Heath Ledger found dead in NYC apartment

28-year-old actor was nominated for Oscar for ‘Brokeback Mountain’

Breaking news

NEW YORK - A New York Police Department spokesman says the actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a downtown Manhattan residence.

According to TMZ.com, Ledger, 28, was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 p.m. ET Tuesday.

The actor has a two-year-old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams. Ledger was set to play the Joker in the upcoming Batman film "The Dark Knight." He received an Academy Award nomination for his work in "Brokeback Mountain."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22788914/
Didn't know if this belongs in tv and movies or RL issues... Kinda sucks that The Joker is dead :(

Drugs are bad. Drugs have killed so many young talented celebrities and musicians. Too bad, he was really cute and talented.

:devil

Turns out he was dead in bed, with sleeping pills strewn about.

Actually, there have been a couple stories out already; found in bed, found on floor, pills scattered in both, prescription and OTC drugs.

Heath Ledger was a 28 year old actor who had received a nomination for the Academy Award. It is unfortunate that we have lost another young talent.

People died in Iraq and Afghanistan today. The two time winner of Grandma's marathon (held in Duluth, MN) from Kenya was killed by an arrow to the chest in the current unrest there, on Monday. The stock market recovered after an opening drop of frightening proportions. There was a cut in interest rates by the Fed. There is an apparent schism developing between the religious and political leadership in Iran. One of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination dropped out of the race today. The Writers Guild has indicated they would not picket the Grammy Awards.

There are a lot of stories in the news that could be considered of some importance, so why the fuck are national news programs spending so much time on another actor being found dead, surrounded by pills? The media really does suck.

Welcome to the year 2008 :(
That being said, Sad to see such a good young actor pass.

Bylimet puts is all in perspective.

:devil

I guess he couldn't quit them.....

Careful Byl, the Putinista will come over and call you a fear mongering neo-con doomsayer.

wow.

That was pretty weak sauce, even for you.

There are a lot of stories in the news that could be considered of some importance, so why the fuck are national news programs spending so much time on another actor being found dead, surrounded by pills? The media really does suck.
Its this simple:

The icons of American escapism from the bullshit that creeps into everyday life, such as the aforementioned other news stories to serve as prime example, are not supposed to fall prey to the pitfalls of reality.

Such as death.

Drugs are bad. Drugs have killed so many young talented celebrities and musicians. Too bad, he was really cute and talented.

:devil

Such a shame, you know, because he was cute.

Byl has it dead on...

Also of note, I also noted the schism in Iran and found it interesting it got no play here.

That's what happens when you try to reprise a role that Jack Nicholson has already nailed.

OMG, Jack Nicholson had Heath killed??

A millionaire in his late 20s, and all I can hear about is how "tortured" he was....

I need some of that pain....

A millionaire in his late 20s, and all I can hear about is how "tortured" he was....That's my reaction too, especially every time Spears makes it into the news.

Bylimet nailed it.

There was a guy on Colbert 2 nights ago named Eric Weiner who wrote a book called "The Geography of Bliss" who did a study on the happiest places on earth. He made a point saying that a little money can make someone happier, say if you were an impoverished farmer: $15,000 could make your year. But if you are wealthy and aren't happy, more wealth won't help at all.

http://www.ericweinerbooks.com/content/index.asp

I could rent happiness if I was a millionaire....

I could rent happiness if I was a millionaire....

Kelraz's point, one which I happen to agree with, isn't that some money wouldn't make you happier. I'm sure all of us would be happier if we had a million dollars. His point is, if you already have the money, and still aren't happy, more money won't make you more happy. It's a concept that's difficult to relate too for people without the money (myself included). It's hard for me to fathom a multimillionaire being unhappy, maybe even clinically depressed. Of course if they are depressed though when they have tons of money and can live absolutely comfortable, what really does more money do at that point?

Money can't buy absolute happiness though. If I were a multimillionaire, but to attain that I had to sacrifice most of my close personal relationships (like my wife, whom I probably would have never met if I were filthy rich) and my child, I wouldn't be happy.

I never felt fulfilled in my life completely until I had my child. I battled depression issues my entire life (but never medicated myself, other than a few drinks or whatnot). It was not until I had my daughter did most of those thoughts evaporate. I love my wife, but even she had a hard time helping me through those thoughts.

