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Heath Ledger Found Dead

Wow...

That is all I must Say.

Wow for me, too. I have a poster of him on the inside of the cabinet on my desk.

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

It's kind of odd that the last role he'll have completed filming for is that of the psychotic Joker. After reading the intense lifestyle he put himself through to get into the character, I can't help but wonder if that played any part in this.

Still, it's very surprising to hear.

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Okay, but there was a goat!

I had no idea he had any sort of drug problem, but other than that, let me say that CoNChat is, as always, the home of tasteless humor about any given situation.

Enough said.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

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Happened fast and suddenly enough that I can only rely on my tasteless and immature knee-jerk response.

I'll miss him, though. Still can't believe it.

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I find your lack of faith disturbing...

I just heard about it on the news. He was one of my favorite actors.

I'll miss him.

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"You know that feeling you get when you're on a merry go 'round, and you want to jump off to make the spinning stop, but you know it'll suck when you land? I feel like that all the time"- Keno

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i really enjoyed his part in the patriot. its a shame all these performers do themselves in with drugs and such.

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All of a sudden when I turned my tv on I saw the big flashing white coloured words on CNN HNN saying "Actor Heath Ledger Dead" and I was just stunned and surprised to hear that. It just came out of nowhere.

I just hope this thing doesn't drag out like the Anna Nicole Smith case did. I saw him on The Dark Knight and he did look quite disturbing with the makeup on.. That sucks he died.

Wow, I didn't expect this to happen to Heath Ledger. Quite a surprise.

Pretty lame.

I think he'd make a great Joker though.

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"Have you ever seen a baby do that before?"

I was annoyed when he died in the patriot, and now he died in real life

I did not see that coming...

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*Sigh*....Times are tough

I was amazed when I heard about this. I'm definitely going to go see The Dark Knight now, first weekend if I can.

And his career was just starting to get huge....

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END SPOILER

I'm with everyone else in that my initial reaction was "wait what?"

I hope that they were done filming the Dark Knight, that way this man can go out portraying one of the most awesome villains in the best possible role of his life, and do it well.

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"We're not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting... fighting was the only thing I was ever good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in." - Frank Yeager (a.k.a. Grey Fox)

Quote (FallingHeart @ 22nd January 2008 22:33)

I hope that they were done filming the Dark Knight, that way this man can go out portraying one of the most awesome villains in the best possible role of his life, and do it well.

They finished filming last summer.

I'm wondering, though.... Is it possible that we might get a James Dean-style posthumous Oscar nomination, for I'm Not There?

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

It's an example of how unfair reality truly is. We have a talented actor like Heath Ledger probably overdosing accidentally on sleeping pills, and meanwhile worthless, no-talent no-use vermin like 50 Cent and Amy Winehouse are snorting coke and smoking crack and just won't bloody die.

The role of the Joker was going to truly make his career, because it would have cemented him as a versatile actor. Just completely unfair.

This post has been edited by Del S on 23rd January 2008 06:44

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-George Santayana

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..."
-Abraham Lincoln, prior to the discovery of Irony.

From my understanding, it's still unclear if this was an accidental overdose or a deep rooted drug problem. Either way, it's sad.

First date my wife and I ever went on, we saw Knight's Tale. I bought it for her on DVD for our 5th annniversary. We both watched him over the years and liked him alot.

I frequent lots of other internet forums, and the general concensus on the majority of them is that he was a pillhead, and that this was coming from a previous drug problem that he had. Whether or not that is true, I have sympathy for him, and his family.

And, though no one has done it in here, I have to ask.... when did being cold and cynical towards death on internet forums become the "cool" thing to do? I've seen asshats all over the place this morning posting about his death in this manner, and it's sad to see.

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My initial reaction to it when my roommmate told me she heard it on the radio was, "Umm... Okay. I'm gonna go back to doing this now..."

I think it was when my mom texted me that it had happened that made me realize a bit more that alot of the people I knew were interested in this.

