Jack Nicholson pointedly lit up a cigarette in the public area of Claridge’s
and gave a piece of his mind on the prescription-drug-fuelled world of the
late Heath Ledger.
It was only a few hours since the young film star had been found dead in his
Manhattan bedroom. Drugs he took for anxiety and insomnia, including Ambien
sleeping tablets, had reportedly been found at his bedside.
“I warn them about Ambien,” said Nicholson. “I don’t take sleeping pills, but
somebody said, ‘Take this – it’s mild.’ I then got a call in the middle of
the night, an emergency, and almost drove off a cliff 50 yards from my house
up in the mountains in Aspen.” He breathed out, for effect, and watched the
trail of smoke. The message was clear.
Nicholson has confessed to the lot: pills, pot, LSD, drink, shrinks and
legions of women. He has partied hard and lived harder. He always seems to
get away with it, whether it’s cigarettes in a nonsmoking zone or group sex.
At 70, seemingly indestructible, he is here to tell the tale. Yet Ledger,
who was 28, is already in the morgue.
Hollywood, Nicholson said, is like a monster. It is to be ridden, understood
and conquered. There are rules of engagement, and those who do not grasp
them can be swept aside.
He was not being cruel to the talented Ledger. He did not know him. He did not
even see Brokeback Mountain, the film that won Ledger an Oscar nomination in
2006 as best actor. There is a message nevertheless.
“Let’s go back to when I was first working in Hollywood, nearly 50 years ago,”
Nicholson told me.
“The movie business was star-driven then and it is star-driven now. There were
people like Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster setting up their own independent
movie companies. There was the gossip, the tabloids and the news stories.
They had to handle them – as I’ve had to handle them. If you don’t like it,
it’s exceptionally tough.”
Nicholson is a survivor, the biggest beast in the jungle. He’s a rogue who,
when not at his Colorado home, delights in living in the road known as Bad
Boy Drive (Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, the old haunt of Warren Beatty
and the late Marlon Brando). For most of his working life he has never
explained and never complained.
Ledger, on the other hand, was a victim: a young man who pushed himself too
hard to live in the big time. He looked set to achieve a great career but
there was something lacking. A ruthlessness, perhaps, or a thick enough skin
to deal with the demands of celebrity and the publicity machines of the film
studios.
One of his latest roles has special relevance. Nicholson played an iconic
deranged Joker in the 1989 film Batman. Ledger has delivered such a striking
and frightening Joker in the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, to be
released this summer, that it easily matches the original. Michael Caine,
who reprised his role as the butler in the film to Christian Bale’s Batman,
told me a few months ago that it was so good it made him forget his lines.
Yet away from the studio Ledger was nervous and uneasy in the spotlight. That
vital flaw was exacerbated by his personal and professional life. There was
a broken engagement in September to his actress fiancée Michelle Williams,
mother of his two-year-old daughter Matilda. There was overwork, with The
Dark Knight, a complex role in I’m Not There and most recently a punishing
schedule as the lead in the director Terry Gilliam’s film The Imaginarium of
Doctor Parnassus. He was taking the make-believe world of acting too
seriously for his own good.
The contrast with Nicholson was only too evident on a day when the old master
was launching his 60th movie, The Bucket List. He and Morgan Freeman, who is
also 70, play old men with less than a year to live. They make a list of
what they want to do before they die. It has surprised everyone, even
Nicholson, by making No 1 at the American box office, becoming a hit with a
young audience.
Ledger’s own bucket list will never be written. He did not live wild and fast
like James Dean. He did not die in dramatic fashion like River Phoenix, who
collapsed on the pavement on Sunset Boulevard outside the Viper Room and
died from a cocktail of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, speed and Valium.
Ledger slipped away by himself after apparently taking six prescription drugs
in a rented apartment in New York, on the other side of the world from his
native Perth in Western Australia. Most of the drugs were supposed to make
him relax or induce sleep. Quite frankly, he worried himself to death.
He became a star at 21 with his third big Hollywood film, A Knight’s Tale, and
seemed to suffer from an allergy to fame. I met him six times in nine years
and for the most part he was awkward about being in the spotlight. He
worried about his roles and fretted over the consequences.
When I last saw him, at the Ven-ice film festival in September, he looked
shattered. He could have been 50, with lines etched deep in his face and the
weight of the world on his 6ft frame. He complained to The New York Times in
his last official interview in November of getting only two hours’ sleep a
night.
Film acting in the premier league is not supposed to be like this. In the
hellraising days, rip-roaring Brits such as Peter O’Toole, Richard Burton
and Richard Harris worked out their frustration on the bottle – and on their
leading ladies. Now, Hollywood’s top ranks seem to be riddled with those who
agonise: young men who take tablets with unpronounceable names in private.
