NEW YORK - For the second consecutive week, the entertainment industry has suffered a tremendous tragedy.
Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan apartment, and police are saying that drugs may very well have played a role in the actor's death. Ledger was 28.
A week ago today, 25-year-old actor Brad Renfro was found dead at a Los Angeles apartment.
Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the residence where his body was discovered, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne tells the Associated Press. He was found dead at 3:26 p.m. by a housekeeper who went to tell him that the massage therapist had arrived. Ledger was discovered naked in bed, surrounded by prescription sleeping pills. The police say there was no obvious sign of suicide.
By evening time, a large crowd of paparazzi and fans had gathered outside the building, which is located on an upscale block in the tiny SoHo neighborhood.
Ledger's publicist appealed for the media to not speculate on how Ledger died.
"We are all deeply saddened and shocked by this accident," Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said in a statement.
"This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones and we are asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known."
In 2005, Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the film "Brokeback Mountain." He began dating his co-star in the film, Michelle Williams, and the couple later had a daughter (Matilda) together before splitting last year.
He most recently starred in the film "I'm Not There," in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan.
Ledger was to appear as the Joker this year in "The Dark Knight," a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins."
Other past film roles for Ledger included "A Knight's Tale," "The Patriot," and "Monster's Ball," in which he played the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton.
Ledger was born in Perth, Western Australia, the son of Sally Ledger Bell, a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, a race car driver and mining engineer.
At the age of 10, he started doing amateur theater. By 16, he was moving to Sydney to pursue an acting career, soon landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.
After landing several independent film parts and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series "Roar," Ledger moved to Los Angeles. He soon found big-screen stardom with the 1999 film "10 Things I Hate About You," starring opposite Julia Stiles.
"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, `You're crazy,' my parents were like, `Come on, you have to eat.' "
In reaction to his death, Williams was reported as saying that she was "devastated" at the loss and had boarded a plane to New York City. The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd also released a statement saying, "It was with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Heath Ledger... It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life."
Ledger's father later spoke out following the shocking death of his son. According to a statement from the family:
"Heath's family confirms the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda. He was found peacefully asleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30 p.m. U.S. time.
"We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their well wishes and kind thoughts at this time. Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him.
"He was a down to earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many. Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."
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