him a date of death and I just forgot what i wanted to check.

He was way too young to be doing that.

[kll]

imdb claims that batman is in post-production, so i would imagine it's already been shot.

[DandyFop]

Someone that I work with who would definitley know says that they finished filming in December or something.

[mikizee]

This is totally going to change the way the movie will be marketed and perceived. I hope things won't go down the usual path of glorifying somebody once their dead, like if he wasnt dead critics would say 'Heath did a good job with this role'. Now that he's dead critics will say 'Heath's best performance of his life, best actor in the world, genius, just genius'.

I can see that happening.

[kll]

post-mortem roles always creep me out - like brandon lee...

it's jut not comfortable.

[b-grrrlie]

... Still my favourite movie of his is Two Hands.
I love that one as well!

[mikizee]

Last photo of Heath (http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/22/the-last-photograph-of-heath-ledger/)

[cookiepuss]

i don't know if its because of Brad Renfro and now Heath dying, but does it seem like a lot more actors are dying younger these days than they were 10 or 20 years ago? Or was I just not paying attention?

I don't know. We haven't really had a "rising" star die on us since like River Pheonix. unless I'm missing someone, but that's the closest comparison I can make.

[b-grrrlie]

And how old was he? 28....


... just sayin'...

[Rock]

i was told that TMZ had a live feed of them moving his body. thats fucking sickening to me.

i find it strange that everyone that I have talked to about heath ledger has said the same thing. "I wasn't a huge Heath Ledger fan, but for some reason I'm kind of sad about this."

[Whatitis]

I really don't follow celebrities that much but the Sure Shots thread got me interested in his role as the Joker. I always thought he looked half out of it in some of the pics and that made a more interesting looking Joker. Drugs are bad. RIP!

[Waus]

This sucks. Not only because he's dead, but now the new Batman will be all weird because of it.
:(

[cookiepuss]

i was told that TMZ had a live feed of them moving his body. thats fucking sickening to me.

i find it strange that everyone that I have talked to about heath ledger has said the same thing. "I wasn't a huge Heath Ledger fan, but for some reason I'm kind of sad about this."


^ it's likely because there were no warning signs. he wasn't in the press as a party goer or anyone who had drug problems or risky behavior that was know to the public. I think it's also espcially sad when someone with a young child passes away.

[IzzyNYC]

So, so sad on many levels. And I really hate that the slimy gossip mags/programs are all jazzed right now because they have a huge story to capitalize on.

So sad. RIP, Heath.

[ToucanSpam]

Terrible tragedy...he had a two year old daughter too...

[Audio.]

Like many people whom posted before me I feel really bad. I was rooting for his performance on his acting and its a shock to hear it. Anyone who is young and dies will always be a shock to the mind. RIP Heath

[beastieboysbaby]

they found pills near body.

thats sad.

[Yetra Flam]

jesus christ. i was really really shocked to hear this.

[Burnout18]

This is totally going to change the way the movie will be marketed and perceived. I hope things won't go down the usual path of glorifying somebody once their dead, like if he wasnt dead critics would say 'Heath did a good job with this role'. Now that he's dead critics will say 'Heath's best performance of his life, best actor in the world, genius, just genius'.

I can see that happening.

Who the hell am i, but i was excited about the previews of him as the joker already. I mean i thought he was more creepy and more evil than jack's joker. I was/still am pumped about the movie to really see the joker. Joker's voice sounds nothing like Ledger's and it seems that he really made this his own little maniac.

Kind of wierd tho that the last the public will see of him, will be his face covered in make up.

[cookiepuss]

one of his LAST (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKa-aDga1fE)interviews.

notice the non stop fidgeting and his inability to keep track of what he's saying.:(

[BBboy20]

post-mortem roles always creep me out - like brandon lee...

it's jut not comfortable.I know but the show (TDK) has to go on.

Also, it's been reported that he had some sleeping issues so there is a possibility his OD was more so of "accident" then attempted suicide.

[Kid Presentable]

Silly bugger. Sally Fletcher lost her virginity in the back of his panel-van.

[Randetica]

just woke up and got on CNN and been like wow wtf!

im not a fan, i probably never even seen a film of him and probably still wont only cause he is dead but it was quite shocking to hear

[hitmonlee]

i'm often upset by the death of a hollywood star (brad renfro) but as soon as i heard this i burst into tears. heath's a perth boy, my ex and heath were schoolmates at guildford grammar until heath left to go and begin his film career in sydney. i was an extra on his first tv show, where he played a gay cyclist.

i'm sad that after batman, there'll be no more heath ledger projects.

i'm thankful that at least his daughter still has a mother.

:(

http://rrrojer.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/10things.jpg

[Yorkshire~Rose]

:( I am so shocked. First Brad renfro now Heath.

