He was one of Hollywood's darlings. Handsome, charming, colleague and friend - this is not a complete list of compliments that can be bestowed on this person. He was a bright personality during his lifetime, which can be confirmed by those who had the opportunity to work with him. No other news about him could be worse than this - the death of Heath Ledger. The reason why the actor passed away remained the most discussed for a long time. Since Heath's body was discovered, it has been a long wait for an official conclusion. At this time, the actor’s fans were racking their brains as to what could have happened that made their idol no longer exist. The death of Heath Ledger, the cause, its circumstances and facts is the topic of this article.
Main hobby
Heath is firmly convinced of his future profession - he must definitely become an actor. My hometown did not promise any discoveries in this direction, so the logical decision was to move to Sydney. Megapolis received the future screen star warmly - in 1996 he got an episode in the TV series “Sweat”. The first leading role followed with the next film, the teen thriller Black Rock. These works brought Ledger fame in his homeland. An offer was received from the States to star in the TV series “Roar,” to which the actor, of course, agreed. Australia, the birthplace of many famous artists, accompanied him to Hollywood, wishing him creative success, and never stopped following his achievements overseas. Actor Heath Ledger, whose cause of death shocked this southern country, forever left the warmest memories of himself.
The first steps towards your cherished dream
As a child, Heath attended Guildford Grammar School for Boys. Naturally, a love of sports was instilled there, so he played on the hockey team. Throwing away the club, he went to dance classes. But his real passion awoke in the theater studio. At the age of 15, he began leading a school amateur troupe, with which he participated in various competitions and competitions.
Ledger finally decided to devote himself to cinema, so at the age of 17, immediately after his school graduation, he left to conquer Sydney. In 1996, he made his debut on television in the series “Sweat.” His first role in a big movie came in 1997, when Heath was invited to the filming of “Black Rock.” He quickly gained popularity in Australia, and in 1999 he already began starring in Hollywood comedies: “Fan Fingers” and “10 Things I Hate About You.”
New country - first success
In Dreamland, Heath hired an agent who, over the course of several years, selected interesting projects for him. The comedy melodrama “10 Things I Hate About You” won audience recognition, and Ledger received a fee of 100 thousand dollars. Not wanting to remain in the image of a handsome heartthrob, the actor is eyeing works of a different genre. Thus, the military action film “The Patriot” allowed him to completely change his role, and the film “A Knight’s Tale” nominated Heath for an MTV channel award.
No one could have imagined that a few years later the world would hear terrible news - the death of Heath Ledger. The reason for this is not stated out loud, but the ever-watchful press draws its own conclusions. Some tabloids shout about drug use and possible overdose, others are inclined to the version of suicide. How could this even happen? The idol of millions, a young sought-after actor whose career was at the top, suddenly decides to leave everything? Fans and admirers are at a loss, because the actor was expecting new successes on the big screen.
New century - new roles
The beginning of the millennium brings proposals that result in a series of successful films. One film starring Ledger is released every year. "Monster's Ball" gives way to the drama "The Four Feathers", which, in turn, gives way to the crime thriller "The Kelly Gang". Each of them carries a complex, ambiguous character of the characters played. In 2005, The Brothers Grimm was released, telling the story of the fraudulent brothers. In "Kings of Dogtown" the hero often touches the bottle. Three years later, the death of Heath Ledger will be partly associated with this film, the cause of which was alcohol and drug abuse, which ultimately formed an explosive, life-threatening mixture. In “Casanova,” the actor gets the image of the most loving seducer on the entire planet, and “Brokeback Mountain” causes ambiguous public perception of the film.
"Brokeback Mountain"
In general, this picture is the first thing that comes to mind when remembering Heath Ledger. Of course, his filmography is rich in other interesting images, but the homosexual cowboy is not only flamboyant, but also unusual. “Brokeback Mountain” has earned many film awards, such as an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Golden Lion, etc. A wonderful friendly relationship has developed between Heath and his on-screen partner Jake Gyllenhaal. And the press could have gossiped about Heath’s unconventional orientation, but there was no reason for this. There was and could not be anything between the actors, if only because in life Ledger gained fame as a ladies' man. His acting colleagues became his girlfriends: Heather Graham, Naomi Watts and Michelle Williams, who played one of the roles in “The Mountain.” Moreover, they took their relationship off-screen, giving birth to a daughter, Matilda Rose.
