Actor Heath Ledger, 28, Dies in New York

Young actor and Oscar nominee, Heath Ledger, died Tuesday, January 22 in his New York City apartment. He was found face down in bed and unresponsive. Ledger was 28.

Ledger, a native of Autstralia, was 20 when he set his sights on Hollywood and landed a role in "10 Things I Hate About You." He soon became a teen icon and, certain that he would not be taken seriously as an actor, turned down several typecast roles to star in "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson. Commercial success led to critical success with a small role in the Oscar-winning "Monster's Ball." "A Knight's Tale" showed his comedic side, but he would then take on roles in "Ned Kelly," which flopped, and "The Order," which followed suit. Always looking to reinvent himself as an actor, Ledger then took on the role that may possibly define his career, "Brokeback Mountain." This highly acclaimed movie about two modern-day cowboys living a secret gay life won several Academy Awards and garnered a Best Actor nomination for Ledger. He then played the lead in "Casanova" and the co-lead, opposite Matt Damon, in "The Brothers Grimm." At the time of his death, Ledger had just completed filming "The Dark Knight," the latest Batman movie, with Christian Bale, taking on the role of 'The Joker' in this edition, and was in the process of filming "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

Ledger has a 2-year-old daughter with actress Michelle Williams, who he met on the set of "Brokeback Mountain." Over the past decade, he had dated actresses Heather Graham, Lisa Zane, and Naomi Watts.

There has been a growing memorial to Heath Ledger outside the apartment building where he died. Hundreds of items have been left by adoring fans, including candles, pictures, and flowers.

An autopsy on January 23 proved inconclusive as to the cause of Ledger's death, but further tests are pending to try to determine the exact manner in which he died. A bottle of sleeping pills was allegedly found near his body and police reported several bottles of prescription medication (including an anithistamine and an anti-anxiety medication) in the bathroom, but they did not believe there had been an attempt at suicide or that there had been any type of foul play. Rumors and stories have circulated that Ledger was having difficulty sleeping and was working himself to exhaustion.

Heath Ledger had wanted to direct. He had founded a record company with musical artist Ben Harper and directed the video for Harper's "Morning Yearning." He talked of making a feature film of a young musical artist named Nick Drake, who had died at the age of 24. Tragically, he will never be able to...

Source:

Dominic Wills, "Heath Ledger Biography," tiscali.co.uk

Tom Hays and Karen Matthews, "Ledger Had 6 Types of Prescription Drugs," Associated Press