Heath Ledger found dead

[Amy]

Oh my gosh. I am so sorry to hear this:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...is-found-dead/

[Anja]

OMG!! How terrible! So young and then an actor you knew that well

My deepest thoughts to his family and friends

[Barbie]

Wow. Speechless. He was one of my favorite young actors. So very sad.

[Sophy]

OMG! Can't believe it!

[Lizzie]

I just heard - so sad.

[Ella]

I heard it this morning in our news. I was completely shocked. I still don't know what to say. It makes me sad, but also angry because I think Hollywood ruins people.

[Kurt]

Heath Ledger is/was one of my very favorite actors.

It is true that the Hollywood lifestyle can ruin a lot of lives. Actors trade their privacy and their anonymity for fame and fortune. That alone is enough to drive some people crazy. And where you find people suffering, especially those with large sums of cash, you find predatory drug pushers. I don't know that it was the case with Heath, but when someone buckles under the pressure and finds escape in drugs or alcohol soon the need more and more to mask the pain. History is full of people who died due to the strain that life in the entertainment industry comes with.

I have to say that I do not watch the news, I don't watch the entertainment gossip shows either. Many of those shows lift people up so that when they fall, they can be there to trash them, or so it would seem. Much of the time, when and entertainer fails, the media only makes their life harder. Imagine having your last failure splashed on the news 24/7 and everyone you pass on the street asking you about it or staring at you. It would make you mad. You might even lash out. Then they would report on that too. They create a lot of the big stories themselves through their actions.

I love acting. I even thought about getting into movies. But when I weighed the pros and cons I quickly realized that if I were to lose my ability to walk through a crowded mall unnoticed I would lose more than I had gained. And that if my biggest secrets ever ended up on the evening news I too would probably end it all.

It looks as though Heath Ledger was battling depression and perhaps was hurting from the loss of someone he loved. These are things that anyone else might be dealing with on a daily basis. What I learned here was not that the Hollywood machine is a star killer, but that you never know what pain someone else is going through. What things they do not show to you, to the world.

We cannot bring back Heath, he has made his choice. What we need to do, what we can do as individuals, is to be there whenever we see someone in need. Whether it be a friend or acquaintance, we need to reach out to those who may just need a kind word during a difficult time. Whether Heath Ledger did this on purpose or by accident we may never know. but I do know that we can make a difference in someone else's life. Sometimes it can make the difference between life and death.

Kurt

[Dr. Slicker]

I was shocked, when I heard the news about Heath Ledger this morning. It´s like a admonition to me, that life is full of unknown pain and struggle.
I deeply second all of your thoughts, Kurt - maybe Heath Ledger had a lot of buddies, but no real friend, who was able to care in the utmost dark moments.
But who knows.
I always loved Heath Ledger´s acting and he obviously had a sense for humorous roles - "A Knight´s Tale" is the proof. His sensibility had many sides, I think.
May he rest in peace.

[Barbie]

I've read a few articles today explaining that Heath was very disturbed after playing "The Joker" in the upcoming Batman movie, the role was VERY dark and evil and he had difficulty sleeping because of it...which led to his prescription sleeping pill use.

I also heard the two prescription drugs found in the room were tranquilizers and sleeping pills...two doctors interviewed this morning on "Good Morning America" said that if these drugs were taken too close together it could be deadly and that they were highly addictive, even if he had no prior problems with drug abuse.

According to the accounts of his friends, he was recently disturbed by that movie role, but they did not think he was suicidal and that his death was a tragic accident. Even though it is a huge tragedy, in some small way, I'd feel better thinking it was an accident, rather than suicide. We may never know what really happened...it is so sad either way.

[Sophy]

Originally Posted by Kurt

What I learned here was not that the Hollywood machine is a star killer, but that you never know what pain someone else is going through. What things they do not show to you, to the world.

This is true Kurt.

[Anjelica]

I read another account that said he had pneumonia and had lots of meds for that, and since he was also taking other prescription drugs to help him sleep, the combination was just wrong enough to depress his lungs. (I had a friend of mine who almost died because she disregarded her doctor's instructions of the timing of her intake. Which goes to show you that you should listen to your doctor, even if you think you don't have time to do what he says.) He'd even scheduled a massage that day. I don't think he meant to kill himself.

[Amy]

I saw an interview with Shekhar Kapur, who directed Heath in The Four Feathers. He spoke to Heath either the night before his death, or two nights before (not sure), and said that Heath was 'evaluating his break-up', and that it was clear that he was missing his daughter Matilda terribly. I think this sheds great light on maybe another reason he wasn't sleeping well and needed aide.

[Barbie]

I was shocked to hear on the news yesterday that his family hadn't even been notified of his death before they heard it on TV! That is just wrong, to find out your child died, by hearing it on TV. This is still such a sad situation.

[Evy]

I was shocked, too! He was a good actor.

I watched "youtube" today. There was a part when he was on "Ophra" with Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, talking about their film "Brokeback Mountain". It was when his daughter Matilda was 12 weeks old. It was so sweet how he confessed his love for Michelle and Matilda! He and Michelle was holding hands all the time. And how he looked at her - with eyes full of love.
Bye the way, you can watch "Brokeback Mountain" on TV - if you have PREMIERE 4 - on Tuesday, January 29th. at 8:15 p. m. After it you can watch "Casanova", as well on PREMIERE 4 at January 29th, at 10:30 p. m.

Maybe Heath couldn't stand that Michelle split up with him and he missed his lovely daughter. It was told, that Michelle had left him because he used to many drugs (perhaps it was only gossip!)

I'll miss his rascal smile!

[Amy]

Evy, I just went to YouTube to watch the Oprah interview. WOW. Thank you for telling us about it. For any of you interested in it, it really is amazing and truly gave me some insight to Heath as a person, not as just the actor I knew him as. In part 2 of the interview, they talk more personally about him, Michelle and the baby. Evy, the sincerity when he said "She's the perfect mom", and Michelle's face...OMG. I broke right into tears for the first time since all of this. Heath was clearly the 'serious' one in this cast, but not without humor either. And Jake said some really beautiful things about him at the end of the interview. Clearly they were dear friends and it's going to be a comfort to him to know that he voiced these things to Heath in his life. It can remind us all to say the things we feel about the people we love and respect, not just keep them to ourselves...you just never know. And that Heath voiced these wonderful things to the mother of his child. She can keep that with her forever.

Here are the Youtube links:

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlLXp18SHdY
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9W9bFQKMU
Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inWLK7WvBQ8