Heath Ledger News (Page 4)

Shekhar Kapur, who directed Heath Ledger in the 2002 adventure Four Feathers, says "last spoke to him the night before he died.

"I had just arrived in New York last night, he said he could not see me that night but really wanted to meet me the next day. He made me promise that I would call him in the morning and wake him up."

Police confirm that they confiscated prescribed sleeping aid Ambien in the apartment where Ledger's body was found Tuesday.

In November, Ledger had told The New York Times that he often took the prescribed sleeping aid, Ambien, to help him fall asleep. "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted and my mind was still going."

He went on to say that taking one pill had no effect on him; he'd have to take two to fall asleep. But then, he said, he would awake an hour later with his "mind still racing."

Signing off, Kapur writes:

"Farewell Heath. I always knew you had an ancient soul. I always said you had a wisdom beyond your years. And somehow I always knew that your spirit was too restless. Goodbye, my brother."

So Kapur didn't come through on his promise to call and wake Heath? I'm sure that's exactly what Heath's family wants to hear right now. Good job, a-hole.

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It will be days before authorities can determine the cause of Heath Ledger's death, but more details have surfaced on what specific drugs were found in his room Tuesday.

The 28-year-old actor had six prescription drugs, including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills, unnamed police sources tell the Associated Press. (Ledger had openly discussed his problems sleeping.)

Police confirmed earlier Wednesday that an undisclosed number of prescription drugs â€" and no illegal drugs â€" were found on the scene.

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Tests found no drug residue on a rolled-up $20 billion found near Heath Ledger's body, police said Wednesday.

A source had said white powder was found on the bill â€" but authorities later said a drug test came up negative.

Police did find prescription medication near the body of the Brokeback Mountain star, said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said during a press conference.

"Some of them were sleeping pills, in essence, and some other drugs there as well. ... We are going to wait for the toxicology report."

I try to avoid posting speculation as much as possible, especially when we're dealing with one's death. At first people were mentioning suicide - they were wrong. Then they talked about possible cocaine use - wrong again. It's horrible how the media is just so eager to report anything!

How many people have been killed off by sleeping pills? It seems like they're more lethal than beneficial. We'll only know what happened in a few weeks once the medical examiner reveals the truth. R.I.P.

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Supermodel Helena Christensen has kind words for her lost friend."He was such a special and genuine person, so extraordinarily talented because he was so raw and honest with his feelings. He was so full of life, so electric."

Ledger, she says, was "a sweet, smart and talented young man and had many friends. My heart goes out to his family. I am just beyond sad at this point, and shocked."

She also says that she was about to see the 28-year-old actor when she heard of his death. "I was on my way over to pay him a visit when I found out. I had just left him a message and heard his voice on the machine."

Brokeback Mountain Director Ang Lee is heartbroken

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life. He brought to the role of Ennis [Del Mar] more than any of us could have imagined â€" a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking.

"He understood the cowboy way, just in the way he posed, and his body language and how it developed over the course of the film. He understood the shyness and vulnerability and isolation of the character. He really got that. And he did it while carrying the Western aura."

Heath left footprints in cement with his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda. TOO cute!

It was Ledger who put the markings in wet cement near the fire hydrant in front of their house. "The Matilda thing in the sidewalk with the footprints, he did that about two years ago. It was a secret. It was a fun thing. He did it as a surprise for his family."

The speculation continues - Mysterious $20 bill and unknown substance found in Heath's apartment.

A rolled-up $20 bill was found near Heath Ledger's body, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said during a press conference Wednesday.

Kelly admitted that "no testing has been done for narcotics at this time" on the bill, but it's something the police are looking at. He also refused to elaborate on what drugs were found in the Brokeback Mountain star's apartment, saying only, "Some of them were sleeping pills, in essence, and some other drugs there as well. ... We are going to wait for the toxicology report."

Meanwhile, Ledger's body has been released to a New York City funeral home. Arrangements have not been disclosed.

According to WCBS-TV's Web site, found in the actor's apartment, besides the prescription sleeping medicine mentioned by police shortly after the discovery of the body, was the $20 bill.

The station also reported that several packets containing an unknown substance were also inside the Soho apartment where Ledger was discovered Tuesday.

The TV report stressed that it is not known whether Ledger, 28, owned the substances in question or if he even ingested them.

Heath's autopsy came back inconclusive. CNN reports that the medical examiner said it should take around 10 days to determine a cause of death.

Ellen gives a touching video tribute to Heath, to watch click here

People

Starting his career at 16

Ledger's rise on the screen started as a teen: At 16, he left his hometown of Perth, Australia, and headed to Sydney, where he appeared on the Aussie TV show Sweat and made his feature film debut in Blackrock. He then took the lead in the FOX series Roar(left), a warrior drama that filmed in Queensland and costarred Keri Russell.

