Heath Ledger Found Dead

[Bannister]

we'll find out what was in his system, and the reason in a few days.

I do wonder though, if he wasn't doing the joker role, would there be as much interest in here?

There would be interest, but I doubt there would be a 25 page thread.

 

[DarkArtist81]

I know Id still be interested. After Brokeback he was coming off a career high and was really hitting his stride in the profession. Now we will never know if that potential would be attained.

I felt the same way. I've been a fan of his since A Knights Tale and the Patriot. He was a great actor who was really coming into his own as of late... and it saddens me deeply to hear about his death.

 

[IrishJedi]

I felt the same way. I've been a fan of his since A Knights Tale and the Patriot. He was a great actor who was really coming into his own as of late... and it saddens me deeply to hear about his death.

Exact same thing here. He was one of those guys that made you think "Why are these Aussie guys such better actors?"

 

[Bannister]

Exact same thing here. He was one of those guys that made you think "Why are these Aussie guys such better actors?"

The first thing I saw him in was 10 Things I hate About You. I remember when The Patriot came out. That was when people really started talking about him.

 

[scubasteve]

Rough start to '08. RIP Heath.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

It really has nothing to do with him personally, but all these stupid celebs that have everything I could ever want and act like f'n prats. I just felt the need to get my .02 in. I will completely recind all comments about him personally if it turns out to be different.

Just because you perceive a person to have everything they (or you in this case) could ever want, doesn't actually mean that they have anything they want or that they are any happier than you or I. Regardless of what anyone thinks of acting/filmmaking, it's still a job - it's still work. It's even a stranger and more time consuming work than the standard 9-5 office gig.

On top of that it sounds as though you're equating money and fame with happiness - do you really believe that? Does money really buy you happiness? Would you be any more happy in the long run if you had more money?

Money simply buys more stuff, or the ability to do more stuff. It can't substitute for missing fulfillment in one's life. People seem to have the notion that if someone is wealthy, famous, has a cool job or whatever else we wish we had, they are somehow immune to the same drudgery and daily things that drag us down, upset us or make us angry.

We all have our own problems, faults, weaknesses, strengths and desires that constitute what makes us happy, or not. Don't be so quick to assume that because someone has what you perceive would make you happy, that they too should be happy and fulfilled within their own lives.

 

[BadMoon]

The first thing I saw him in was 10 Things I hate About You. I remember when The Patriot came out. That was when people really started talking about him.

I hate to admit it but I loved 10 things I hate about you. Knights tale not so much. But you could tell he was just starting out and would be great. This is just so sad. The more I think about it the more it just upsets me. People so young dying. If he did have a drug overdose that is even worse but I will never judge him. I lost my father to cigarettes. I have since quit myself. I know for anyone that doesn't smoke it seems easy. It's not. I am sure it is worse with a drug addiction. Again we don't even know this. It is all speculation. I say give him a break. He is dead and nothing can bring him back.

 

[Agen]

๋So sad Good bye Joker.You will be a legend .

 

[lcummins]

Just because you perceive a person to have everything they (or you in this case) could ever want, doesn't actually mean that they have anything they want or that they are any happier than you or I. Regardless of what anyone thinks of acting/filmmaking, it's still a job - it's still work. It's even a stranger and more time consuming work than the standard 9-5 office gig.

On top of that it sounds as though you're equating money and fame with happiness - do you really believe that? Does money really buy you happiness? Would you be any more happy in the long run if you had more money?

Money simply buys more stuff, or the ability to do more stuff. It can't substitute for missing fulfillment in one's life. People seem to have the notion that if someone is wealthy, famous, has a cool job or whatever else we wish we had, they are somehow immune to the same drudgery and daily things that drag us down, upset us or make us angry.

We all have our own problems, faults, weaknesses, strengths and desires that constitute what makes us happy, or not. Don't be so quick to assume that because someone has what you perceive would make you happy, that they too should be happy and fulfilled within their own lives.

Very well stated. Thank you.

 

[The Mike]

Here are the first celebrity reactions of Heath Ledger’s death:

“What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family.” — Nicole Kidman

“I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.” — Mel Gibson

“He is one of my favorite actors. His abilities are rare…it’s a tremendous loss. It’s hard to be here celebrating Australia under these circumstances.” — John Travolta

“It was with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Heath Ledger. It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation’s finest actors in the prime of his life. Heath Ledger’s diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor.” — Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia

“The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.” — Statement by Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Bros. and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group

 

[Giant Chicken]

Wow. I am sick and just woke up from a 6 hour nap. Totally sucks!!! I lift his family and child up in prayers.

