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Heath Ledger Dies at 28

by Kathryn Durfee
01/22/2008

Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at his downtown Manhattan residence. Though official cause of death has yet to be released, police suspect no foul play and believe drugs to have been a factor.

The Australian-born Ledger, only 28, was discovered Tuesday afternoon by his housekeeper, who went to let him know his masseuse had arrived.

Ledger enjoyed a quick rise to fame after appearing on stage and in several Australian productions before his role in Ten Things I Hate About You, which ensured his stardom. He has also appeared in A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, Monster's Ball, and the controversial Brokeback Mountain.

In a November interview, Ledger told The New York Times that his role as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There was stressful and that he was having trouble sleeping while playing the Joker in the next installment in the Batman series, The Dark Knight. He was quoted as calling his character a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy."

The actor claimed to be taking Ambien, but said that it was not working. Ledger's family vehemently believes that the young actor did not take his own life. Police await the results of an autopsy to reveal cause of death.

This is a shocking and tragic end to a young actor's promising career. Ledger has a two-year-old daughter with ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, his costar from Brokeback Mountain.