Where are those who might put an arm around their shoulders? The Hollywood
agent, who was part friend and part uncle or aunt to young actors, has long
been replaced by corporate money men. Business managers, lawyers and senior
studio executives look at the financial implications of every career move on
every film. An army of personal publicists is more interested in cover-ups
than revelations.
And what about the film sets them-selves? I have been on hundreds over the
years. They are inhabited by overgrown schoolboys still playing with their
toys, needy women who fear reality, and those who run a mile from anyone
with a problem. The only aim is to get the film made, however ill or
despairing some of the cast may be.
“There are too many around today who are lonely,” Nicholson said. “Film acting
will drive you nuts – if you let it. You can get everything out there
if you are young and famous. Any woman. Any drug. But you have to build up
your safety zone. You’ve got to build up friendships and keep to them. When
I was wild I would tell my friends, ‘We have to develop some social graces’.”
He set out rules early on: “I planned a certain life in leisure. I decided to
take up tennis at 28, skiing at 35 and golf at 50. I hit those targets
pretty well on the nose. I also made my own rules for publicity. Don’t do
television interviews – I never do it. And when I do [print] interviews, I
talk. You cannot take too much of what I say too seriously. But this
business is about being on show occasionally.
“I’ve never even written a letter of complaint to an editor. I had one legal
thing in London once, but it was over in two weeks. It involved something
like £20,000, which I gave to a boys’ boxing club. You’ve got the rewards
and you have to take the heat. It’s not an easy business.”
Ledger, unfortunately, was never even on the opening pages of the rule book.
He was a star in his twenties and had clearly not thought out what that
meant or where it would take him. He loved women. He had a succession of
older girlfriends such as Lisa Zane – sister of Billy Zane – who was nearly
20 years his senior. He also dated Heather Graham and Naomi Watts, who were
a decade or more older than him.
To get him to relax and enjoy the nights out they had together was impossible
when there were paparazzi around. I met him when he was just 19 with one
hit, 10 Things I Hate About You. I wrote at the time: “He talks, like many
actors of this type, with eyes averted for much of the time. But very mature
for his age: seems in his thirties rather than his teens.”
The big roles started to come in: The Patriot, with Mel Gibson, in 2000; A
Knight’s Tale; Monster’s Ball, which won Halle Berry an Oscar for best
actress, in which he played Billy Bob Thornton’s younger brother, Sonny; and
the heroic Harry Faversham in The Four Feathers. In truth, though, he rarely
seemed to enjoy it away from the film set.
I have looked over the transcripts of our interviews with sadness. Ledger was
a nice guy, not a natural at self-promotion and tense and uneasy when
discussing his various girlfriends. There was a naivety, too. It was as if
he expected to deliver high-profile films without the photographers, the
television cameras, the interviews and the sheer weight of living in the
public eye.
When we met at the Dorchester in London in November 2002 he was already
suffering the first side effects, but he was confident that he could cope.
Sporting a neat beard, which made him seem even older, he was wearing a grey
jumper over blue jeans, rather like a mature student on a postgrad course,
and seemed taller, fuller and fitter than I recalled from previous meetings.
As ever he was polite but unenthusiastic about the interview; he wanted to
give little away about his then girlfriend Watts.
He reflected on what had happened to Gibson, whose career had also hit early
heights in his twenties. Gibson turned to drink and had to try to wean
himself off it. (He has since fallen off the wagon and had to go back to
repairing the damage.) Ledger felt he could do better.
“I don’t think such things will happen to me,” he predicted. “I do not feel
anything has changed inside me and I am bored with the fame thing now. It
has changed my life but I have to deal with it. I can put it behind me.”
He was clearly spelling out what he would like to do rather than what was
happening.
When 10 Things I Hate About You was released he was inundated with offers for
other teen movies. He rejected them, preferring instead to live off the
money in Los Angeles while searching for more serious roles. He went to the
beach, invited friends over from Australia and enjoyed the sunshine and
beers. It sounded one of the happiest times in his life.
“I don’t feel any richer than I did when I had that year off,” he said in
2002. “Living on the beach I felt extremely wealthy on a different level.
And I think I know which way I want my career to go. I don’t want to be a
superhero and I am not inspired to make $20m a picture. I don’t feel that I
have sold out and that keeps me alive. That keeps me thinking that I am in
control over my own destiny.”
But he was far from being in control. As his career accelerated through films
such as Ned Kelly (2003) and Lords of Dogtown (2005) he became more nervous
and uncertain. There was, however, a breakthrough by the time we met again
in late 2005. He had launched three movies: the excellent Brokeback
Mountain, an entertaining Casanova and the comic fantasy The Brothers Grimm.
He was also in love.
He had fallen for Williams, his on-screen wife in Brokeback Mountain. She was
a year younger – a girlfriend close to his own age for once – and they had a
baby. He could not have been happier.