It's really sad that it happened. I didn't have a real comparison to say I saw him in a movie, until I realized he was the badass in 10 Things I Hate About You which suddenly made me sad, becuase, yea... NOW I get it.
As a side note: 10 Things I Hate About You = best Shakespeare remake... ever! And that includes that god-awful R+J remake with "Sword" and "Dagger" etched into the sides of guns.

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And, though no one has done it in here, I have to ask.... when did being cold and cynical towards death on internet forums become the "cool" thing to do? I've seen asshats all over the place this morning posting about his death in this manner, and it's sad to see.

To answer that question, you really only need 2 words: Brokeback Mountain.
Closet Homophobes jump on this sort of thing. You take an actor that is ready to do something different (and suprisingly good) for his career, and then he has a tragedy occur, and those jerks come out of the woodwork with their little quips about how he had it coming and stuff. It is indeed shameful.

I didn't realize that he was the Joker for the new Batman movie either.
That's mega depressing, because you know that it will probably be the best Joker portrayal to how the "graphic novel" comics run, and he'll never be able to do it again, which throws out any idea of later teamups with various villans.

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Quote (Hamedo @ 23rd January 2008 09:35)

And, though no one has done it in here, I have to ask.... when did being cold and cynical towards death on internet forums become the "cool" thing to do? I've seen asshats all over the place this morning posting about his death in this manner, and it's sad to see.

Well, I don't know if it's "cool" or not, but I don't think that it's death in general that draws that reaction. I think it's just a natural counterpunch to the fact that celebrity culture is pretty much the widest-reaching culture - yes, he was a good actor, and yes, he was pretty dreamy, but this really isn't the international tragedy that some people make it out to be.

There are two extremes, and neither of them is really any different from the other in the long run.

I don't think that it has anything to do with the fact that Ledger played a closet homosexual in a movie, though. To say that would be to imply that nobody else has ever made a tasteless joke about the untimely death of a celebrity, ever.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (Rangers51 @ 23rd January 2008 09:46)

I don't think that it has anything to do with the fact that Ledger played a closet homosexual in a movie, though. To say that would be to imply that nobody else has ever made a tasteless joke about the untimely death of a celebrity, ever.

I guess my point was more that some people find a hot-button to gravitate towards to come up with that sort of cold negativity. With Heath Ledger, that's just one of the things that people can pull out of nowhere to pretend like they can justify their stupidity.

If it was Tom Cruise, it would have been all over Scientology. If it had been Brittney Spears, it would be that she was just mentally unstable. Those are more recent news things, but I guess I'm kinda trying to justify my own stupidity. I'm not really eloquent when it comes to things, except for using the work eloquent.

But with Heath Ledger, the one thing just about everyone knows about him from the most basic, ignorant level was the whole, "He played a homosexual" thing. Aside from the actual events leading up to his death, I never heard anything beyond the normal tabloid crap about him. So unless an asshat wanted to do some research, that's really what they've got to work with on him.

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If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
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I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't start cracking Heath Ledger is dead jokes the second I found out, and CoNchat itself was abundant with the funny. I never really thought of it as something "cool" to do, but considering I tend to react this way when *any* celebrity dies, it just feels normal. Often times, it doesn't even have anything to do with how much or little I liked said celebrity in their works or life in general, it's just the way I react to death. I've reacted this way even when people I've known in life have passed away. I guess it's just that I'd much rather crack jokes and try to find some humor in the situation than, say, get sad about it or something. Especially for someone who I know only through movies.

I don't want to come off as trying to be some sort of unfeeling monster, but frankly, I don't know this person, have never met in life and while I sometimes enjoy a movie or two or whatever, it really has no significant connection to me. He's dead, ok, so what? Lots of people are dead and dying, but because he's a celebrity, my heart should bleed for him? I just don't work that way.

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Okay, but there was a goat!

I loved it how he played in "10 things I hate about You", "The Knight's Tale" and "The Brothers Grimm". He was one of my favourite actors. It sucks that he's dead.