Death
On January 22, 2008, his housekeeper came to the actor’s apartment in Manhattan. Naked Heath lay on the bed without signs of life, an empty package of sleeping pills lay nearby. The housekeeper called the police.
The autopsy did not establish the exact cause of death, but after toxicological examinations it was revealed that Ledger died from acute intoxication caused by an overdose of sleeping pills and antidepressants.
Heath Ledger's funeral
Heath Ledger was a successful actor, worked without rest, slept two hours a day. As he himself said, the body was exhausted, but the brain continued to work without stopping. To drown out fatigue, the actor took handfuls of pills. The press did not deny that what happened could have been suicide, but the actor’s relatives denied these speculations. Ledger's relatives stated that although the deceased looked tired, he worked with pleasure and made plans for the role of the Joker in Nolan's new Batman film.
Ledger's body was sent home to Australia. On February 9 he was cremated and buried in Perth. More than five hundred people came to the actor’s funeral, Michelle Williams was among them.
Monument to Heath Ledger in his hometown of Perth
In 2014, the Australian government established the Heath Ledger Acting Scholarship. The grant, which includes $20,000 and study in Los Angeles, is open to any aspiring Australian-born actor.
The premiere of the documentary film “I Am Heath Ledger” is planned for 2020.
The last picture with and without Ledger
In 2007, filming took place for The Dark Knight, which is considered a continuation of the Batman story. Heath embodied the Joker, a psychopathic killer who was repulsive and symbolically sinister. The actor worked hard to develop his image and even honed the hero’s conversational style. This was extremely important for better portrayal of the character. Director Christopher Nolan was pleased with Heath's performance.
The actor's last work was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Heath's death disrupted the filming process. The creators had to decide what to do with the footage. As a result, the hero Tony, who changes his appearance in the story, was played by Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp.
Heath Ledger: cause of death
The actor's filmography includes about 70 films. He tried himself as a director of a little-known 7-minute short film, but remained in the memory of viewers, fans and colleagues for a number of other, bright and charismatic images.
Information about the actor's death differs: some publications said that the apartment where the body was found belonged to Heath himself, others claimed that it was the apartment of actress Mary-Kate Olsen, with whom Ledger was on good friendly terms. The cause of Heath Ledger's death was at first surrounded by legends for the reason that the doctors themselves could not immediately establish it.
According to a later statement, the official conclusion was as follows: death was due to a drug overdose. They were probably prescribed to the artist, but he accepted them in larger quantities. Thus, the wonderful actor Heath Ledger tragically passed away from us.
The biography, cause of death and mysterious soul of the idol of millions still excite the minds of his fans. Many interesting roles and unforgettable complex images are forever imprinted in our hearts. In 2009, film academics posthumously awarded the actor an Oscar, which his family received.
On February 9, 2008, Heath Ledger was cremated. The funeral took place in his native Australia. Among those present were his friends and colleagues: Tom Cruise, Cate Blanchett and Michelle Williams.