“We are like two peas in a pod,” he said, with untypical candour. “It is
astonishing, the profound effect it has had on my life and beliefs.”
He was also preparing to take time off after completing five films in the
previous 18 months. He was planning a life between America and Australia,
where he had his parents, sister, two half-sisters and old friends.
“I feel that I need the sanity of my family around me,” he said. “I can get
the best of both worlds.” But again his awkwardness proved his undoing.
While filming Candy – about a drug addict – in Sydney, he had so many
standoffs with photographers that a deep resentment built up.
The photographers took revenge when Brokeback Mountain was premiered there in
2006. They squirted him with water pistols. Although he should have been
used to such wind-ups in his homeland, he promptly sold his Sydney
waterfront home.
His father, Kim, went public with the details of the trauma several months
later: “Heath had to go into the cinema and introduce the film soaking wet.
He cried all night. He rang me and said, ‘Dad, that’s it. Sell the house’.”
Kim Ledger said that he had urged his son to think it over for 48 hours. “Two
days later he rang me back and said, ‘Dad, it has been 47 hours and 57
minutes. Sell the house’.”
The plush property was sold for £2.5m two months later and a vital link with
Australia was over.
Such sensitivity over a few water pistols brought to mind a remark that
Ledger’s father had made a few years earlier.
“Heath doesn’t want to even squash an ant,” he said. “He worries about
everything. He’s very soft inside.”
If only he had met Jack Nicholson. Asked about his own advice for life, the
old survivor replied: “Do not lie, do not steal and do not be afraid.
Mainly, do not be afraid.”
I too, can't stop reading about Heath Ledger...I loved his work in all his films. I long to believe it was a total accident. But the "walking pnemonia" continues to filter through my brain; along with 'sleep deprievation'...He flew home to NY on Jan. 20th and was found dead two days later??? Come on people this man was sick!!! I repect his life, his family, his child and Michelle Williams. I still think HEATH COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED!!!! Dam it.
Debby, Redding, CA
Amy Pascal, head of Colombia pictures - who only afterward swooned words of praise, apparently threatened that his career would "die in Hollywood, bottom out" - if he didn't buck up and take part in a massive PR campaign: 20 countries in 30 days, to market Knight's Tale. He still refused. They came to a compromise, based on his decision. He also walked out of the original reading for The Patriot, telling them that he didn't want to "waste their time ...nor my own". They called him back after he walked out. He got the part.
This is not a man who was consumed or intimidated by Hollywood or fame; it's an insult to who he was to wrap his life up in a short synopsis that makes us - left behind - feel more comfortable. Somehow, if we can DEFINE, CATEGORIZE or EXPLAIN the faults in his character that led to his death, WE can feel better by saying,"OK, I won't do that...so, i'm safe." Death, and young, unexpected death, scares the crap out of every human being. Let's not add insult.
jo, nyc,
I live in Melbourne Australia. During the 80's, I saw my mother eat Sarapax and Valium like lollies, given to her by her specialist medical employers.
I recently visited pschiatric wards to see someone diagnosed bipolar. I have watched them toxify, overmedicate an. Then they send someone home before they should be.
Yet, when he needed to go to hospital after not sleeping for 4 days and unable to slow down even with a plethora of medication - they would not take him when he presented himself. A few days later when he was in hospital, staff would come to me and say "we're lucky we caught him early." I would respond with "he came to you last week, you didnt take him when he needed your help."
I am bemused to say the least with the psychiatric community. When you tell a Dr, no he cant cope with that dosage of that drug and the Dr says "I'm the Dr, your not." Questioning men with so many letters after their names can be tramatic at times -
Let Heaths death mean something!
Joanne, Melbourne , Australia
I'd have to disagree with him living in a status of constant worry, uneasiness, lacking a certain 'toughness'.
Having followed this young man's status since Two Hands, watching his acting, introspection, commentary, goals, intense creativity, and realistic perspective on life - there is nothing SIMPLE about this man.
Those of us on the outside - journalists included (and I am one) are throwing darts at a dartboard in a final attempt to "make sense" and "explain" a horrific event. Not only is it a painfully transparent weak effort, it insults the intellienge of this unusual man. Yes, he was different, and sensitive. But, if there is one thing that screams an inability to 'categorize' him or his death into a clean cubby-hole, it's his own consistent commentary - backed by hard follow-through, of calling his own shots. He chose to NOT get sucked into the Hollywood Haven. He CALLED HIS OWN SHOTS at an early age, something unheard of in modern-day Hollywood.
jo, nyc,
Ledger seems to have been a nice, simple bloke. One who was able to reach inside his thin skin and inner turmoil to pull out deep fragments of emotion for his roles. Maybe that's Nicholson's shortcoming....that he has built up such a thick skin to life's struggles that he has trouble reaching through to grasp and pull out true emotion (he only delivers an exceptional performance about once every eight films despite his iconic status). With Ledger, it was about once every two films. In plane words, Heath could act circles around Jack.