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The main difference between him and more mainstream or A-list actors (not that Ledger wasn't an A-list actor) was that he never sought to gain the attention of the paparazzi or tabloids. He was just an average everyday person and he just wanted to get his work done seriously. As far as him being a pillhead, from what I hear, Ledger was on sleep medication for having trouble getting rest and even then, it seems that he was only getting about 2 hours of sleep a night. Of course, the autopsy's already occurred now, I believe, so it won't just be speculation.

I believe that the only reason that the media is seeking to portray him as a pillhead is because they are just trying to find something negative to say about his death. It's extremely tragic when someone relatively young leaves behind a young child, be they celebrity or not. The death isn't dragging on like the Anna Nicole Smith death last year so it probably won't show up in the news much hopefully.



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"You underestimate the strength of a Jedi's mind, Brejik. A mistake you won't live to regret, " -Bastila Shan(Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

It's a real shame. His Joker in the new Batman looked amazing but I guess that's a price some actors pay. He was on a number of prescription drugs to help him calmdown/sleep but took too many at once.

Can't remember who it was, but another actor took a 6/7 year break to go off somewhere and do sheep herding or something because he couldn't cope with the stresses of charactors he'd played.

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no-talent no-use vermin like 50 Cent and Amy Winehouse are snorting coke and smoking crack and just won't bloody die.

Yes, but they aren't actors, they're musicians (or are seen to be musicians).

I remember sitting in a pub and getting round by round updates from Sky News without anything else shown. The only reason I went to the pub was to see the normal news because we don't have a TV license. It's mad. Why show this - exclusively - than everything else that's going on in the country? I tried to get the barkeep to change it but he was too busy with the quiz. There was a universal outrage, almost, when it first came on. The people were making all kinds of exclamations about the man and his works; myself included; he's in the new batman! Really though, it's as if nobody has known anyone who's died before. It is a tragedy, and I'd be more upset if I knew him, but this seems to be blown out of proportion. If people are making tasteless jokes, it's fine. He's an actor not a family member.

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I think it's sad, but let's not remember him as everyone's gay cowboy. Let's remember him as an actor who was very well known to pick roles based on his preference to the character. A tragedy that he died leaving behind a beautiful child, not a mysteriously assassinated actor who pioneered gay rights. I've hard so much crap from people who only knew his role in Brokeback Mountain, who forgot he was in The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, and Casanova, one of his best roles in my opinion. Now don't get me wrong, I am not attempting to trample in anyone's rights or anything, I just feel that the general public seems to misrepresent his general career based on one role. Sorry to get off topic.

It is sad that he died. I am a huge fan of his, and I'd love to see his last movie. RIP

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At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.
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Quote (laszlow @ 23rd January 2008 04:50)

I'm wondering, though.... Is it possible that we might get a James Dean-style posthumous Oscar nomination, for I'm Not There?

the *only* person who should be getting an oscar for that film is its other resident aussie, ms blanchett. i felt like i was watching the old self-assured asshole from the blonde on blonde days with just a bit more self-destructive attitude thrown in...made it feel almost *more* like watching dylan than the somewhat guarded quasi-performances he himself gave in that most staged of documentary films, eat the document. christian bale deserves special mention for effectively playing two dylans, i guess, but God, just as gere's turn was the most inexorably mind-numbing example of a washed-up erstwhile hollywood icon attempting piteously to brandish some remnant sliver of that gruff hipness that true creators like dylan never really lose, than mr ledger's was likewise an inappropriately cast, bromidic exploitation of what little we know about dylan's love life. mr ledger may or may not be an expert at acting out overblown loveworn platitudes, but not only did i see no dylan in his attempt, i came away feeling somewhat sorry for dylan as a victim of vulturous schadenfreude, with likely painful memories relating to the most recondite corners of his personal life (and if there's an artist about whose personal life we know less, i'm not sure who he is) laid out for the indulgence of the msot ravenous and incessant fans.

