Heath Ledger (Joker in Dark Knight) dead at 28

Heath Ledger has been found dead in his apartment of an apparent drug overdose.  He was 28.

The star played the Joker in the upcoming "Batman: The Dark Knight"; fortunately, it had just finished filming. He was also in "Brokeback Mountain," "Monster's Ball," "The Patriot" and "The Brothers Grimm."  He came to fame in two of my personal faves, "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale."

It is unknown at this time whether the overdose was intentional.  Being on top of the movie world isn't all a bed of roses, as the cases of Chris Farley, River Phoenix and recently Owen Wilson have shown (just to name a very, very, very few of the ones we even know about).  Most of us think that if we had all the fame and fortune, what need would there be for intoxicants to have a good time.  Still...one has to ask why Ledger would do such a thing at this point in his life.  Curious, too, that his housekeeper found him when telling him that the masseuse had arrived.  Who makes an appointment and then kills himself?  The pills were supposedly painkillers (again, at the time of this writing), so it's entirely possible this was accidental.

Heath was handsome and charming, and could act his way out of a paper bag.  His latest role, as a creepy, disgusting Joker with stringy hair and mottled paint, was clearly an attempt to broaden his range instead of taking pretty boy roles.  While it'll be strange to try to hype a movie where one of the stars came to a tragic end six months earlier, "Dark Knight" could serve as the capstone of an all-too short career.

(All I'm saying is...well, he didn't end his life making "Wagons East," let's put it that way. )

R.I.P.


UPDATE: I spoke too soon.  He was making a Terry Gilliam movie when he died.  Bad enough it's Terry Gilliam...whom I like, but his record of cursed, dark failures is pretty long...but the title is The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.  Imaginarium!??  Didn't Doctor Magorium's Fantasmaporium bomb badly enough to send the message about phoney-baloney portmanteau titles?  Why not just call it The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel?

I'll watch for updates on the Imaginarium front, and any announcements about whether his death affects Dark Knight.  I'll also announce any updates on the cause of death.  Needless to say, many are stunned at this turn of events.  Heath is gone too soon.