It was weakness that led to Ledger's demise. A lack of strength to resist taking the easy route of prescription drugs for this and prescription drugs for that. Nothing more. Whether you're a Superstar like Ledger or a homeless junkie looking for a fix, it's a common weakness ending with a common result. It just seems sadder when someone with Ledgers talent ends up digging his own grave.
Jim Reviewer, Syracuse, NY/USA
RIP. No matter how it went down in those finals moments his brroding persona and his acting credits will live long in the memory espically with Brokeback Mountain.
I admire that he was trying to do it his way. But it is the machine behind the industry that can be so responsible when we watch great lives and talent cut short in tragic circumstances. But that's the Star persona, in many many cases it's courted to establish a levelof stardom and build there way up the pay scale. Add some personality traits against the norm, play them out in public and boom, your hot news.I do not believe Heath was one such person. He wanted his privacy as much as possible.
There has been so much tragedy in the movie business much to much to mention. And as people are all unique the level on which they cope with fame varies. Some go about it with all the brain power of a pea, other will live long in the memory for the work left behind. Can any of us ask for more than to be remembered in some way.
Noel, Ireland,
What a wonderful, touching article. The incident with the water pistols...and Mr. Ledger's reaction...is a telling commentary. Sad doesn't begin to describe how one feels when glimpsing his inner turmoil. My heartfelt sympathy and prayers to his family and friends--while we as fans will certainly miss him, those who really knew him are experiencing terrible loss so much more. I admired Heath Ledger's work, and I admired his desire to keep his personal life personal. I wish we could all learn to separate the work from the personal with celebrities...if they seek publicity, fine, but if they don't we should respect that and let them be. Many of us who have experienced anxiety and sleeplessness can certainly understand how this terrible accident could so easily happen. It's very easy to do. My heart hurts for his pain, and for his family's pain.
Beki N., Dry Prong, LA
Excellent piece of journalism. Now in the light of proof of accidental overdose, maybe the harsh words of the naysayers will go away. Heath Ledger was a phenomenal actor. He brought depth and life to all his characters. He was obviously not comfortable in the public eye as was evident by his interviews, but he was a wonderful soul and brought much entertainment to many with his craft. I for one will miss what could have been. He had it all and yet was lonely in many ways. I feel so bad for his family and Michelle Williams who only knew him so well and how much they will miss the real Heath Ledger. Rest in Peace Heath, in the arms of the angels where you will find solace and comfort. You truly were an amazing man. Your little Matilda will carry on your spirit. God Bless.
Ali, Grosse Pointe,
What kind of reporter is Garth Pierce?? It is well known that Richard Burton perferred to be known as a Welchman -- and for the love of Pete - Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris are well known IRISHMEN not Brits .... sheesh. Shouldn't a reporter know his facts??
As for Heath Ledger - a talented actor who was perhaps even brilliant - but not strong enough for the barracuda den of Hollywood he had entered. Very sad.
Katy, NY, US
Excellent article. Refreshing point of view. One detail though: In Monster's Ball, Ledger played Billy Bob Thornton's son, not his younger brother.
Rafael Quesada, San Jose, Costa Rica
Finally, something kind and decent and believably accurate, from a source who might actually have a true sense of the kind of person Heath Ledger was.
Cori, Bolton,
This was a well thought out article. Thank you for writing what really was likely to have gone on in Heath Ledger's life. He seemed to be a very thoughtful and tender person. I hope his loved ones celebrate his life in the small everyday things that are the most precious parts of life. My heart goes out to his parents, his sisters, Ms. Williams and his wonderful daughter and those who truly loved him. The greatest tragedy is that he could have been saved. He will be sincerely missed.
Tania V., Southbury, CT
Thank You for this great article. Reading that I had a great opportunity to know Heath better.
Although he wasn't my favourite actor I am so affected by his death. I have a deep need in my soul to read about him and to watch all his films, because he won't make any more.
Especially the last part of this article - about selling his house in the beloved Australia because of the clash with paparazzis breakes my heart. He was so sensitive guy. We have a saying in Poland "If You have a soft heart You have also to have a hard ass". He was to good guy for this ruthless business.
He seems to be a great, loving a nice guy and no celebrity. Other actors could learn a lesson from him how to be famous and stay a great human being. It is only so sad that the prime of his fame was so high.
Praying for his family.
