Ledger may have been killed by sleeping pill overdose

Published on Wednesday 23 January 2008 00:21

HOLLYWOOD today paid tribute to Heath Ledger, as speculation grew that the Brokeback Mountain star died from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.

The Australian-born actor, who won a string of awards for his role as Ennis Del Mar, the sexually confused cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, was found unconscious on a bed in his New York apartment last night.

A housekeeper discovered the 28-year-old's body as she went to wake him up for an appointment with a masseur, just after 3pm local time yesterday. It was reported that the scene was strewn with pills.

By the time paramedics arrived, the actor had gone into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 3:26pm.

New York Police Department officials stressed they did not suspect foul play. An autopsy will be held later today.

Paul Browne, a police spokesman, said: "We are investigating the possibility of an overdose. There were pills within the vicinity of the bed."

Ledger had no known history of drug abuse. However, he was uncomfortable with fame and shied away from the press.

He confessed to taking one Ambien sleeping pill after another while filming the new Batman movie The Dark Knight.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night. I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted and my mind was still going," he told the New York Times in November.

He told the newspaper that taking one pill had no effect. He took a second and fell into a stupor, only to wake an hour later with his "mind still racing".

Ledger, who tried hard to keep his private life away from the media, met his former partner, actress Michelle Williams, in 2005 while filming Brokeback Mountain, for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

Ledger and Williams lived in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda, but split up last year.

He had previously had a two-year relationship with fellow Australian actress Naomi Watts.

Ledger is thought to have completed filming for his role as the Joker in the new Batman movie The Dark Knight, one of the year's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, which is due to be released in the summer.

Among his best-known films have been A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, Monster's Ball and Ned Kelly. In his last film to be released, he was one of six actors to play the iconic singer Bob Dylan I'm Not There.

Among the stars paying tribute today were fellow Australians Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson.

"What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family," said Kidman.

Gibson said: "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, the son of French teacher Sally Ledger Bell, who is descended from Scotland's Campbell clan, and Kim Ledger, a race-car driver and engineer.

He began acting in amateur theatre at the age of ten.

At 16, he moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career, quickly landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.

After several independent films and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series Roar, Ledger moved to Los Angeles and co-starred in 10 Things I Hate About You, a teen comedy reworking of The Taming of the Shrew, released in 1999.

Ledger turned down other teen film offers, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he did not like.

His role in the Oscar-winning Monster's Ball, alongside Billy Bob Thornton the following year, firmly established him as a serious actor.

Ledger had been hotly tipped to win the best actor Oscar in Brokeback Mountain, but was pipped to the award by Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role as Truman Capote.

However, the hugely-successful film's director Ang Lee said Ledger's performance had been a "miracle" of acting, echoing a young Marlon Brando.

Two years ago, Ledger directed three music videos and he also set up a record company with singer Ben Harper.

If Ledger's death is confirmed as drugs-related, he will become the latest in a long line of tragic Hollywood figures.

Marilyn Monroe fought well-publicised battles with drink and prescription drugs before her death, while Elvis Presley, who was found dead in his bathroom, had 14 different drugs, most of them legally prescribed, in his bloodstream.

Other famous victims of drug abuse include River Phoenix, who died in 1993 at the age of just 23 after a heroin and cocaine overdose, and Robert Downey jnr, who was jailed for possession.