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Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond => Heath Ledger Remembrance Forum => Topic started by: Phillip Dampier on January 22, 2008, 06:10:24 pm

Title: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 22, 2008, 06:10:24 pm
Google Newswire - Sorted By Latest Breaking Developments (http://news.google.com/nwshp?sourceid=navclient&ncl=1126751895&hl=en&topic=h&scoring=n)
(This link will give you the latest developments from thousands of news sources.)


Police: May be a drug-related death 
Entertainment News
WABC-TV

NEW YORK -- Actor Heath Ledger is dead. Eyewitness News has learned his body was found Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in what authorities say is a possible drug-related death. He was 28 years old.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne says Ledger's death was discovered when a housekeeper went into his apartment just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The housekeeper was going to let him know his masseuse had arrived for an appointment, and authorities say that's when his body was found.

Eyewitness News is told sleeping pills were found around Ledger's body.
 
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 have a daughter, Matilda. 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."

The news came as Ledger was on a roll in his career. He was to star as the Joker this year in "The Dark Night," a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins." He recently was one of the people to portray Bob Dylan in the film, "I'm Not There," which has been nominated for an Oscar.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Luvlylittlewing on January 22, 2008, 06:17:40 pm
Police: May be a drug-related death 
Entertainment News
WABC-TV

NEW YORK -- Actor Heath Ledger is dead. Eyewitness News has learned his body was found Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in what authorities say is a possible drug-related death. He was 28 years old.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne says Ledger's death was discovered when a housekeeper went into his apartment just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The housekeeper was going to let him know his masseuse had arrived for an appointment, and authorities say that's when his body was found.

Eyewitness News is told sleeping pills were found around Ledger's body.
 
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 have a daughter, Matilda. 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."

The news came as Ledger was on a roll in his career. He was to star as the Joker this year in "The Dark Night," a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins." He recently was one of the people to portray Bob Dylan in the film, "I'm Not There," which has been nominated for an Oscar.


My God!  I hate this!  So young, and talented and beautiful.  RIP Heath.  We'll miss you.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Amber on January 22, 2008, 06:21:46 pm
Completely unbelievable.  I haven't been here for awhile, but when I heard this news ... this was the first place I thought of.

So sad.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: TheravadaAskesis on January 22, 2008, 06:29:53 pm

 Just an absolute shock. Words fail me.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 22, 2008, 06:32:33 pm
They've updated the story at the New York Times:

Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead

By Sewell Chan


Updated, 5:28 p.m. | The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan inhabited by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building, at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with pills scattered around his body. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Officials said they believed Ms. Olsen, 21, was in California and said it was not clear how long or why Mr. Ledger had been in her apartment.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”

Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by paparazzi. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005. The couple separated last year.

In an interview in London for an article published in November, Mr. Ledger told The New York Times, ‘’I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself.” He said in the interview that he was not proud of his latest role, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” in which Mr. Ledger was one of a half-dozen actors depicting the musician Bob Dylan. ‘’I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else,” said in the interview.

Calls by The Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

Thomas J. Lueck contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: shortfiction on January 22, 2008, 06:46:31 pm
I am in shock.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Anya_Angie on January 22, 2008, 07:01:30 pm
Words cannot express how I feel right now... It's been a long time, I admit, since I've been here. It's not because I've lost interest or anything, far from it. I suppose I'm not just as expressive as I used to be. I have been meaning to visit the past week but always seemed to lose track of time...

Well I have to say it's awful that this tragedy would be my spur to come back. I really wish that it were something more joyous. RIP Heath, you will absolutely be missed. My condolences to Heath's family and loved ones...

It's awful, just awful. The world is such an unfair place.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 22, 2008, 07:04:12 pm
They've updated the New York Times report, again:

 January 22, 2008,  4:42 pm
Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28

By Sewell Chan


Updated, 5:51 p.m. | The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived the fourth-floor apartment of the building, at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with pills scattered around his body. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the office of the city’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, said that employees of the office were at the apartment and that an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.

Police officials have said that the apartment was owned by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen,
Officials said they believed Ms. Olsen, 21, was in California and that Mr. Ledger had been living in her apartment. Ms. Olsen attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, for the premiere of “The Wackness,” a film in which she stars with the actor Ben Kingsley. It was not clear where she went after the film screening. A representative of Ms. Olsen said this afternoon that the apartment did not belong to the actress.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.” Mr. Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in January 2006.

Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by the celebrity press. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005. The couple separated last year.

Mr. Ledger’s first Hollywood film was the teenage romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999). He later appeared in romantic-hero roles in films like “A Knight’s Tale” (2001) and “Casanova” (2005).

Mr. Ledger was also cast as The Joker in the latest Batman installment, “The Dark Knight,” set to be released this summer.