Marta
Marta, Zielona Gora, Poland
Heath was a person like any other. We, "society". are the ones that put people on a pedestal with expectations that are unrealistic and unobtainable for ourselves even and then speculate in amazement when they fall. Your article was well written and with sincerity and I thank you for that. I have read way too many that want to focus on the possiblity of a drug problem and that being his demise. If this was to educate people I would be all for it. I have friends in similiar battles that are being suggested that Heath fought. But, for the most part it is just for gossip with not genuine care for Heath or his family. The focus should be on what a wonderful, kind, and loving person he was to his parents, friends, Michelle and his beautiful daughter with the focus on them and keeping his memory alive and with dignity. Respect-I think we all lose it way too easily unfortunately and respect is what he deserves and his loved ones.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Shelton
Drakesboro, Kentucky
cynthia shelton, drakesboro, US Kentucky
When I was young and such a big man
The world just seemed to spin round
All of the girls I went through so fast
My heart just wouldn't slow down
Oh, how they tried to make such a man
Out of a boy, who yet wasn't free
He lived and he loved and he pushed and he shoved
It was just insecurity
But time, has a way
Of sorting your dreams
Hollywood smiles
And those long in-betweens
Baby, I loved you
But you got your fears
And I'll play my music
But you'll have my years
- Johnny Rocket-
To All the People of The World..
Love Each Other Now...
when your whole life shatters
Nothing else matters....
J.R.
Johnny Rocket, Santa Barbara, California
It's nice to finally read an article from someone who's met him and seen his inner demons. Makes me even sadder than before but with a better understanding of the man. Thank you
Christine, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Great article but there's a mistake - Ledger played Thornton's son, not brother, in the movie Monster's Ball.
Giaq, Arlington, VA
I think the reason Heath Ledger's death has affected so many people on a deep level is because we have a knowing that one of the good ones is gone. As his Dad said, he is sensitive, his is soft. It's why he was the great actor he was, and it's why we're all sad. Because we know - a good one is gone.
LAW, Calabasas, CA
Curiously after thought, what did Heath dating older women have to do with anything? I mean you made reference on more than one occassion that he was very mature for his age. How did this make the article more well-rounded? I understand it is about his personal life and reference to, but you posed it as not a positive thing, especially when saying he finally was with a girl closer to his age.
Age is a feeling, not a number.
CS
KY
cynthia shelton, drakesboro, US Kentucky
Very good article. Jack Nicholson is the ultimate Hollywood survivor. But he is not an actor and has yet to reshape himself to play a role. He survives because he's always looking out for himself, and so are his characters. That's why we love him!
No one will write of "his body of work" when he dies, though.
I 'd like to see a similar article with Daniel Day-Lewis discussing his philosophy.
M Taylor, New Orleans, USA / Louisiana
Hollywood is not the monster. The monster is the individual's own inner demons. What happened to Heath Ledger could have easily occurred outside of the entertainment business or the Hollywood community.
Rosie Powell, Los Angeles, CA
this is one of the most extraordinary article on a fallen star that i've ever read. by reading the article, i could see his life flashing before my eyes.
darin, McLean, VA
Beautiful article. I didn't think I could feel more sorry for his death than I already was. I was wrong.
For those who speak of the terrible paparazzi... People who buy the magazines and watch the celebrity news fuel the paparazzi fire. It is up to us to stop them.
Jale, Newhaven,
the key word here is pressure. The pressure to exceed beyond belief, the pressure to be the best, to have the best. In today's society it is a cut throat reality that we live in.Everything revolves around numbers, reaching unrealistic goals, and the pressure to prove this to everyone. In the end we forget that we are all the same no matter what we choose to do in life.
Rest in Peace Heath!
Portia, Fredericksburg, VA
Great article. It has such punch to it. So sad but with an incrediable life lesson we could all apply to wherever you are.
BW, Beverly Hills,
What a beautiful article. I have been deeply affected by Heath Ledgers death for reasons that I don't understand. I have been reading articles about him, searching for something, some reason why I feel so upset and I think your article articulated it very well. He surely seemed to be a real person, sensitive and caring, trying to live a real life under overwhelming circumstances. Although I don't really know what I believe about life after death, I hope his soul has gone to a good place because the thought of such a sweet being lying in the ground and no where else is too much to bare. So, I am taking this new respect for life I feel, which seems to come with death of any kind but especially death of a young person, and while still brooding, trying to enjoy all the little bits of life that Heath is no longer able to. Heath, I can only hope you are at peace. Thank you for writing this article, it has meant something to me.
Teegan, Seattle, WA
So glad to hear someone, anyone from Hollyweird speak up for this poor soul...all of those out there that knew Heath and knew of his drug use and turned and looked the other way are guilty today....And sadly it isn't just drug pushers but it is families, friends, girlfriends, agents, directors, producers, co-workers...anyone who knew and didn't grab him by the collar .... all are punished today.
Heath is finally FREE but you all have to live with the knowledge that you could have and most certainly should have done something..anything it took to help him...
