Heath Ledger Dies!

[Guest thaigerl]

BREAKING NEWS FROM CNN: Actor Heath Ledger has been found dead in a Manhattan apartment, New York police tell CNN.

With ex-wife Michelle Williams.

CNN says he may have died from a drug-related overdose. His latest role was "The Joker" in "The Dark Knight."

Update from CNN: The Academy Award nominated actor was 28.

"Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed," police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN.

"This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet."

Ledger was unresponsive when he was found by a housekeeper who had gone to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse in the Soho apartment, Browne said.

He was declared dead at about 3:30 p.m., Browne said.

In 2005, the actor played Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," about two cowboys who had a secret relationship.

The role earned him the Oscar nomination.

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia. He has a young daughter with actress Michelle Williams, his co-star in "Brokeback Mountain."

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From ABCNEWS: Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in a possible drug-related death, police said. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there found him dead at 3:26 p.m.

The Australian-born actor was an Oscar nominee for his role in "Brokeback Mountain" and has numerous other screen credits.

Update from ABCNEWS: Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence, and police said drugs may have been a factor. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let him know the masseuse 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 in SoHo, where several police officers guarded the door.

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

He 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.

"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, `You're crazy,' my parents were like, `Come on, you have to eat.'"

Associated Press Sara Kugler contributed to this report.

Actor Heath Ledger attends a special Cinema Society and Hogan hosted screening of "I'm Not There" at the Chelsea West Cinemas, in this Nov. 13, 2007, file photo in New York. A New York Police Department spokesman says the actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a downtown Manhattan residence. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

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From E!Online: On a day like this two years ago, Heath Ledger was an Oscar nominee. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old leading man was found dead in his Manhattan home.

Police said that drugs were found on scene and may have played a role in his death.

Ledger, whose tutelage as a Hollywood star came as he worked alongside the likes of Mel Gibson and Billy Bob Thornton, is a star in this coming summer's new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Ledger plays the Joker to Christian Bale's Caped Crusader.

In 2006, Ledger earned what would be his first and last Oscar nomination for playing the emotionally tormented gay rancher in Ang Lee's breakthrough drama, Brokeback Mountain.

Other key credits included: Monster's Ball; The Patriot; and, his breakout hit, 10 Things I Hate About You.

With Brokeback costar Michelle Williams, the Australian-born Ledger was the father of a daughter. Ledger and Williams ended their romantic relationship last year.

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From BBC: Hollywood actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a downtown Manhattan residence, a New York Police Department spokesman has said.

"He was found unconscious at the apartment and pronounced dead," a police spokeswoman said.

It is not yet clear how the 28-year-old Australian actor, who earned an Oscar nomination as a gay cowboy in 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, died.

He was found dead in the SoHo apartment at around 1530 (2030 GMT).

Police said he had been due to have a massage at the flat.

The housekeeper went to tell him the masseuse had arrived and found him dead on Tuesday afternoon, police spokesman Paul Browne told Associated Press news agency.

Police said they did not suspect foul play in the death of the Perth-born actor.

In September he split from his girlfriend Michelle Williams, with whom he has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

He plays the Joker in the soon-to-be-released Batman film, The Dark Knight.

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Official news to be announced. Watch this space.

[Guest oohhlala]

TMZ has learned that 2006 Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has died in NY.

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime.

The 28-year-old actor has a two year old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams. He plays The Joker in the upcoming Batman film, "The Dark Knight."

Story developing...

TMZ.COM

[Guest oohhlala]

THIS IS SO UNEXPECTED!!

WE BOTH POSTED AT THE SAME TIME!!

[Guest thaigerl]

THIS IS SO UNEXPECTED!!

WE BOTH POSTED AT THE SAME TIME!!

LOL, oops. News spreads fast.

[Guest My Sweet September]

WHAAAATTTT?

Is this for real?

I'm going to cry...

OMG I just saw it on my local news.....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Heath!

Nooooooooooooo!

[Guest oona]

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.

Source: ny times

[Guest HeffyEnd]

Well this just ruined my day.

[clockwatcher]

Goodness gracious. What the hell?

[Guest j.a*star]

wow...that's so sad...................

i can't believe it.........!

loved him in 10 things i hate about you..

this is really unexpected.

[Guest k r e m e s]

I'm still in disbelief. I actually had to search on news sites to confirm this. He was a wonderful actor and still in the prime of his life. RIP Heath.

Why does this remind me of River Phoenix? What a shame.

[DDuk]

OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!

that was out of no where! and he had an great career ahead of him!

[Guest SimplyKel]

HOLY HELLLLL

ARE YOU SERIOUS?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Guest fallenframes]

news does travel fast. i just found out from a friend.

damnn.

this is so shocking. : (

[Guest Chillie]

OH. MY. EFFING. GOD.....

[Guest raindrops]

whoa i saw the other thread and i'm like "haha i bet you its gna be like HEATH LEDGER IS DEAD in a movie" and then i saw another thread and i'm like "oh crap.." Yeah this wasn'te expected at all... Thats really sudden. But then you can die of drugs anytime, you never know.

---rainie*

[Guest GetM0tivated]

I'm still in disbelief. I actually had to search on news sites to confirm this. He was a wonderful actor and still in the prime of his life. RIP Heath.

Why does this remind me of River Phoenix? What a shame.

I thought of the same thing! My friend texted this to me, how sad . R.I.P

[Guest CONSTANCE]

OMGOSHHH ... WTHECK IS THIS!!! RIP!! WOW .. SO UNEXPECTED ;[

[Guest suki_*]

is it confirmed already?

please link the confirmed i can't believe this =(

it's so sad, i loved him in a knight's tale....

/edit

RIP

Heath <3

[Guest bluecat16]

your...joking

i cant believe it!

what the...

he was such a cool guy and i could remember watching him in films and stuff

and he just had a daughter too...

:'(

R.I.P

[Guest Jamieâ„¢]

so many drug related deaths..

RIP Heath

I was really anticipating The Dark Knight :(