SF Signal: RIP: Heath Ledger [UPDATED]

RIP: Heath Ledger [UPDATED]

Sad news...

CNN is reporting that actor Heath Ledger was found dead of a possible drug overdose in a Manhattan apartment today. Ledger had a starring role in The Dark Knight as the Joker.

From the previews, I thought Ledger made an intensely maniacal Joker, the way he should be played. I'm not sure what this means for the film...

UPDATES:
CNN link updated.
More from The New York Times and Cinematical.

[Image via Getty Images]

Ledger was in the middle of filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam.

More bad luck for Gilliam, too. Doubly sad.

Posted by Matte Lozenge on Tuesday January 22, 2008 at 4:58 PM

at the risk of sounding unsympathetic and inappropriate, is this a surprise? hollywood people, especially, the younger ones, have become practically synonymous with self-destructive-ness, and emotional instability. are there ever any sane ones around?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday January 22, 2008 at 10:04 PM

Yes, I for one am surprised. It would be completely ignorant and sad for someone to judge the whole of young Hollywood peoples as "practically synonymous with self-destructive-ness, and emotional instability." For one, have you ever herd of Ledger participating in illegal activities such as drugs? No you haven't herd any factual information supporting your theory of "self-destructiveness." He may be involved with drugs, this we can not conclude, however, making a theory full of slander with no know factual evidence to back yourself up is a critical error on your part. Secondly, there is absolutely no evidence of a drug overdose or anything for that matter. In fact, the pill bottles found were in deed not even empty. In all likeliness, he accidentally mixed his prescription drugs creating an unknown, unsuspected lethal combination not even his doctors had know was possible.

Posted by Ann on Monday January 28, 2008 at 7:35 PM

True. I think, physician and pharmacist should be more careful in prescribing drugs. How can they prescribed different kind of anti-depression and insomnia drugs to a single person. Of course, we, the non- medical background lay-man couldnt have guessed the lethal combination created by those drugs. See what happened to the son of late Anna Nicole? Heath always potrayed a clean perfect young man. Nothing ordinary or average about Heath anyway. He was a good father, a great actor with a superb talent with tragic end. It is sorrowful news for his immediate families, friends and fans. We love you Heath, always. Rest In Peace pal.

Posted by Leen on Tuesday January 29, 2008 at 10:23 PM

I love Heath Ledger as an actor. I will truly miss his movies. So many rumors about how he lived his life are just another tragedy among his untimely death. The only opinions that matter are of those closest to him. Who are we to throw stones?? May god bless his family and friends.

Posted by vrush on Thursday February 07, 2008 at 8:28 AM