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FF_productions

macrumors 68030
Apr 16, 2005
2,822
0
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
What a shame, he was really on his way up. I can't wait to see Batman.

So sad, he goes from Brokeback Mountain at the Oscars a couple of years ago to the video montage commemorating all the actors that have passed away in the last year.
 

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
Man, lots of dead celebs recently. Heath Ledger, Bobby Fisher, Sir Edmond Hillary, Suzanne Pleshette, and Maila Nurmi all w/in the past week or so.


Lethal
 

Abstract

macrumors Penryn
Dec 27, 2002
24,837
850
Location Location Location
He had a really young daughter, and I'm sure that having one would make many people think twice about suicide. He probably wasn't suicidal......just lacking sleep and accidentally OD'ed on sleeping pills.
 

Lixivial

macrumors 6502a
Has anyone deceased ever won an Oscar? The current Dark Knight trailer sure looks award worthy to me...

I have no idea about the first part, but I completely agree with the second part. Ever since I watched that trailer back in December, I've not been able to stop watching it -- all the mannerisms of the Joker just exude extreme talent.

In fact, until I found it was Heath Ledger, I had no idea who was playing Joker. This trailer was actually the first information I received about the movie. The fact that I couldn't at all tell it was Ledger portrays to me just how talented an actor he was. And it makes me all the sadder to know that this will have been his last completed major motion picture.
 

FF_productions

macrumors 68030
Apr 16, 2005
2,822
0
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
I have no idea about the first part, but I completely agree with the second part. Ever since I watched that trailer back in December, I've not been able to stop watching it -- all the mannerisms of the Joker just exude extreme talent.

In fact, until I found it was Heath Ledger, I had no idea who was playing Joker. This trailer was actually the first information I received about the movie. The fact that I couldn't at all tell it was Ledger portrays to me just how talented an actor he was. And it makes me all the sadder to know that this will have been his last completed major motion picture.

Same thing with me...my friend told me later it was Heath Ledger, I thought it was another actor...It's a very disturbing role and will be very exciting yet sad to watch.

It's a shame.
 

samh004

macrumors 68020
Mar 1, 2004
2,222
141
Australia
I was shocked when I got up this morning to see the news that he'd died. It's a shame, as he was a good actor and a nice guy.
 

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
Man, lots of dead celebs recently. Heath Ledger, Bobby Fisher, Sir Edmond Hillary, Suzanne Pleshette, and Maila Nurmi all w/in the past week or so.

Brad Renfro as well. There was also talk of some drug use in the past, especially after his somewhat recent break up with Michelle Williams. He seemed to have had pneumonia according to recent reports, and as noted, has been having trouble sleeping. Lots of empty bottles, but no sign of illegal substances. It's just so sad, just saw an interview where he was talking about his Daughter.
 

redAPPLE

macrumors 68030
May 7, 2002
2,677
5
2 Much Infinite Loops
An accidental overdose is not considered suicide. There is a difference.


I dunno... Unless someone has some evidence of demons in this guys life, the immediate suspicion has to be an accident.

it seems he is a down-to-earth type of guy. unless there is something we (obviously) don't know. BUT... how can one accidentally take too much pills?
 

Abstract

macrumors Penryn
Dec 27, 2002
24,837
850
Location Location Location
^^^Easily. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 19 or 20 (I'm 27), and when they were trying to figure out how much Ritalin to take each day, I got to 40 mg and passed out for 13 hours (minimum). Later, I found that I needed "only" around 30 mg.

Sleeping pills don't kick in right away, so I can imagine how an OD could happen quite easily if he was expecting to sleep after taking his pills.

Same thing with me...my friend told me later it was Heath Ledger, I thought it was another actor...It's a very disturbing role and will be very exciting yet sad to watch.

It's a shame.

And the fact that he has to compete with Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker.......and yet Ledger delivers....makes it even more sad. Nobody thought Jack could be topped, and yet from the trailers, Heath looks like he was holding his own. :eek:
 

iBlue

macrumors Core
Mar 17, 2005
19,180
15
London, England
You can absolutely accidentally OD on sleeping pills. I dealt with insomnia for a years, it makes you nuts. There was one time which was particularly difficult and nothing was working. Out of sheer desperation, frustration and anger I took several ambien. My boyfriend, who I didn't even realize was watching, thought I was trying to kill myself and made a big friggin issue of it and ratted me out to my doctor. Long story... the point is, people do stupid things when they're sleep deprived. This is terribly sad but I'm not entirely convinced it was a suicide. Either way, it's a shame. :-(
 

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
>Ja Di ksw

How many of the uppers do you have to have in your system if multiple Ambien stop working?
 

sushi

Moderator emeritus
Jul 19, 2002
15,639
3
キャンプスワ&#
Loved him in A Knight's Tale
One of my favorite movies.

He was a great actor. His part in The Patriot was portrayed perfectly.
Another favorite.

Either way, it's a shame. :-(
Yes it is.

So young. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and daughter. As someone already said, his daughter will never really know him. At least she will be able to see how talented of an actor he really was.
 

bartelby

macrumors Core
Jun 16, 2004
19,795
34
Depends how far along the movie is in shooting. They can either scrap the film or rewrite it.

Well Brandon Lee was killed during the shooting filming of The Crow (IIRC the mapped his face from other scenes of the film on to stand ins for the remaining few scenes.), so I don't think much would stop studios finishing films now-a-days.
 

Thomas Veil

macrumors 68030
Feb 14, 2004
2,636
8,862
Much greener pastures
You can absolutely accidentally OD on sleeping pills. I dealt with insomnia for a years, it makes you nuts. There was one time which was particularly difficult and nothing was working. Out of sheer desperation, frustration and anger I took several ambien. My boyfriend, who I didn't even realize was watching, thought I was trying to kill myself and made a big friggin issue of it and ratted me out to my doctor. Long story... the point is, people do stupid things when they're sleep deprived. This is terribly sad but I'm not entirely convinced it was a suicide. Either way, it's a shame. :-(
Pretty much what I figured; he never planned this, it was just a tragic accident. A real shame, especially since he has a little one who'll never know her dad. :(

Peter Finch won a posthumous oscar for his role as Howard Beale in Network. Awesome movie that hardly gets mentioned anymore for no good reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08
Agreed. "Network" was pretty dead-on in predicting what kind of crap TV we'd be watching in the (at that time) future; Finch's performance was brilliant; and it's a shame that this movie is all but lost to history. What the hell is up with that anyway?
 

SactoGuy18

macrumors 601
Sep 11, 2006
4,349
1,509
Sacramento, CA USA
Agreed. "Network" was pretty dead-on in predicting what kind of crap TV we'd be watching in the (at that time) future; Finch's performance was brilliant; and it's a shame that this movie is all but lost to history. What the hell is up with that anyway?

Network actually underestimated the wild changes that would happen to network TV, especially in the last 15 years. You really wonder what the late Paddy Chayesky (who wrote the screenplay for the movie) would think about the state of television in 2008.

But getting back on topic, now I hear that Westboro Baptist Church (the group known to protest at funerals by railing against homosexuals and the military) wants to protest at Ledger's funeral. That made me want to
boese103.gif
. I hope that Ledger's family would ship the body back to Australia at the first opportunity to ensure that Ledger will get a decent funeral without protests from this "Christian group" (a phrase I use highly advisedly!).
 

Ja Di ksw

macrumors 65816
Apr 9, 2003
1,313
8
I thought they lost a court case, so now they couldn't picket (or it would cost them millions if they did) . . . .
 

leekohler

macrumors G5
Original poster
Dec 22, 2004
14,164
26
Chicago, Illinois
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