:(

[camo]

Just heard this on the news. Poor fella :(

[abcdefz]

Someone that I work with who would definitley know says that they finished filming in December or something.


Yeah -- principal is done. Now it's just special effects and ADR.

Fucking shame. Joker was going to be in the third movie, too. Nolan recast Katie Holmes' part, but I can't imagine them recasting Heath's.
He's supposed to be pretty amazing in this.

Fucking shame. Really good actor. (See also: Brokeback Mountain, Lords of Dogtown).

(n)(n)(n)(n)

[abcdefz]

From AICN, so take it for what it's worth:


Regarding Heath's work as The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT

Hey folks, Harry here... There's a lot of rumors swirling around right now in regards to Heath and where his involvement with THE DARK KNIGHT
was. I got it confirmed from a source involved in Post-Production on THE DARK KNIGHT. Heath's post work was complete. He had indeed
finished it, as to not interfere with the production of the film he was doing with Gilliam. We're now working to find out what's going to happen
there. The last known photo of Heath was as a clown in that film. Will Terry re-cast? What will happen? We'll try to find out for all of you.
But there will be no-dubbing on Heath in THE DARK KNIGHT - his performance was finished.

Harry

[fucktopgirl]

maybe it couldn't not deal with the fact that after brokeback, he found out he was gay.

but yea, he was a good actor.

[abcdefz]

There you go again, fgirl. Alllllllllll heart.

Too bad Heath wasn't a mink, so you'd have knee-jerk, uninformed, simulated compassion.

[Rock]

There you go again, fgirl. Alllllllllll heart.

Too bad Heath wasn't a mink, so you'd have knee-jerk, uninformed, simulated compassion.

HAHAHA

[taquitos]

HA! wheres your god now, heath!?

[cookiepuss]

so I guess all the drugs found in his apartment are perscription. but among them was anti-anxiety medication and antihistameins and sleeping pills.

if the anti-anxiety drug is a MAOI inhibitor that could very well be what did him in. there are numerous food and drug interactions that can be fatal when it comes to that type of drug.

if that's the case then this was probably an accidental death.

[abcdefz]

so I guess all the drugs found in his apartment are perscription. but among them was anti-anxiety medication and antihistameins and sleeping pills.

if the anti-anxiety drug is a MAOI inhibitor that could very well be what did him in. there are numerous food and drug interactions that can be fatal when it comes to that type of drug.

if that's the case then this was probably an accidental death.



It's generally good policy to have only one doctor writing your prescriptions if you suck at self-reporting.

And make sure it's not Elvis Presley's doctor.

[Waus]

This is a real bummer. From early reports I'd have to agree it seems like all the "PILLS FOUND AT APT" were kind of misleading, sounds like he may have just had some conflicting prescriptions or something. Anyone else see those "last known" photos? He looked downright unhealthy.

EDIT: If you missed them: http://gawker.com/817865/10642/these-are-believed-to-be-amongst-the-last-images-of-heath-ledger-alive

[Rock]

I think he had pneumonia. So yeah...its kind of hard to look healthy.

And when you are that sick all you want to do is sleep. I know I've done stupid shit like that, like taking more than the recommended dosage of nyquil to help me sleep when I'm feeling really ill. So I can see this being an accident.

Of course this is if he did have pneumonia.

[MC Moot]

In hindsight when watching past interviews with him it becomes really clear he had anxiety issues,tell tale sign of rubbing his face with almost every question asked wringing his fingers,spotty eye contact,etc,etc...:(

[HEIRESS]

his drug interactions probably wouldnt have affected a normally healthy person. but pneumonia inhibites your normal breathing pattern as it is, so it wouldnt take much for you to be overly conked out on cold medication and then stop breathing.

[Auton]

poor guy. i was really bummed out when i heard.

[Junker]

Fuck!
I liked him. Specially on Lords of Dogtown.

Well, RIP Heath!! :(

[Otis Driftwood]

Ottawans who remember August 1999 and Parliament Hill will know the name Shirley Phelps-Roper, and the woman who has been called The Most Hated Woman In America is back in the news again with her anti-homosexuality crusade, this time over the death of actor Heath Ledger, but she has some new shots against Canada as well.

