Well known and talented Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead today in his Apartment in SoHo, New York, of an apparent drug overdose. Ledger was found by a housekeeper and a massage therapist, who entered the bedroom to find him face down, naked, and unconscious at the foot of his bed with sleeping pills on a nearby night table. Prescription medication was found in the bathroom. It is not know whether this was an intentional overdose or not but statements from friends and family are that there were no signs of depression. One theory is that he unintentionally overdosed while trying to relieve symptoms of Pneumonia. I will update this article when more facts are known.

Heath Ledger’s career didn’t truly start until 1998 when he was cast in the critically acclaimed Australian crime thriller Two Hands. This helped propel him into mainstream American films like 10 Things I Hate About You. Heath was quickly labeled as a “pretty boy” actor which he openly disliked and influenced his future choices in roles. Ledger went on to become a Hollywood celebrity after starring in films like The Patriot, Monster’s Ball, A Knight’s Tale, The Four Feathers, Ned Kelly, The Order, Lords of Dogtown, and The Brothers Grimm. But it wasn’t until 2005 that his skill as an actor got truly recognised when he was nominated for an Academy award for his role in the controversial and critically acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain, where he played a ranch hand in Wyoming who has a homosexual lover affair with an aspiring rodeo rider, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.

This really was the beginning of Ledger’s career as an A-list actor, as the following year he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and signed on to play the iconic comic book villain The Joker in The Dark Knight, the sequel to the 2005 film Batman Begins. In 2007 was one of the six actors to play a side of Bob Dylan in the critically acclaimed, I’m Not There. The Dark Knight is set to be his biggest film yet, with it’s massive fan base and positive buzz about his dark performance of the Joker, the film is set for release on July 18, 2008. However his other upcoming film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was in production at the time of his death and has been delayed until further notice.

I have always been a fan of Heath Ledger, his work has always been superb, his talent as an actor is undeniable and he has always come across in interviews as a very likable person. My condolences to his family; rest in piece Heath Ledger, you will be missed.

Last known photo of Heath Ledger; on the set of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Apartment where Heath Ledger was found dead.