Now what are you going to do going forward to stop this from happening again....anything???
Why don't we hear from George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, OPRAH, Dr. Phil, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise.....Big time people could make a big time difference right now and maybe just maybe prove that this young man didn't die..........in vain............
MAC, Kansas City, USA/MO.
It is amazing how this wolrd of acting makes us envy and think they live a great life when in reality they are more exposed than we the "regular" people.
It all goes down to family; if he had had them in USA it would have been not the same; he was a delicate soul, extremelly talented and it is extremely sad he is gone but refreshing to know he was such a sweet heart.
I think dating older women was not a negative thing; it works for some people no matter how much they criticize that.
I am sorry for his loss; I hope paparazzy, the press, TV, radio, stop talking dirt about this and other people out there.
They are human beens not animal for this people to keep talking about them; it is honestly sickening to read, or hear how they talk about all actors in general; will they like it if they had to live that in their lives and have it done to their families.
All the media should just tell regular news and stop messing people's lives; what is this World coming to.
My deepest respect
maria, Texas, USA
He obviously needed to be with family and what happened to him in Australia hurt him badly.
I think that once they heard he was only sleeping 2 hours a day was the key for some one near him even those producers to help him to stop working so hard.
It is known the world of drugs is everywhere but for them is easier to have them offered and what docotor says yes take 6 of them.
That was his sad choice to do because of it all being so ovenwhelming and him beins such a sweet soul.
I liked him with his girlfriend and baby, they all were sweet together.
I disagree on what they say about difference in age with other women. He was with this nice girl and still did not work for him so it is not about age either.
To all those media and paparazzy, they are a disgrace to human condition when they want to show only bad things on good people.
When they go out of their way to sell a story for the money.
To all family and friends of this young man that they lose; sorry and it is just sad.
maria, Texas, USA
Has anyone wondered if perhaps he died from complications of pnemonia??? Perhaps the virus infected his heart and he died of cardiomyopathy??? A horrible viral pnemonia is going around the US - I had walking pnemonia myself in November and it about killed me! Everyone over here has been ill with this virus and I can't imagine being jet lagged and sleep deprived on top of being ill as Heath Ledger reportedly was at the time of his death.
Nicoloson is just jealous that Heath Ledger will wipe out all momory of Nicoloson's performance as the Joker.
Heath Ledger was joy to see on film and he offered a bright light to a dismal world.
Nathan, Boston, USA
your article is the kindest story about Heath. i have seen all his movies and admire him very much. He is an extremely talented actor. I hope that he is at peace now with God. We love you Heath
consuelo rasjid, Baguio City, philippines
Actually Mr. Parsons the role Heath played in Monster's Ball was as BBT's SON not his brother!
Regina, wheeling,
Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris, correct me if I'm wrong but were they not both from the west of Ireland? O'Toole a Galwegian and Harris a Limerick man? Certain they wern't British.
Patrick Callinan, Manchester, England
We shall miss Heath Ledger. We shall always love Jack Nicholson. I wish the old man could have given this advice to the young. Perhaps young actors will see this and old Jack will save at leats one person from Heath's fate. Robin Fletcher and Tanner, Tate and Trace
Robin Fletcher, Dallas, Texas
Thank you. Nice to see what seems to be a balanced article.
Robert Parsons - keep your views to yourself - I cannot believe that you bring such trivia up within such a sensitive article!
Beth, Belfast, Northern Ireland
I do believe he was a troubled young man. It is NOT my place and to be frank no one else's, to judge him for how he lived his short life. Rest in peace Mr Ledger and thank you for your movies.
Cristian, london, UK
Thanks for sharing your experience with Heath Ledger with us and your insight. What a special soul, a remarkable man Heath Ledger was, is.
A.D., Laguna Hills, CA, USA
Peter O'Toole was born in Leeds. He's proud of his Irish roots, but is a born Englishman. This Ledger business, though really is tragic. How can anyone have so much, and have so much to offer, and not be happy?
Ian Duncan, Tokyo,
'Brit' abbreviates 'British' you dunderheads! That encompasses English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish (anyone born before Eire independence, and Northern Ireland since), Channel Islanders, Falkland Islanders et al and even some Empire/Commonwealth ex-colonials.... Indian, West Indians, Africans, Pacific Islanders, even Australians and New Zealanders etc etc. if they were born under BRITISH sovereignty prior to independent nationhood. They all carried British Passports and ergo are 'Brits'.
P.S. Great article by the way!
Robert Parsons, Melbourne, Australia
Yes, Matthew Wales is in Britain.
C Macmanus, manchester, UK
Robert I think you'll find the taxation in Ireland favours writers not actors. But perhaps as you're claiming Peter O'Toole as British you may also be claiming Daniel Day-Lewis to be a writer?