Money isn't what brought me happiness. More money wouldn't have filled that void that my daughter filled. Money would have enabled me to do more things, and buy more things, but that's all completely superficial. It would have brought short term happiness, but not long term joy and meaning to my life.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that having a child is the means to happiness for everyone. What I am saying is, people need to find fulfillment in their life to be truely happy. I don't think money alone is enough to achieve that goal. It might help, it might enable you to go places and do things that help you feel fulfilled, but there's more too that than simply money.

On that same note, if I were flat broke and didn't feel like I could take good care of my daughter, I'd have a hard time being 'happy' too. Money does help, but it's not the be all end all of happiness.

Well said Talaren. Well said.

Try being divorced, and being knocked out of your child's life for no other reason than another person's selfishness, and then we can talk about depression....

I agree there is more to life than money, and happiness is generally found from within.

I never said I could find true happiness with lots of money, just less sadness....LOL

Actually, there have been a couple stories out already; found in bed, found on floor, pills scattered in both, prescription and OTC drugs.

Heath Ledger was a 28 year old actor who had received a nomination for the Academy Award. It is unfortunate that we have lost another young talent.

People died in Iraq and Afghanistan today. The two time winner of Grandma's marathon (held in Duluth, MN) from Kenya was killed by an arrow to the chest in the current unrest there, on Monday. The stock market recovered after an opening drop of frightening proportions. There was a cut in interest rates by the Fed. There is an apparent schism developing between the religious and political leadership in Iran. One of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination dropped out of the race today. The Writers Guild has indicated they would not picket the Grammy Awards.

There are a lot of stories in the news that could be considered of some importance, so why the fuck are national news programs spending so much time on another actor being found dead, surrounded by pills? The media really does suck.

In front of the White House almost every paper in the US has a box where you can buy a copy. Almost all of them had the interest cut as the big story. Heath Ledger appeared in the corners or in the margins. I'm not too worried about the state of the world ... the economy taking a fumble and maybe rebounding still is more important (through 100 editor's eyes) than a dead celebrity. It was the big news of the hour, just not the day.

Try being divorced, and being knocked out of your child's life for no other reason than another person's selfishness, and then we can talk about depression....


I guarantee in this situation, money would definitely not bring absolute happiness. (I'm not saying you said otherwise, just commenting)

It would have, however, allowed me to mount a legal defense to be a more active in my child's life, rather than an every other weekend babysitter/checkbook.....

Try being divorced, and being knocked out of your child's life for no other reason than another person's selfishness, and then we can talk about depression....

That's just what I am going through right now. Well not the divorce but a split up and loss of child none the less.

While having a million dollars wouldn't make me feel any better it sure would help me get a damn good lawyer.

Would more money now help that situation, or would you have to have a time machine as well to help?

edit to add: This was in reference to Sixee, as Selwen posted while I was posting this.

"Anyone that says money is the root of evil doesn't fucking have any."

Money just sitting in a bank account won't make a sad person happy. However, the things you can leverage it to do certainly can and will make you happier if you use it well.

A time machine? I doubt it, I don't see how I could have done things differently, unless you count having no interests outside of my X's and being at her beck and call whenever she wanted.

I could modify the existing agreement in regards to visitation with the right lawyer. I would have the money to cover the distance to see my son more often. It would also allow me to live closer to him, as I had to move an hour away from him just to secure employment in the IT field.

So a million would be handy right about now, yes.

My question about the time machine wasn't about going back and mending the relationship with the ex. It was more asking, would you have to go back, to the time of the divorce with money to help alleviate some of your issues, or could you use money now to mount a new legal team to help the problem moving forward? In other words, is your divorce decree set in stone at the present time, or can it be modified with new legal work?

And again, I never said money didn't help. All I said is money doesn't bring absolute happiness.

I'm sure if you were able to visit your child more often because you had more money you'd be 'happier,' but the money itself wouldn't solve everything you feel is not quite right with your life.

If I were a multimillionaire, but to attain that I had to sacrifice most of my close personal relationships (like my wife, whom I probably would have never met if I were filthy rich) and my child, I wouldn't be happy.
Just for the sake of argueing, I find this particular argument quite unlogical. Or maybe not unlogical, but simply moot. Like saying "If I were a millionnaire but had to cut an arm to attain that, I wouldn't be happy". Lapalissade(sp, if it even exists in english?).

I don't think most of rich people, who became rich on their own, did it while sacrifying very important things to them, in their own views.
Money doesn't get you "more" happy, and it doesn't cut you from human emotionnal problems.