anyway, this is all moot, because afaik, mr ledger has not been nominated for his portrayal of the vapid jack rollins. ms blanchett, who has already won the gg, is probably gonna win the oscar for jude the eskimo.

regarding mr ledger's death, it's been reported numerous times by various tabloid *and* credible media outlets that not only did mr ledger fail a recent attempt at rehab, not only could he be seen on video (after the birth of his child, mind) snorting cocaine and proclaiming his affinity for excessive marijuana consumption in the midst of sag drug-fueled saturnalia, not only have reports surfaced inculpating mr ledger's alleged dalliances with heroin as a determinant cause of his estrangement from the child of his mother, but five different prescription medications, including FOUR different benzodiazepines (xanax, valium, restoril, and stivan), and TWO different hypnotics besides (lunesta and ambien)...while i won't bother condemning the true sleep aids, i think any reader with the slightest experience with drugs realises the addictive and abusive potential of xanax et al.

let's be honest here, folks. no doctor in his right mind would EVER prescribe a multiple-benzodiazepine regimen to someone who was not committed to some sort of institution (assuming they were being prescribed for insomnia, which is indeed a common underpinning for precription thereof, one finds it even more difficult to believe mr ledger was being pumped full of benzos given that he was on two hypnotics besides). that means mr ledger was either doctor-shopping or abusing his status as a celebrity to procure multiple prescriptions for a problem that by and large he *must* have been responsible for; either proposition is completely unacceptable and indicative of an unwillingness to accept that the standards of good behaviour that universally apply to non-celebrities also ought to apply to him, fame, fortune, and talent notwithstanding.

i don't want to make too many assumptions, but in drug circles, xanax and other benzos are known colloquially as "parachute," as they can alleviate the edgy discomfort to be had in coming down off of stimulant drugs such as ecstasy, speed, or coke. furthermore, i believe we've all read this story before: the celebrity who, having been thrust into a monumental state of international recognition after having struggled in his early career, just can't say "no" to the ugly underbelly of celebrity: the partying, the drugs, the hangers-on. trying to fulfill what he comes to believe are his "obligations" to individuals who certainly don't have his best interests in mind or at heart, he consigns himself to a destructive stop-and-go lifestyle in which he "takes one pill [or snorts coke, or smokes ice, or whatever] to stay awake, and another [or heroin, or whatever] to go back to sleep."

it's how the king died. it's how jimi died. it probably has one hell of a lot to do with the fact that keith richards looks like an ambulatory corpse. it's not really a new story, at all. now, it's a tragic, lamentable thing, but it's nonsense to cast mr ledger as some sort of tragic hero here, or even a victim. he was an accountable adult that unfortunately had cast his responsibility by the wayside along with his obscurity, and his poor choices brought with them ruthless consequences that resulted in his own death.

it's kind of a shame there was such a huge celebrity backlash against e! showing the video of heath snorting cocaine. now, i understand that it was nearly two years old, and i have a hard time reading but the most mercenary of motivations into the initial operative decision to show the clips, but the media's protection of pet celebrities has got to stop. the majority of celebrities are placed on a pedestal behind an iron curtain: worship, but never touch. sometimes, the most unforgiving of stories are also the most cautionary of tales: here lies an actor, a risen star, beloved the world over, who might just have gone on to take it all if not for his indiscretions.

at least he's finally getting some sleep.

I just pray that the Dark Knight is released, because he was one of my favorite actors and I was excited to hear he was playing the Joker. It's just so damn different from everything else I've seen him in.

Quote (painreaver @ 5th February 2008 16:44)

I just pray that the Dark Knight is released, because he was one of my favorite actors and I was excited to hear he was playing the Joker. It's just so damn different from everything else I've seen him in.

As far as I know, that movie was in post-production when he died. I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be released.

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

The release date is 18 July, 2008, in the USA, as far as I know.


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Thank you Link, but our Triforce is in another castle.

It'll be weird watching that movie, but I can't wait to see it. He was a great actor. It's so sad that he died so early, just at the start of the prime of his career.

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Praise Be To Helix!