Heath Ledger found dead

[stray]

Really didn't expect this.  Upset me more than I would've thought.

It's interesting to consider that the Joker role may very well have killed him- given the rumors about his sleep habits while filming that and that it was apparently sleep medication found on the bed.

I was thinking the same thing, i had read that he let loose his dark side in order to play the role.

So strange.. This is the first time I've heard of an actor literally being psychologically wrecked by a role (there are stories of being physically wrecked, but i don't recall anything like this). So sad that he couldn't recuperate, if that's what it was. I studied acting myself, but I never got it into the idea of getting so intense about it. It was fun. There was a quote by Gary Oldman about this somewhere too (who comes off as intense as anyone), where he thought the idea was silly -- that he thought of idea of "becoming a character" was bullshit -- that it was a myth about actors. So don't take my word for it. So now I'd like to know what exactly Heath was doing while filming the Dark Knight.. I don't doubt that he got somewhere dark. It's just strange. And not to sound like a dick, but it makes me want to see that movie even more now.

[voodoolily]

He had recently split from his wife.

[Riggswolfe]

I just heard through the office Grapevine that he was partying with Woody Harrelson and Amy Winehouse shortly before this. It may be BS but if it's true it would put a whole new spin on things.

[Stormwaltz]

Normally celebrity news washes past me. This didn't.

I even liked him in "Ten Things I Hate About You."

[Zetleft]

Normally celebrity news washes past me. This didn't.

I even liked him in "Ten Things I Hate About You."

Ashamed to say I did too, even though it was a typical teenage wankfest. 

[Morat20]

From what I understand, he had a documented problem with insomnia. Sad to say, sleeping pills are really easy to overdose on. The people that really need them tend to be tired, not thinking clearly, and desperate for sleep.

I'd suspect tragic accident -- man was trying to sleep, took too many pills -- either out of desperation or because he couldn't remember if or when he'd taken them last.

[Grand Design]

From what I've read, his wife left him when he started using heroin during the filming of Dark Knight.  He went into and left rehab within six days.  He had moved to New York to be near to his daughter, and was deeply depressed about the loss of his family.  It's too early to know, but I would be surprised if this was a 'party-all-night, wake-up-dead' celebrity newsfest.  After all, he had asked a family member to give him a wake-up call in the morning and had scheduled appointments with the folks who found him dead.  I think the man needed some rest, and between his depression, his career and his struggle with heroin, sleeping pills were a sanctuary.  He probably never even considered the risk in the face of those other pressures.  Rest in peace.

I, too, first thought of Dark Knight and quickly realized how selfish that was.  But it also speaks to the anticipation that I felt when I read that Ledger would play the Joker.  It seemed like an interesting choice to cast a young and relatively untested actor in such an important role.  I only knew him from The Brothers Grimm, which I fucking loved.  And then I read that he was currently in Gilliam's latest movie.  Knowing the history of his productions, that knowledge almost makes me believe in the supernatural.

He will be missed.

Edit: Unsubstantiated rumor.

[voodoolily]

Oh, I forgot about Bros. Grimm. It was fantastic.

From what I've seen on Larry King, filming was of Dark Knight was complete, so it'll just end up being his Crow.

[Tale]

If you think I might be dying, please call an ambulance, not Mary-Kate Olsen.

[stray]

From what I've read, his wife left him when he started using heroin during the filming of Dark Knight.  He went into and left rehab within six days.  He had moved to New York to be near to his daughter, and was deeply depressed about the loss of his family.  It's too early to know, but I would be surprised if this was a 'party-all-night, wake-up-dead' celebrity newsfest.  After all, he had asked a family member to give him a wake-up call in the morning and had scheduled appointments with the folks who found him dead.  I think the man needed some rest, and between his depression, his career and his struggle with heroin, sleeping pills were a sanctuary.  He probably never even considered the risk in the face of those other pressures.  Rest in peace.

I, too, first thought of Dark Knight and quickly realized how selfish that was.  But it also speaks to the anticipation that I felt when I read that Ledger would play the Joker.  It seemed like an interesting choice to cast a young and relatively untested actor in such an important role.  I only knew him from The Brothers Grimm, which I fucking loved.  And then I read that he was currently in Gilliam's latest movie.  Knowing the history of his productions, that knowledge almost makes me believe in the supernatural.