I know there is a lot of speculation still on what meds/drugs he was on...


but... I think Hollywood should start cracking down (like the NFL, MLB, or a majority of normal jobs) on a NO Illegal Substance policy. They should do random drug tests on these actors and suspend them from work. If all the studios worked on this together I think they could come up with a way to manage it. I do not think these celebrities should be drug free because they are role models (although they are and they should think about that). But the studios should want them drug free from a buisness point of veiw. Warner has invested a ton of money into their Batman franchise and they are trying to make it top quality for the fans. Now, obviously, they will have to find a new Joker if the character continues in the story. It just seems that the studios would want to give themselves protection/comfort by having their actors clean.

I only say this because most other lines of work have the same mentality. If I were drug tested and pot showed up in my system I would most certainly be fired. There are alot of employers with high standards... I think that Hollywood should have those standards as well.

Again, it is still early in Ledger case to say that he was a druggy...but it looks that way.

R.I.P.

 

[Mesa]

When I heard the news on the radio, they included a recent interview where he was discussing his daughter and life. He said something like (not verbatim), "now that I have a daughter, I feel I could die happily, but I want to be there for her to see her grow up..."

 

[IrishJedi]

“I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.” — Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson could not have echoed my complete sentiments anymore perfectly.

 

[The Mike]

What he said was:

"It makes you look at death in a different way, being a parent. On one side you can die happily because you know that a part of you will always live on through her but on the other side you want to live and be there to see everything...."

Its not verbatim but they've played it numerous times on Fox News. The interviewer said that its spooky looking back but during the interview nothing really stuck him as awkward he did say though that he asked Heath if he'd want to make sure his daughter was taken care of and he replied "That's already been taken care of" which was eerie....

Take nothing more out of that statement then the fact that Heath loved being a father.

 

[SSC_Nerd]

I do feel really bad that he died, but I'm starting to get much pissed than I am sad because of the circumstances. I don' care how sad or depressed you can get, it was your fault most likely that you got into drugs. It may sound harsh, but if he did die due to drugs, I think he should be made an example of. Now he's just gonna go down as a statistic. Great. As much as it may hurt companies, I think they need to get much more strict on their tolerance to this kind of behavior. Talented they may be or not, they need to shape up or say goodbye to the movie buisness. I wouldn't be feeling this way if it wasn't drugs, definetly, but the man knew he was playing with fire so I lose a lot of respect for the guy. Hell, there's a picture of Lindsay Lohan crying of his death. I have little respect for her as is, but I'm glad it may be having an effect on these people who may be headed down the same path.

Yes, my opinion on HEATH will change if it ends up not being illegal drug realted, but my opinon will certainly still stand on the people who do such things.

 

[Sachiel]

we'll find out what was in his system, and the reason in a few days.

I do wonder though, if he wasn't doing the joker role, would there be as much interest in here?

I'll admit, [it would have been] less from me. It was because of the Joker role that I really started 'watching' him. It was a surprise that he was picked for the role, only because no one was looking for it. Reading his interviews and seeing some of his performance in the trailer and the 7min, made me see how much of a great actor he was.

 

[BadMoon]

I can judge all I want. I'm not the one who potentially committed suicide because I was feeling down. Again, if you want to stop and read my posts where I say all this is based on nothing but rumors for the time being. I hope I'm wrong and something terrible really happened with some medication he was taking.

I don't understand how you can jump at me because I'm pissed off that someone would be a coward and not think about the child he has. But since some of you are too simple minded to understand anything beyond your own point of view, I'll bow out of this thread until more information is released.

Loki you know I am cool with you so I think I can post this. Just because someone has an addiction does not make them a coward. They may just need help. I believed that he loved his kid and never meant for this to happen. It is easy to judge from the outside. Again I only know this because of my dad. He was stronger than I could ever hope to be but he smoked and died because of it. It was an addiction. Not him being weak. Addictions are a *****. Especiallly when they make you feel good. It is just so easy for us to judge. Man I don't know what else to say. I am upset and going to bed. I hate when people my age well..... goes away.

 

[Bannister]

I hate to admit it but I loved 10 things I hate about you. Knights tale not so much. But you could tell he was just starting out and would be great. This is just so sad. The more I think about it the more it just upsets me. People so young dying. If he did have a drug overdose that is even worse but I will never judge him. I lost my father to cigarettes. I have since quit myself. I know for anyone that doesn't smoke it seems easy. It's not. I am sure it is worse with a drug addiction. Again we don't even know this. It is all speculation. I say give him a break. He is dead and nothing can bring him back.

I always thought 10 Things I Hate About You was hilarious. I remember it came out the same day as The Matrix. I think I actually saw 10 Things first.

 

[IrishJedi]

"There but for the grace of God go I"

Everyone is different. We have different "demons", different faults, different weaknesses. And, most importantly, very different life experiences. This is one of many reasons why I find it hard to judge other people (except for Roger Clemens, that fat SOB ).

 

[The Mike]

I actually saw 10 Things I Hate About You before the Matrix as well....I double dated this flick and remembered loving it....its proudly in my DVD collection.