The heartthrob

Ledger landed his first Hollywood lead in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You, opposite Julia Stiles. The teen comedy raked in more than $50 million, but Ledger admitted he was unhappy being labeled a heartthrob. "I was a young kid from Australia, and that was the only movie someone was willing to put me in, so what do you do?" he told the Houston Chronicle.

Gaining street cred

Ledger's performances in such titles as Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain won him industry awards as well as the respect of his peers.

Starring in Brokeback Mountain

At a Brokeback press conference

"I would have been crazy to turn it down," Ledger (with his Brokeback costars Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal) told Entertainment Weekly of breaking barriers in the gay cowboy drama. "Any anxiety toward doing it was manufactured through the industry. It obviously wasn't as big a deal for us, because we did it."

In Love

"I'm so proud," he told Oprah Winfrey in 2006. "I just fall deeper and deeper in love with both my girls."

The skater

Ledger and Williams planted their new family in Brooklyn, where the actor easily blended with the locals. Ledger, who moved to Manhattan after their split, was an unassuming fixture in his brownstone neighborhood, often spotted taking the baby for walks, skateboarding or stopping by local restaurants.

The jokester

Ledger (kissing the air vacated by Michelle Williams at the post-Oscars Governor's Ball) kept a sense of humor despite losing out on Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2006.

Heath and the fans

Playing Bob Dylan in I'm Not There

He has recently been seen in I'm Not There, in which he played one aspect of the life of Bob Dylan. The film also featured actors including Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere.

Heath as the Joker in The Dark Knight, the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins

"It's the most fun I've had with a character and probably will ever have," he said. "The movie itself is far exceeding my expectations. I think it's going to be a really fun movie to watch."

Heath's best role yet

Daughter Matilda (with actress Michelle Williams) was born Oct. 28, 2005. "It's what I've always wanted," the self-proclaimed Mr. Mom told Entertainment Weekly in 2006. "She's just adorable. A beautifully observant, wise little kid."

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Fans paid tribute just outside Heath Ledger's residence at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, New York. The vigil began when a single flower was laid at Ledger's doorstep by a mourning fan.

"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 families need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."

"I am devastated. I loved Heath. He is probably my favorite actor. I don't like what has happened at all, so I am very sad about it." - John Travolta

"This is an unimaginable tragedy. Heath was a true artist, a deeply sensitive man, an explorer, gifted and wise beyond his years. There is no finer person on this earth." - 'I'm Not There,' director Todd Haynes

"Heath Ledger was a courageous actor, and a great soul. He gave us the gift of sharing his fearless and beautiful love â€" of his craft, and of all who worked with him â€" for which all of us will be eternally grateful," James Schamus, CEO of Focus Features and the the producer of Brokeback Mountain.

"I had such great hope for him. 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." - Mel Gibson

"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person." - Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros. and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group

Video of Heath's vigil

"We are deeply saddened and shocked by this accident," said publicist Mara Buxbaum in a statement. "This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones. We're asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known."

• Michelle Williams was on location in Sweden, believed to be with 2-year-old daughter Matilda, when she got the news: that Heath was found dead in New York.

"She's devastated," says a source close to the 27-year-old actress.

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in what authorities say is a possible drug-related death, the NYPD said. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told The Associated Press that Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment that is believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there, and found him dead at 3:26 p.m, Browne said.

The Australian-born actor was nominated for an Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," where he met his wife, actress Michelle Williams, in 2005. Ledger and Williams had lived in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda, until they split up last year. Ledger's roles include the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton in "Monster's Ball" and had starring roles in "A Knight's Tale" and "The Patriot." He was to appear as the Joker this year in "The Dark Night," a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins."

So sad. I was a big fan of Heath and his work. R.I.P Heath.

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Kate Hudson has moved on to an actual movie star. Hudson, having dumped funnyman Shephard, was linked to Dane Cook, but Thursday night she only had eyes for Heath Ledger.

Spies at Beatrice Inn said they spent their evening at the trendy watering hole "kissing and making out." A rep for Hudson said, "This is absolutely untrue. They ran into each other and chatted briefly, but that was the extent of it." But our spy insists on the liplock.

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It's been only a month since Heath Ledger split from Michelle Williams, and he's not wasting any time! The actor, 28, was spotted "making out" with supermodel Helena Christensen during dinner on September 11 at NYC eatery Wakiya.

Later that night, they arrived together at the premiere of Eastern Promises (starring another Ledger ex, Naomi Watts, 38). "They started holding hands. And as the night wore on, they get cozier." "She was following him around â€" a total cougar," adds the observer of Christensen, 38.

The pair have been friendly since at least last November, when Us spotted them chatting at the NYC premiere of his flick Candy, where she waited for him to put on his coat before they walked out together!