Reached on the phone to explain the link God Hates Canada on the website of her Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas — headquarters of her war against the homosexuality she and church members say is destroying the world — Phelps-Roper, 50, lawyer, mother of 11, says: “Canada is like the United States, a filthy, perverted, immoral, nation. America is doomed. The Bible prophesied all of this, the end time. God chose America to show the way, the Christian principles, but it’s over, America is collapsing from within. Canada is doomed, too. I was so thankful to get out of your sick country. It has no hope.”
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group masquerading as a Christian church. Led by Fred Phelps, members — who have deluded themselves into thinking that they are followers of Jesus Christ — of this church target homosexuals with messages of hate.
The group’s extremist views and despicable behavior mark it as a cult of Christianity
Note: We file news items about the Westboro Baptist Church under the heading of ‘religious insanity,’ because in our opinion that is the kindest description of the group’s idiotic behavior.
How various religions and denominations view homosexuality
Research resources on homosexuality

Phelps-Roper had just got back from Los Angeles where, the night before, she and six others from the church, focusing on Heath Ledger, picketed the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) awards, Phelps-Roper quite proud of her own signs that said God Hates Fags and Heath In Hell and God Hates Fag Enablers.

Ledger’s sin? He played a homosexual in the movie Brokeback Mountain. Phelps-Roper: “God hates the sordid, tacky, bucket of slime, seasoned with vomit, known as Brokeback Mountain, and He hates all the persons having anything to do with it.” (God watches movies? I wonder if he puts butter on his popcorn.)

Phelps-Roper says God delivered his punishment against the “fag agenda” in America through divine homicide: Hurricane Katrina, the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center, and — get ready — the Iraq war so He could kill thousands of U.S. soldiers, hoping the nation gets His message.

Don’t pick yourself up off the floor just yet — she also states: “It’s the same with your country’s soldiers who’ve been killed in Afghanistan; it’s God’s command against the fag agenda in Canada.”

Phelps-Roper was in the local news back in ‘99 when she dispatched her father, Westboro Baptist Church pastor Fred Phelps, and one of her kids to Parliament Hill to protest the Supreme Court decision granting homosexuals equality and the right to use the word “spouse.” The kid stomped on the Canadian flag.

A month after 9/11 Shirley Phelps-Roper and seven others entered Alberta where they waved God Hates Fags signs outside six Calgary churches and the Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills where her dad graduated after, she says, “the American college he enrolled in wouldn’t accept blacks and he said ‘I’m outta here.’ ” The Institute now, she says, “has lost its way.”

I ask if she’s sure God really hates poor, little Canada. Yep, and she refers me again to her church’s website: Warning! To God’s elect: Leave Canada now!!! followed by “Canada hoisted a filthy fag finger in the face of God by passing a law making any criticism of homosexuals a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment … for years WBC has warned that Canada is a homo-fascist state where the filthy fag agenda has become the law of the land … God hates Canada.”

If one of Phelps-Roper’s own children told her he/she was gay?

“They wouldn’t tell us, they’d know better. They’d just slip away under the cover of darkness.”

You’d disown them? “I wouldn’t have to. They’d have disowned themselves. They’d be gone on their own.”

How nice. The gospel according to The Most Hated Woman In America.


Source: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/20462/shirley-phelps-roper

What a fucking nutcase... (n)

[camo]

Those fucks were mentioned in a Loius Theroux thread a while back. Some peole are just so deluded.


Last nights news mentioned he might have died from natural causes.

[Planetary]

lol @ "God Hates Fag Enablers"

crazy fucks.

UL heath ledger :(

[Rock]

http://www.yourmoviestuff.com/movie-news/dark-knight-director-remembers-heath-ledger/

[abcdefz]

http://www.yourmoviestuff.com/movie-news/dark-knight-director-remembers-heath-ledger/



Wow. They totally swiped that from Newsweek.

Anyway. Kind of cool to see how beloved Ledger was, with all the press going on. I had no idea so many people gave a damn. (y)

[icy manipulator]

yea im pretty surprised how popular he was outside of australia. and im glad to see theres other board members that like Two hands (y)

[abcdefz]

Nolan mentioned in his Newsweek article that Ledger showed him a couple of short films he'd made, and Nolan really liked them. It'd be cool
if they put those on the eventual Dark Knight DVD. (y)

[camo]

Nolan mentioned in his Newsweek article that Ledger showed him a couple of short films he'd made, and Nolan really liked them. It'd be cool
if they put those on the eventual Dark Knight DVD. (y)

It would also be nice to see some sort of pre credit dedication to him

[abcdefz]

I imagine they'll put something at the end for Ledger and the cameraman (?) who died during the camera test.

[camo]

I wonder if DK will turn into one of those movies remembered for the 'hex' seemingly surrounding the cast. Like poltergeist.

[abcdefz]

A building in Chicago caught fire from an explosion, as well.

Yeah -- I dunno.

But the cast members had been going fucking nuts about Legder's performance before this happened, so I'm sure that's quite a blow.

[MC Moot]

Fate of Ledger's last films uncertain

Production on Terry Gilliam's indie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" has temporarily shut down, while Warner execs are still determining how to adjust their marketing campaign on "The Dark Knight," which is keyed to Ledger's Joker character in its early stages.