He will be missed.

I can't find anything that says he had a struggle with heroin. There's a Daily Mail article about it, but I'm not sure whether they're the "dodgy" brit news outlet, or is that someone else? Or is it that all brit news outlets can't be trusted? I forget.

Either way, there was no heroin found in his apartment. If he was struggling with it, it would have been there. Simply using heroin at one time doesn't mean anything.

[Ironwood]

If the Daily Mail printed it, it must be bollocks.

Seriously.

[DraconianOne]

If the Daily Mail printed it, it must be bollocks.

Seriously.

I concur.

Ledger went to rehab clinics to learn about Heroin addiction while filming for the role of an addict in "Candy".  The Daily Mail often gets fiction confused with reality and passes it off as news.

[Grand Design]

If the Daily Mail printed it, it must be bollocks.

I trust you more than your media.

[NiX]

You should, he's a very credible man. It really is sad if he died just from sleeping pills alone and a lack of knowledge as to how they can kill you.

[IainC]

You should, he's a very credible man. It really is sad if he died just from sleeping pills alone and a lack of knowledge as to how they can kill you.

It isn't any less sad if he died as a result of deliberate substance abuse. It would, however, be less tragic.

[UnSub]

If they can get away with picketing the funerals of soldiers, they can picket his. Though people might actually react more strongly, especially if his funeral is heavily attended. I'm still surprised this "church" hasn't suffered some kind of violence at one of these picketings.

Assuming that the funeral is in his home-town of Perth, there very well could be violence.

Assuming that the Aussie Gov't doesn't just refuse the merry band of inbreds from Westboro' entry in the first place, of course.

Word is that Ledger is getting a service in the US before flying back for a Perth funeral. If Westboro were to picket in Perth (which they wouldn't, since the bigger media scrum will be in the US) then I couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be violence. Ledger went to Guildford Grammar, a private boys' school with a large country boarder element. I don't know if any of them would still be (or ever were) friends, but if they showed up after a few bourbons then punches could be thrown.

That and Australians generally don't take well to 1) hard core Christianity, 2) vocal homophobes and 3) loudmouth Yanks. Point 3 trumps all in this case.

Interestingly enough, with Ledger dying at 28, I would have been at a competing private boys' school at the same time. But I certainly never met him (or if he played the same sports I don't remember him).

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

[schild]

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

So, that little shitbag Corey is off the air?

[Nebu]

From what I understand, he had a documented problem with insomnia. Sad to say, sleeping pills are really easy to overdose on.

This time I actually know something about the topic.  Sleeping pills like zaleplon and zolpidem have a HUGE therapeutic index.  I can't think of a single example of death by overdose from these agents or benzodiazepines in the past 40 years.  Where people get into trouble is when they combine agents, which appears to be the case here.  As a sole agent most current sleeping medications are VERY safe.  Just don't wash them down with alcohol or pop a couple of vicodin with them. 

[stray]

I had a theory after reading about that Ambien shit. Supposedly, there's a lot of cases reported with people falling into sleepwalking mode with it (someone mentioned it earlier as well). I read one story where some chick started cooking a ham or some shit while in a sleep, and ended up putting the meat in a plastic container. Then went back to bed. Luckily nothing fatal happened, but that's pretty fucked up. Makes me wonder about Ledger though.. He's on record as saying Ambien hardly worked for him, that he'd wake up prematurely and would have to pop pills multiple times. If he ever got bad enough to get in a sleepwalking state, God knows what the hell the dude was capable of then. He had bottles laying around the room.. He could have popped a lot of shit without even knowing it. It'd explain the loose pills lying on his bed maybe.

[Morat20]

This time I actually know something about the topic.  Sleeping pills like zaleplon and zolpidem have a HUGE therapeutic index.  I can't think of a single example of death by overdose from these agents or benzodiazepines in the past 40 years.  Where people get into trouble is when they combine agents, which appears to be the case here.  As a sole agent most current sleeping medications are VERY safe.  Just don't wash them down with alcohol or pop a couple of vicodin with them. 