In an interview in London for an article published in November, Mr. Ledger told The New York Times, ‘’I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself.” He said in the interview that he was not proud of his latest role, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” in which Mr. Ledger was one of a half-dozen actors depicting the musician Bob Dylan. ‘’I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else,” said in the interview.

As news of Mr. Ledger’s death made its way across the Internet, the Police Department issued a fairly terse summary of the death: “ON TUESDAY, 01/22/08, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 5 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO 421 BROOME STREET AND FOUND A M/W/28 UNCONSCIOUS. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. M.E.’S OFFICE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.”

Calls by The Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

Thomas J. Lueck and John Sullivan contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on January 22, 2008, 07:10:53 pm
Such dire news of Heath's passing.

I felt something... I feel that he acted as he wanted and wants... and was sad!!

Condolences to all Heath's family and to all ... everywhere on Earth and in Heaven!!

Hugs to all and to you too Heath!!

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 22, 2008, 07:10:56 pm
Latest update from CNN:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.

Heath Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment.

The Academy Award nominated actor was 28.

"Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed," police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN.

"This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet."

The pills appeared to be over-the-counter sleeping medication, said police spokeswoman Barbara Chen.

Ledger was unresponsive when he was found by a housekeeper who had gone to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse in the Soho apartment, Browne said.

The apartment is owned by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, The New York Times reported.

Ledger was declared dead at about 3:30 p.m., Browne said.

In 2005, the actor played Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," about two cowboys who had a secret relationship.

The role earned him the Oscar nomination.

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia. He has a young daughter with actress Michelle Williams, his co-star in "Brokeback Mountain."

"He was just so respected in the industry," said Kim Serafin, senior editor of In Touch Weekly.

"It's just horribly tragic. He was just a fine actor and a good person, so this is horribly sad and very unexpected."


Showbiz Tonight will have a special report on this tonight on Headline News at 11pm ET.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on January 22, 2008, 07:30:59 pm
They've updated the story at the New York Times:

Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead

By Sewell Chan


Updated, 5:28 p.m. | The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan inhabited by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.



A suicide? I don't know the facts or details about his personal life but somehow it seems unlikely, doesn't it? I think it was more an accident. I still can't believe it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 22, 2008, 07:36:20 pm
And the New York Times updated again...

Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28

By Sewell Chan


Updated, 6:29 p.m. | The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., according to the police, a masseuse arrived the fourth-floor apartment of the building, at 421 Broome Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills — both prescription medication and nonprescription — on a night table. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the office of the city’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, said that employees of the office were at the apartment and that an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s deputy commissioner for public information, initially said that the apartment was owned by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, but later reversed himself and said that was not the case.

A representative of Ms. Olsen said that the apartment did not belong to the actress. “It is not her apartment,” the representative, Annette Wolf, a publicist for Ms. Olsen, said in a phone interview. “She does not own the apartment. She has never owned the apartment. She and her sister have an apartment in New York City but they are not in this building.”

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger was born April 4, 1979 to Sally Ledger, a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, an engineer. Named after the main characters of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” He and his older sister, Katherine, grew up in Perth, Australia; his parents were divorced when he was about 10. As a student, he joined a local theater company and appeared in a production of “Peter Pan,” which led to his being cast in children’s television programs.

Mr. Ledger’s first Hollywood film was the teenage romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999). He later appeared in romantic-hero roles in films like “A Knight’s Tale” (2001) and “Casanova” (2005).

But the role for which Mr. Ledger was probably best known by American audiences was in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.” Mr. Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in January 2006.

Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by the celebrity press. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005. The couple separated last year.

In an interview in London for an article published in November, Mr. Ledger told The New York Times, ‘’I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself.” He said in the interview that he was not proud of his latest role, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” in which Mr. Ledger was one of a half-dozen actors depicting the musician Bob Dylan. ‘’I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else,” he said in the interview.

Mr. Ledger had been cast as The Joker in the latest Batman installment, “The Dark Knight,” set to be released this summer.

As news of Mr. Ledger’s death made its way across the Internet, the Police Department issued a fairly terse summary of the death: “ON TUESDAY, 01/22/08, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 5 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO 421 BROOME STREET AND FOUND A M/W/28 UNCONSCIOUS. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. M.E.’S OFFICE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.”

Calls by The Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

The building at 421 Broome Street was sold in 1999 to a company called Red Tulip, L.L.C. Calls to a phone number listed for Junia Hissa Neiva, an official at Red Tulip, went to an answering machine that was full and not receiving new messages.

Thomas J. Lueck and John Sullivan contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 22, 2008, 07:44:02 pm
This is just awful: first the sad news about PaintedShoes, and now this (!?!?!)

THANK you Phillip and MaineWriter, for your updates -- helping us make what little sense of it that we can . . .

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on January 22, 2008, 07:53:41 pm
I'm a bit pissed off at CNN and MSNBC right now. They are talking about politics. The same old political shit over and over and over and over again. I guess Heath doesn't matter much to them.