"Parnassus" has three options: Replace Ledger in the role, shoot around him or shut down the production entirely. The insurance company will likely determine which option the producers take.

Samuel Hadida, Bill Vince and Amy Gilliam are producing the $30 million indie, which is largely financed through Hadida's Paris-based Davis Film. Ledger's involvement was a key factor in raising the coin.

Over the years other productions have employed a variety of techniques to work around the death of the actors portraying major characters. For better or worse, advancements in CGI and digital effects made it easier for producers to finish "Gladiator" and an episode of "The Sopranos" after the deaths of Oliver Reed and Nancy Marchand, respectively.

In other instances they have used stunt doubles to finish projects or reworked scenes after the star's death. James Dean's final scene in "Giant," for example, had to be looped after his death in a car crash because he mumbled so much in the shot. When Brandon Lee died during an accident on set during production of "The Crow," director Alex Proyas used a stunt double to complete scenes; Lee's face was added using special effects. That film was days away from completion, however. Similarly, a look-alike for Natalie Wood was used after her drowning death during production of "Brainstorm."

The producers used several techniques to finish "Wagons East" after John Candy died of heart failure, rewriting scenes or using a body double.

Further back, Louis B. Mayer threatened to scrap "Saratoga," when Jean Harlow died suddenly, but relented after fans demanded he release it; a body double finished the remaining scenes with her back to the camera.

River Phoenix was supposed to co-star in "Interview With the Vampire," but when he died, they recast Christian Slater in the role. He was working on another film called "Dark Blood" which was scuttled entirely.

And Chris Farley was working on "Shrek" for DreamWorks when he died; Mike Myers took over the lead voice role after his "Saturday Night Live" cohort overdosed in 1997.

Warners has a different predicament with "The Dark Knight." Production on Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" sequel is believed to largely completed -- principal photography concluded in the fall -- but the initial marketing campaign focuses on the ghoulish Joker character.

To complicate matters further, the studio has just restructured its marketing operation. International marketing topper Sue Kroll now oversees all marketing for the studio in the wake of the exit of former domestic marketing president Dawn Taubin, who developed the "Dark Knight" campaign.

Kroll will likely have to move quickly to rejigger the studio's current phase of the marketing campaign for "Dark Knight," focusing on Ledger's Joker character. This phase of the campaign had been set to run until March.

Ledger's death is just the latest production snafu to afflict Gilliam. He started shooting "Parnassus" in early December and was due to wrap in March. Production segued from London to Vancouver this week.

Ledger was the biggest name in an ensemble cast including Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. Story concerns an ancient traveling show that arrives in modern London with a magic mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination. Plummer plays the impresario Dr. Parnassus, and Ledger took the role of a mysterious outsider who joins the troupe on a quest through parallel worlds to save the doctor's daughter (Cole) from the clutches of the devil (Waits).

Gilliam previously weathered a problem that plagued shoot of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," dealing with flash floods and the injury of star Jean Rochefort before ultimately scrapping the production.

Ledger's death also came as he was working on what would have been his feature directing debut, an adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel "The Queen's Gambit," with British writer-producer Allan Scott.

The leading role of a young female chess prodigy had been offered to Oscar nominee Ellen Page. Ledger, a skilled chess player, was due to play a supporting role.

In an interview last month, a few days after shooting started on "Parnassus," Gilliam said, "Heath is extraordinary. He's just so good, and he's going to be a film director. He's watching everything, and he's going to be a much better director than I will ever be."

[MC Moot]

I wonder if DK will turn into one of those movies remembered for the 'hex' seemingly surrounding the cast. Like poltergeist.

or Wizard of OZ or The Twilight Zone or Superman...:eek:

[MC Moot]

When people (Actors/Stuntpeople/Crew) die during the making of a film I find it morbidly fascinating....like the chariot race scene in Ben Hur...or Vic Morrow being decapitated,Brandon Lee...or even really bad movies like "Gone Fishin"...I watched that just to try and spot where/ or what might have brought it about.:o

[abcdefz]

A stuntman died filming a Lee Majors movie called Steel.

I can't imagine dying for a Lee Majors movie.

[MC Moot]

Me?...I'd take a bullet for Steve Austin if it won me Jaime Sommers or Farah Fawcetts affection...back in da day that is...:D

[hpdrifter]

I am one of the ones who was surprised at how sad I was to find out. I've seen lots of his movies and loved several but he was never on my favorite actors list. Not sure why.

I think its really sweet that so many other actors are honoring him and praising his work.

[taquitos]

i heard he had an anal plug in when they found him

[abcdefz]

By the way, moot:

No stuntman died filming Ben Hur. Urban legend. (http://snopes.com/movies/films/benhur.asp)