Furthermore by your logic Michael Caine, Billy Connolly, John Clease and many other Brits are honorary Americans since that is where they are spending a great deal of their lives.
Ricardo, Dublin, Ireland
To answer Ricardo,
Peter O'Toole was born in England, Richard Burton Wales - two Brits, and Richard Harris was efectively an honorary brit, he lived a great deal of his life in England.
We don't claim them, they claim us!
As for Daniel day-Lewis, he has it both ways with dual nationality British and Irish, and I suspect he has an ulterior motive with Irish nationality as the government there is very generous to actors when it comes to taxation!
robert sandall, london, UK
British media claiming Irish stars as their own has always made me laugh. The reference in this article is unusual though in that they usually like to distance themselves from 'boozy' types. Can't wait for future articles about other famous Brits such as U2!
Great to see Irish citizen Daniel Day-Lewis sweeping up all before him. Must be the Wicklow air!
Ricardo, Dublin, Ireland
He was several thousand of miles away from his root, Australia. This guy was just 28, even the toughest cowboys need affection from their blood relations sometimes. Maybe, some body could have noticed his fast-paced journey down the hill, and probably put a brake to it. This is just a bloody waste of a young talent. If you've seen "Brokeback Mountain", that is.
samora, Ikeja, Nigeria, Lagos
Wales is part of Great Britain.
David Leslie, Perth, Scotland
I hope someone puts his or her arms around that other cowboy, Jake Gyllenhaal's, shoulders, who must be going through hell these days.
Jake, take care.
Heath, Rest In Peace. And thank you for this little rare American gem, Brokeback Mountain was and is to many.
Joris, Amsterdam, Netherlands
He was on anti-anxiety meds. To much profits involved will be covered up. Check side effects on these meds. Mania or racing thoughts, suicidal ideation. Happens over and over but the powers that be don't want a drop in stock value
Joe Covey, Scranton, USA
I don't know about all these articles describing him as some sort of 'sensitive artist' etc, it's like they're portraying him as a bit of a nutcase, too artistic and soft for mean old hollywood, maybe the guy simply had problems sleeping and accidently took more pills than he should have, it must be awful for his family to read about him being described as some sort of unstable depresive, why would he have scheduled a maseuse to turn up at his house if he was hoping to die anyway
people are so full of crap, the only ones who can really comment are his family (one day I will learn to spell.....)
Paula, Dublin, Ireland
Richard Burton was Welsh - and also British; Wales is a part of Britain. Sorry to be pedantic but don't make the old mistake of thinking England and Britain are the same thing...
judith, Bangor, Gwynedd
Wow that sure was powerful reading. Makes me even sadder to think how sad and lonely Heath was. So sad at such a young age when he should be having a ball. Makes me look at the famous people in a different light thats for sure.
Fran, Perth, Australia
".....rip-roaring Brits such as ........ Richard Burton....."
"Wasn't Richard Burton Welsh?
Matthew Peterson, Illinois, "
Indeed he was. And Wales is part of Great Britain, making him both Welsh and British.
shorehamview, Sunny Sheffield,
Wasn't Richard Burton Welsh?
Matthew Peterson, Illinois,
jst wana say RIP Heath...!!!!!!!
laura, offaly, Ireland
When are these actors and actresses and actors going to realize that Hollywood is stealing thier souls. Not the geographical location, as this happens to celebrities all over the world, but the lifestyle that turns these people into monsters who wil not even befriend someone in need because they might get caught in the bad publicity. How sad that this man died so lonely and alone when many must have sensed that he was in emotional trouble. You people are lovers and pleasure and yourselves and the thrill of the moment and you live in that moment so you do not have to admit that you have lost yourself and only live as an extension of your celebrity. Who are you, really?????
Beck Hossain, Kentucky, USA
Beck Hossain, Lexington, KY
Heath played Billy Bob Thorntons "son" in the movie "Monsters Ball", not brother as was stated in the article.
rita, rockport,
O'Toole was born in 1932, with some sources giving his birthplace as Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and others as Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, where he also grew up. O'Toole himself is not certain of his birthplace or date, noting in his autobiography that while he accepts August 2 as his birthdate, he has conflicting birth certificates in both countries
james, hove,
Over dose with sedatives is so easy to do.
He was a great actor and seems like he was a good guy.
He just got the dose wrong that night.
Faye, London, UK
Brilliant article, I think you hit the nail on the head. Ledger was a wonderful talent & his passing is an incredibly sad loss. Life shud be taken with a pinch of salt (which I know is nearly always easier said then done) & at the end of the day you only go around once. He had all the trappings of fame and still was worrying himself sick, if you look at pics of the guy in the last few months you can see a person under enormous mental pressure. The tragic thing in his business and in the business of life is that only you can look after yourself & sort yourself out. Just a pity that hes not gonna get that chance.
