Heath Ledger

[papeetepatrick]

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/...d/index.html?hp

This is shocking.

[dirac]

I had trouble taking in the headline.

Not only that he was so young but he had so much promise as an actor and artist. Ledger struck me at first as yet another blond hunky number with a winning smile, and then came Brokeback Mountain, where he was good beyond all expectations. (I still think he should have gotten the Oscar over Philip Seymour Hoffman, although that's a trivial matter at such a time.) This is dreadful. I am so sorry.

[papeetepatrick]

Olsen's apt., at 421 Broome, is a few down from the taller looming one I've often seen walking from my place to Chinatown, and is one of the old Cast Iron District buildings turned into big condos. There were maybe 150-175 people with a good number of TV trucks, etc., about an hour ago. It was the top floor which probably takes up the whole floor and has a barely visible small penthouse or greenhouse on top.

I never read any of his publicity and thought he was at least 7-8 years older (even in the younger scenes of 'Brokeback', I thought the actor himself seemed older, projected a much older persona than I associate with young actors.) I could never have imagined he was 25 when he made that film, and never saw any of the others, but actors can really fool you with their ages: I was equally startled that Viggo Mortensen is 48-49. Photos with today's news were much more young-looking, a little like DiCaprio, I thought. This is just pre-January thaw and cold and often dismal with the stock market instability going on especially palpable here, so the kind of atmosphere you wouldn't want to be depressed in about personal things; although since this is apparently suicide, there's more there and I know little about him. Passersby did mention he was dating Ms. Olsen, and his IMDb page has his relationship with Michele Williams, mother of his child, as ending mid-2007.

[cubanmiamiboy]

"Brokeback Mountain" was certainly a brave challenging film that touched many people's hearts and put some others to re evaluate certain life standards and ways of thinking and acting ...Thanks, Heath for being part of that...

RIP Heathcliff Ledger.

[miliosr]

He was excellent in I'm Not There (the Bob Dylan biopic from last fall) as the "mid-70s Dylan" and there's already been good word about his performance as The Joker in the upcoming Batman film The Dark Knight. He was heading toward a great career . . .

[Petra]

I am very - almost unaccountably - saddened by this news. I was a fan of Heath Ledger as far back as 10 Things I Hate About You, an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew with Julia Stiles set in a modern-day high school. He was part of a virtuoso cast in Brokeback Mountain. He seemed to be willing to put his good looks aside for the sake of his art, something that is not usually required of young men.

[atm711]

I never read any of his publicity and thought he was at least 7-8 years older (even in the younger scenes of 'Brokeback', I thought the actor himself seemed older, projected a much older persona than I associate with young actors.) I could never have imagined he was 25 when he made that film

yes, I never would have suspected he was that young and it makes his performance all the more remarkable. Such dreadful news. I pray for the peace of his family.

[dirac]

I never read any of his publicity and thought he was at least 7-8 years older (even in the younger scenes of 'Brokeback', I thought the actor himself seemed older, projected a much older persona than I associate with young actors.) I could never have imagined he was 25 when he made that film

yes, I never would have suspected he was that young and it makes his performance all the more remarkable. Such dreadful news. I pray for the peace of his family.

He did age most convincingly in the role for an actor of his age. The others in the cast were good and Jake G. is adorable but the role of Ennis is the key to the story. Ledger's was the crucial contribution. (He did another movie around the same time, Casanova, which wasn't up to much but gave an indication of what was looking like a very wide range.)

[papeetepatrick]

Most probably have been keeping up with this story by now, but here's an update with some more details. Accidental overdose does sound more likely in his case, but almost as sad.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_k1n_z...WLpDIgD8UCDQI80

[papeetepatrick]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/st...3635&page=1

This is amazing even by nutter standards.

[sandik]

Nutter indeed.

"She said members of the church had already purchased plane tickets to picket outside the Oscars, scheduled for Feb. 24 in Hollywood."

It's almost enough to make me hope that the writer's strike isn't over and there isn't a telecast (and that their tickets are unrefundable...)

[papeetepatrick]

Nutter indeed.

"She said members of the church had already purchased plane tickets to picket outside the Oscars, scheduled for Feb. 24 in Hollywood."

It's almost enough to make me hope that the writer's strike isn't over and there isn't a telecast (and that their tickets are unrefundable...)

I feel the same way. Just as you were posting that, sandik, I found this wonderful gesture from Daniel Day-Lewis, which I want to place here for some balance after those creeps. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_en_...g_awards_ledger

[cubanmiamiboy]

Oh well...i would love to say a couple of things about those creeps...but manners and the forum proper-oriented vocabulary wouldn't allow me, right...?, so i better and and also on the Westwhaterever Church subject...

[cubanmiamiboy]

"She said members of the church had already purchased plane tickets to picket outside the Oscars, scheduled for Feb. 24 in Hollywood."

I hope it rains...

Note: Edited to avoid misogyny. Sorry Leigh...

[Leigh Witchel]

Not that these people deserve a defense, but let's stay away from misogyny to make the point

[papeetepatrick]

Not that these people deserve a defense, but let's stay away from misogyny to make the point

Yes, that wouldn't be nearly as effective as just old-fashioned classism and perhaps some of the 'clad in snobbery' that the New Yorker Magazine recently told us ballet is simply riddled with-- although I think we need not picket (their specialty, and apparently anything is a worthy subject of picketing, if dead soldiers and little girls killed in buses are.) Anyway, I doubt they have the wherewithal to find the location of the funeral, which I noticed yesterday was being kept secret (I doubt they needed bother, considering that the mega-rednecks probably also have not the wherewithal for the Trailways tickets.)

To wit, this is hilarious from the article: "Last year a Baltimore jury determined the Westboro Baptist Church was too vulgar and offensive to be covered by the First Amendment."

[Anthony_NYC]

You can get a glimpse of Ledger's performance in the upcoming "The Dark Knight" here.

I expect he's be brilliant in it.

[dirac]

You can get a glimpse of Ledger's performance in the upcoming "The Dark Knight" here.

I expect he's be brilliant in it.

I expect he will be. He gave every indication of having the potential for a wide range of parts. So sad. Thanks for the link.

[cubanmiamiboy]

You can get a glimpse of Ledger's performance in the upcoming "The Dark Knight" here.

I expect he's be brilliant in it.

I expect he will be. He gave every indication of having the potential for a wide range of parts. So sad. Thanks for the link.

Another young great actor gone,...like James Dean, like River Phoenix...(Damm, it's so not fair.....I just can't stop hating it...)