Heath Ledger's Imaginarium. Biography in photographs
Heath Ledger was born in Australia, where he began his acting career. At first, he starred in television series and episodic roles - so small that he was not even included in the credits in the film “Clowning.” However, Ledger managed to attract the attention of major studios and at the age of 18 he made his US debut in the FOX series Roar. FOX Broadcasting Company / Still from the series “Roar”, 1997
The role in Roar helped Ledger get an agent, and in the absence of offers in the United States, he accepted a role in the Australian black comedy Fan Fingers. Meridian Films / Still from the film “Fingers”, 1999
The updated portfolio helped Ledger get a role in the American youth comedy “10 Things I Hate About You.” Mad Chance / Still from the film “10 Things I Hate About You”, 1999
This role helped Ledger gain a foothold in Hollywood, but after it the image of the screen “handsome” stuck to him. Heath himself was not happy with this. He began to receive offers, but refused many of them, waiting for work that could interest him creatively. Mad Chance / Still from the film “10 Things I Hate About You”, 1999
In 2000, Ledger took part in Roland Emmerich's project The Patriot, where Mel Gibson became Heath's partner on the set. It was this picture that brought Heath Ledger his first great success and widespread fame, as well as the award for best debut from the Blockbuster Entertainment Award. Columbia Pictures / Still from the film "The Patriot", 2000
This was followed by the success of the film A Knight's Tale and a nomination for the MTV Movie Awards, as well as a small role in the film Monster's Ball by Miramax. Columbia Pictures / Still from the film A Knight's Tale, 2001
Ledger tried to choose complex character roles, but not every project of his was successful. Among such works are The Four Feathers and The Kelly Gang, which failed at the box office. Miramax Films / Still from the film “The Four Feathers”, 2002
Heath Ledger made a real breakthrough in 2005 - four films with his participation were released at once. One of them was “The Brothers Grimm” by Terry Gilliam, where Ledger played on an equal footing with the A-list star Matt Damon. Dimension Films / Still from the film “The Brothers Grimm”, 2005
Then Ang Lee's drama Brokeback Mountain was released, which received three Oscars, four Golden Globes and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The film itself received a number of mixed reviews for its gay themes, while Ledger’s performance was recognized as almost impeccable. Still from the film "The Brothers Grimm", 2005
In 2006, Heath Ledger took part in the Australian drama about drug addicts “Candy”, and the following year - in the project of independent director Todd Haynes “I’m Not There”, where he played the famous singer Bob Dylan. The Weinstein Company / Still from the film “I'm Not There,” 2007
Ledger's next project was Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. The actor played the role of the villain Joker - an obsessive psychopath with complex motivations. The actor took on this image with great enthusiasm, painstakingly working out the details of his character. Warner Bros. / Still from the film “The Dark Knight”, 2008
Heath Ledger's Joker became one of the most discussed topics even before the film's premiere - even in the promotional shots, the uncharacteristic performance of the classic image was noticeable. Warner Bros. / Still from the film “The Dark Knight”, 2008
At the same time, Ledger began acting again with Terry Gilliam - in the fantasy film “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” Davis Films / Still from the film “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”, 2009
On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment. An autopsy showed that the actor died from acute intoxication of painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. www.globallookpress.com / Portrait of Heath Ledger by Vincent Fantauzzo
Ledger did not have time to play all the scenes of his role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which is why the film's release was delayed. In 2009, he was posthumously awarded an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. www.globallookpress.com
In total, Heath Ledger played in 21 films and directed a 6-minute music video for a song by Modest Mouse. In addition to the Oscar and Golden Globe, he has won the Saturn Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild and MTV Movie Awards. Australia has also established the Heath Ledger Acting Scholarship, which provides aspiring actors with the opportunity to study in Los Angeles. www.globallookpress.com
On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger's body was found in his New York City apartment. The official cause of death was not announced for a long time, and even the burial was constantly postponed. Rumors spread that Ledger had been killed... But everything turned out to be much more prosaic. Suffering from depression and insomnia, he constantly took sleeping pills and antidepressants. At the end of January 2008, Ledger caught a cold. To quickly get back on his feet, he bought antipyretic and painkillers at the pharmacy. Feeling unwell and feverish, he took many different medications together. This was a bad idea.
He did not have time to rewrite his will. According to the document, Ledger bequeathed all his property to his father and sister. It was compiled in those years when he did not yet have a daughter. So after the actor’s death, the girl got nothing. But everyone close to him knew that Heath adored his daughter; it would never have occurred to him to deliberately leave her without an inheritance. That is why the actors who were finishing work on the role of Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which he did not have time to complete, transferred their fees in favor of his daughter.