I kinda meant combining pills -- I've lived with an insomniac. There comes a certain point in which lack of sleep clouds judgement and distorts time. It's really easy to take something, decide it's been "too long and it's not working" (and it's really been like five minutes) and desperate start throwing something else at it -- booze, vicodin, tylenol PM, whatever the hell you can get your hands on.

If -- as Stray said -- Ambien apparently wasn't working too well for Heath, odds are he was combining it with something. Insomniacs are desperate people.

[lamaros]

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

So, that little shitbag Corey is off the air?

He snuck on again yesterday, I didn't see what for.

The Heath Ledger thing is no hyperbole. It's EVERYWHERE.

[UnSub]

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

So, that little shitbag Corey is off the air?

Sometimes I think schild has transcended physical form and exists purely in an informational state to know the range of crap that he appears to.

Corey was perfect tabloid fodder - young, attractive enough, an attention whore, dumb as a box of hammers and a great scapegoat for the people who read tabloids / watch tabloid news to go, "Look at that kid! Why, he's got no respect for anything! Kids these days!". He, like Paris Hilton, are cultural flotsam. He'll keep popping up until 1) he's put on a few kilos and is no longer cute, 2) he ODs on something (yep, this is an insensitive comment in this thread, noted) or 3) he becomes just another bland twenty-something who coasts along on his successes from years ago.

[Llava]

Hey everybody: Firecrotch!!

Remember when I said that?!

Woo!!

[voodoolily]

omg Llava got a new avatar! How long's it been, man?

[Calantus]

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

So, that little shitbag Corey is off the air?

He snuck on again yesterday, I didn't see what for.

The Heath Ledger thing is no hyperbole. It's EVERYWHERE.

This is why I stopped watching the news. There is almost no worth in it at all today because it just runs a few big stories into the ground, regardless of how important they are. If there's a big enough story I'll hear about it on the internet and can go look up the news sites if I'm interested.

[naum]

[Tale]

EDIT: Just to add - Australian news programming has become the Heath Ledger Death Watch.

So, that little shitbag Corey is off the air?

Current top 5 most popular stories on the local Yahoo news:

    * Masseuse made four Olsen calls: police
    * Ledger to be buried in Perth: US reports
    * Perth killers smile during sentencing
    * Australian wild party child turns party pro    <===== shitbag returns
    * Water poured on smoking sub fears

(Now I'm gonna have to explain them all: top two are Ledger, the Perth killers are lesbians who killed another girl because she was annoying and videotaped it, and the smoking sub is one of our homemade Collins Class submarines belching smoke while entering Sydney Harbour, which is apparently normal and called "surface snorting").

[Riggswolfe]

Wow, I just read about those Perth killers. Those two are evil personified IMO.

[IainC]

Rolling News by Charlie Brooker.

[Ironwood]

We did that one, didn't we ?

[Slayerik]

Gotta love Best Buy.

[Tale]

Rolling News by Charlie Brooker.

I love his stuff, but he did only give you who, what, when, where, how, and woah.

He missed why. It makes more viewers keep watching. More viewers is more money. More money is more shareholder/stakeholder satisfaction. More shareholder/stakeholder satisfaction is more future. More future is more work. More work is more personal/family security. More personal/family security is more happiness. More happiness is usually enough motivation to keep making shitty rolling news for as long as you can stand it.

In other words, the why is because viewers are that fucking dumb.

[IainC]

In other words, the why is because viewers are that fucking dumb.

Bread and circuses. 2000 years later we've walked on the goddamn moon and it still comes down to bread and circuses.

[Bungee]

In other words, the why is because viewers are that fucking dumb.

Bread and circuses. 2000 years later we've walked on the goddamn moon and it still comes down to bread and circuses.

It's "bread and circuses" in English?
Wow, didn't know that- it's literally "bread and games" in German. Which seems more fitting to me- even in English.

[Llava]

omg Llava got a new avatar! How long's it been, man?

Really not sure.  But I saw the Tom Cruise thing, learned what an SP was and decided to take 30 seconds to throw something together.