K G J, Dublin,
Nic London , very well said , Thank you !
Peter Renton, London,
How do britney spears, paris hilton, lindsay lohan, courtney love, kate moss and the others dicing with death dabbling in drugs and alcohol get away. Time will catch up with these senseless bunch but worse of all is when they reproduce. What sort of example will they be leading? Why dont people cherish health which is one of the hardest thing to achieve? Think of all the babies born with disablities, these celebs dont deserve anything at all least of all our sympathies. The families they leave behind suffer the heartache of a lost one.
Virginia, Brisbane, Australia
Dont blame the papparazzis. Strangely, l dont get anyone rushing round with cameras wanting to take my photos. I dont earn millions of dollars just showing my face. That's because l am not famous. It goes with the territory. lf you dont want anyone following you and wanting to know all about you. get an office job and no one will be interested in you. EVER !
Virginia, Brisbane, Australia
When all is said and done, where were the people that cared for this young, aspiring actor? He had so many friends and relationships. Why is it that no one seemed to know how much he was suffering and stay by him?
The signals were clear in many of his public statements -- Ledger was obviously overburdened with the too much, too soon stress syndrome. Whether it came from his instant fame, his relationships, a new child or his self-imposed nervousness about his roles and future work life -- everyone knows sleep deprivation can drive a person insane.
And while so many young stars take copious amounts of drugs together with alchohol and survive, this poor young man took drugs he felt would help him -- prescription drugs that killed him.
But the heartbreaking reality is that he was so loved and appreciated by so many. Why then did he die the way he did? Naked in his apartment, in the middle of the day and all alone?
MG Frankfurt
MG, Frankfurt, Germany
I am so sick of hearing about Jack Nicholson's opinion in relation to Heath Ledger. Jack Nicholson seems to be getting more out this than he should. OK, so he is making a statement about how he can "handle" the tough life of earning millions of dollars a year and having beautiful women all over him for most of his life and never having to worry about anything. Well, good for you Mr. Nicholson but Heath Ledger was Australian and we don't care about that crap, we just loved him. Also, I find it oddly amusing that Jack Nicholson is making these comments when I am hearing that Heath was a much better "Joker" than Nicholson by ten fold. I thnk there is a hidden agenda here, one of the big boys in Hollywood was outdone by our Heath, and he doesn't like it. Boo Who! We can't wait to see the "Dark Knight" and I hope for Gods Sake that he outshines Nicholson to the extreme after the comments he has been making. May your RIP Heath, we all love you down here in OZ. Say G'day to our mates for us
Melissa, Sydney, Australia
You may have met Heath Ledger, but you certainly didn't know him and cannot be sure of the reasons behind his death. This article is based on an interpretation of facts, brief moments spent in the man's company and the musings of a Hollywood great. Like all interpretations of facts in journalism, you need to angle for a story and I find your story too simple and assumptive. Ledger was, without doubt, a superb artist at the beginning of his craft. He was, as most great artists are, sensitive and erudite for one so young. The idea that he couldn't deal with 'fame' or 'hollywood' has missed the point. He couldn't deal with himself at that moment when he took one too many pills. If it had not been the pressure he put himself under to achieve his ambitions in film, it would have been something else. He dealt with fame and he dealt with Hollywood on his terms. His death was no more and no less than a grotesque and horrific mistake and any further analysis belittles his life.
Nic, London,
A nice thoughtful piece. (But, yes, Google is your friend when finding out the correct nationalities of actors). :)
Mojo, Loulé, Portugal
Richard Harris is Irish too !!
Richard Williams, Tokyo, Japan
Hollywood sees so much death and destruction of lives. If this were any other industry the health and safety people would have closed down the studios decades ago.
Actors seem to be very vulnerable people outside their exterior bravado. Its clear significant numbers of them need protection from the studio moneymen and the media vultures. Start with putting meaningful restrictions on the paparazzi.
Kevin May, Dartford, UK
So was Richard Harris!
James Knox, Tavira, Portugal
the commentary above by Garth Pearce is the best ive read on Heath since the tragedy .. Garth appears to have the long experience and the insight, to comment on the industry in which Heath worked ..
the events are very sad .. and full of " if only's "
for instance .. if only Heath had been able to see his daughter more often ..if only he'd had a great mate .. perhaps Jack .. with the right advice when needed .. if only prescription drugs for sleeping problems were never an option .. if only Heath took had been able to take the press work a little less seriously ..if only to protect himself ..
A great actor who took risks and gave alot of himself ..
very very sad for his family .. best is ..Matilda will be loved cherished and protected by all around her .. Heath wherever he is, can be sure of that
kevin, brisbane, australia
Peter O'Toole is Irish!
Ash, Dublin,