I don't think you can make any relation between happiness and money.


Back on the subject, I find it interesting that here most think that *he got what he deserved* for drug uses, while on some movie forum people are saying that, even if it an overdose, it's still a loss of a young and talented actor.

Back on the subject, I find it interesting that here most think that *he got what he deserved* for drug uses, while on some movie forum people are saying that, even if it an overdose, it's still a loss of a young and talented actor.

Where do you see most people in this thread saying he got what he deserved? I went back through and reread some things, and I certainly dont' see the majority of posters saying he got what he deserved.

No, the decree could be modified, as I did not have proper legal representation at the time of the divorce.

And in regards to "he got what he deserved", that is ludicrous.

While not a fan of Brokeback Mountain (sounds like a movie my X woulda dragged me off to see) no one deserves to die alone, from an overdose.

Insofar as his talents, I'll have to see the new Dark Knight movie to be a real judge of what he was capable of. Since I am neither gay, nor a cowboy, I have no interest to see his first work....

Money is a tool. A means and not an ends. Even in Africa (where I am right now) where money is not nearly as central a theme in life, they still would like more income to keep the lights on an hour longer a day or someone to fix the roads or to not have 9 broken ambulances they can't afford repair parts on for every one that still runs or not having to resort to 4 kids sharing one hospital bed.

Money can't buy happiness, but it can certainly plants the seeds to reduce misery.

As far as some rich actor who really doesn't contribute much in the grand scheme...../shrug. Ask a Djiboutian if they give a rats ass if Heath Ledger died. Heath Ledger didn't help them fix jack shit or give them the knowledge to do it themselves...which pretty much goes for 99.99999999% of the planet.

So why should we care as well? America needs to grow up a bit. Our culture is still on par with adolescence.

I have not picked up on anyone thinking he "deserved" his fate.

Personally, I expect to hear this was an accidental death. He had just been in England working on a film, he was expected to have a great response from his role as the Joker, and unless something had happened in the previous 24 hours that was somehow totally devastating to him, there were no signals of depression or suicidal thoughts evident to anyone, or so it has been getting reported.

I really do feel bad for Michelle Williams and their child.


And Kel, my knock was against the television media that were dropping any other coverage to run non-stop updates and interviews with anyone who could claim to know anything. He was a talented actor, but his death has little impact on the lives of most folks on the planet, when compared with all the other happenings over the same 24 hour period of time that could have been getting that coverage.

This is just one more example of the dumbing down of this nation; how many folks under 35 will grab a People or Us magazine in a waiting room over a Newsweek or Time? Folks seem to think they are somehow getting closer to those celebrities through this vicarious voyeurism. It is a shame so many have so little else to occupy them.

There was actually a prediction on the radio this morning from the Hollywood reporter that the next celebrity to go (they die in threes, and another young actor died last month) will be either Charlton Heston or Britney Spears.

I still say the media sucks, Kel (not always), and so does this Culture of Celebrity fascination.

Well, in the media's defense... we gave it a four page thread within 24 hours. That's on par with a Iran/Jedd thread.

You only show 10 posts per page?

I give my condolences to his family.

I think the whole internet-based news scene is one reason we see a lot of things such as this on "front page" news. I don't think my local published newspaper even said much about this situation. "File>New Page" is pretty easy for a web news giant, they gotta fill it with something!

Those fun-loving nutcases at Westboro Baptist Church all set to picket (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22813570/) the funeral.

Those fun-loving nutcases at Westboro Baptist Church all set to picket (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22813570/) the funeral.

Well, if nothing else, it will possibly be one less military family buryng thier dead that will have to deal with those freaks, although the people attending Heath Ledger's burial should not need to put up with it either. Why do we have these young talents, and so many soldiers, dying, and these religious freaks just keep trucking along? Karma is not paying close enough attention.

My other half was pretty shook up about this - despite not usually caring about that kind of crap. I guess when you enjoy and follow a young actor (ie River Phoenix for me) a young death can be quite tragic. It shouldn't be less so just because he was successful financially.

My other half was pretty shook up about this - despite not usually caring about that kind of crap. I guess when you enjoy and follow a young actor (ie River Phoenix for me) a young death can be quite tragic. It shouldn't be less so just because he was successful financially.

An interesting conversation had here recently over dinner had to do with how little attention the death of Brad Renfro got just about a couple weeks ago, compared to Heath Ledger's passing. The only real mention we have heard was the radio folks making a pool on who would be the third.