Heath Ledger dead?

[sundial]

Here's a report posted by CNN:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.

Heath Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment.
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The Academy Award nominated actor was 28.

"Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed," police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN.

"This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet."

The pills appeared to be over-the-counter sleeping medication, said police spokeswoman Barbara Chen.

Ledger was unresponsive when he was found by a housekeeper who had gone to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse in the Soho apartment, Browne said.

Ledger was declared dead at about 3:30 p.m., Browne said.

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A crowd of onlookers, photographers and reporters gathered outside the apartment building after news of Ledger's death was reported. Police officers were guarding the doors.

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, and named Heathcliff Andrew after the main characters of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." He began acting at a local theater as a child.

Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999, and he immediately attracted attention from Hollywood. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball," among other films. See a photo gallery of Ledger's life and career »

Heath Ledger's biography
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"In a way I was spoon-fed a career," he told the Glasgow Herald in 2005. "It was fully manufactured by a studio that believed it could put me on their posters and turn me into a product. ... I hadn't figured out properly how to act, and all of a sudden I was being thrown into these lead roles."

But Ledger was perhaps best known for his 2005 portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned him an Oscar nomination.

"I felt that choices were being made for me, so I feel this has been my time now to find the good stories and test myself," Ledger told the Glasgow Herald in the 2005 interview. "It has been an interesting year, where I finally have a sense of accomplishment."

Asked how he felt about filming love scenes with another man, Ledger said he and his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal simply focused on their roles.

"We can't say that we weren't nervous about it," Ledger told Oprah Winfrey in 2006. "But once the first take was over, it's like, 'OK. So what? It's kissing another human being. How are we going to finish this scene? Let's get on with it and let's get out of here.' "

In a written statement, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said it mourns Ledger's death, adding that his portrayal of Del Mar "changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways."

Ledger has a daughter, Matilda Rose, born in 2005 to his then-girlfriend, Michelle Williams, who played his on-screen wife, Alma, in "Brokeback Mountain." The couple have since separated.

"He was just so respected in the industry," said Kim Serafin, senior editor of In Touch Weekly.

"It's just horribly tragic. He was just a fine actor and a good person, so this is horribly sad and very unexpected."

[northstar]

So, so sad...

[Raindrop]

So sad. And, it appears to be suicide. After losing my brother and my nephew to suicide, all I can say is that it always appears to be a "spur of the moment" thing that was perhaps years in the making. It saddens me beyond words.

Don't be too quick to judge just because pills were found by the person. Maybe, he hoped that he didn't make the wrong choice and hoped to be saved.

My throat is tight with the sorrow that comes from a suicide. It's just beyond sadness when it happens in your family.

God bless his family, his child and him.

[Brandi]

Just because there were pills by he's bed doesn't mean he died from that . I have sleeping pills by my bed too. I take maybe 5 a year. I take them the night before I travel or i won't sleep. I start to think to much about "did I get everything done".
If I pass away in my bed and they find sleeping pills I hope they don't think that.

[Tuckervill]

OTC sleeping pills, too? What could you OD on that you could buy over the counter? Tylenol PM? That doesn't make any sense. There must be a more effective way.

Like Brandi, I have a jumbo size bottle of generic Tylenol PM by my bed, too, along with ibuprofen, and several vials of unused narcotics that I had for various things in the room. Maybe I should pack them away, in case I die in my sleep?

Karen

[Brandi]

OTC sleeping pills, too? What could you OD on that you could buy over the counter? Tylenol PM? That doesn't make any sense. There must be a more effective way.

Like Brandi, I have a jumbo size bottle of generic Tylenol PM by my bed, too, along with ibuprofen, and several vials of unused narcotics that I had for various things in the room. Maybe I should pack them away, in case I die in my sleep?

Karen

I am with you. I am rethinking about what I keep next to my bed! It could get me in trouble!
I can see it now...
Sex addict (not even close) as well as a pill popper! Nice!
Yes there are a few toys in my night stand! I am normal!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Personally, I feel that NO pills or medication should be kept by the bed. Should anyone be taking medications when they are groggy?
And please, THROW AWAY expired medications. The chemical composition of drugs can change and deteriorate over time and they should not be taken after they expire.
Lastly, if there is a chance of any children visiting your home, you should make a habit of never leaving medications out. All it takes is a moment of absent mindedness.

[froglegs]

I heard on the news this morning that he was taking Ambien and that it wasn't working very well for him. One of my coworkers just had Lasik and was given an Ambien to take that night, he took it and within minutes was falling asleep in his dinner. His family put him to bed. He doesn't remember anything. So this is complete and total speculation....... but maybe if the Ambien wasn't working well, Heath decided to try taking more than the recommended dosage, and just took too much, or took something else that reacted with it. Again this is just a guess, but I think some people think pills automatically = suicide, and that may not be the case. I hope not.