Believe it or not, Fox News has been reporting more on Heath than CNN and MSNBC put together!

Pitiful.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on January 22, 2008, 07:58:07 pm
What a terrible shock....a sad, sad day for all of us. So sad for Matilda and Heath's family. I want it to be untrue. Such a beautiful and talented young man. I hope he knew that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 22, 2008, 08:53:12 pm
 >:( >:( :( :'( :'(

I was just flipping through all the news channels and all the entertainment shows (for the past hour or so) trying to find any coverage and any new details.

And, so, I landed on Fox for a bit.   >:(  I never watch Fox, but they happened to be doing a rather long story on Heath.  So, I watched.  And, now I regret it.  They showed footage, at least two times, of Heath's body being taken into the medical examiner's van.  I will never be able to get that image out of my head now.  Ever.

I'm totally and completely shocked and appalled that the medical examiner's weren't more discreet.  I mean, he was covered up... but it was still awfully, awfully graphic and way, way too accessible to TV cameras.

Poor, poor Heath.
 :'( :'( :'(


Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on January 22, 2008, 09:00:23 pm
I saw that image, too, and deeply, deeply regret it.

Here is something of a balm for now - a surprisingly sensitive piece from AOL, of all people:

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/heath-ledger-found-dead-at-home/20080122165209990002 (http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/heath-ledger-found-dead-at-home/20080122165209990002)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 22, 2008, 09:04:01 pm
I saw that image, too, and deeply, deeply regret it.

Here is something of a balm for now - a surprisingly sensitive piece from AOL, of all people:

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/heath-ledger-found-dead-at-home/20080122165209990002 (http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/heath-ledger-found-dead-at-home/20080122165209990002)

Thanks Friend.  Geez. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that image from the news footage for a while.
 :(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on January 22, 2008, 09:06:46 pm
>:( >:( :( :'( :'(

I was just flipping through all the news channels and all the entertainment shows (for the past hour or so) trying to find any coverage and any new details.

And, so, I landed on Fox for a bit.   >:(  I never watch Fox, but they happened to be doing a rather long story on Heath.  So, I watched.  And, now I regret it.  They showed footage, at least two times, of Heath's body being taken into the medical examiner's van.  I will never be able to get that image out of my head now.  Ever.

I'm totally and completely shocked and appalled that the medical examiner's weren't more discreet.  I mean, he was covered up... but it was still awfully, awfully graphic and way, way too accessible to TV cameras.

Poor, poor Heath.
 :'( :'( :'(




I saw it too Amanda, and like you I'll never get that out of my head. It was disgusting, heartless, cruel and awful. I hope somebody edits that out on their future reporting. I've turned it off. I can't watch it anymore.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on January 22, 2008, 09:09:39 pm
Thank you for the link, Barb. Those were great--heartbreaking--pictures.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on January 22, 2008, 09:27:15 pm
Today, I am glad that I don't watch TV news.  Heath deserves more respect.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on January 22, 2008, 09:31:29 pm
I saw those pictures too...  :( It was all so flat.. Just nasty!

j.U.d.E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Aussie Chris on January 22, 2008, 10:19:00 pm
Gasp!  This is just awful.  So sad.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 22, 2008, 11:11:28 pm
CNN's Anderson Cooper is reporting on Heath right now.  They just showed his parents and sister being interviewed.  They were all wearing dark glasses and were on the verge of tears.  They reported that Michelle is on her way to New York from LA.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 22, 2008, 11:13:43 pm
And, so, I landed on Fox for a bit.   >:(  I never watch Fox, but they happened to be doing a rather long story on Heath.  So, I watched.  And, now I regret it.  They showed footage, at least two times, of Heath's body being taken into the medical examiner's van.  I will never be able to get that image out of my head now.  Ever.

I'm totally and completely shocked and appalled that the medical examiner's weren't more discreet.  I mean, he was covered up... but it was still awfully, awfully graphic and way, way too accessible to TV cameras.

That's just awful.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on January 22, 2008, 11:14:53 pm
Heath's life is making news all over the world!

As he did as actor in the BM movie!

Hugs!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 22, 2008, 11:16:48 pm
CNN's Anderson Cooper is reporting on Heath right now.  They just showed his parents and sister being interviewed.  They were all wearing dark glasses and were on the verge of tears.  They reported that Michelle is on her way to New York from LA.  :'(

thank you for that little bit of info. I am a bit nervous to turn on the tv, but I have been wondering very much about his family.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 22, 2008, 11:23:39 pm
CNN's Anderson Cooper is reporting on Heath right now.  They just showed his parents and sister being interviewed.  They were all wearing dark glasses and were on the verge of tears.  They reported that Michelle is on her way to New York from LA.  :'(


I was just watching a bit of Cooper as well.  He's giving this story a lot of time.  Which is good.  And, I think Cooper is often quite good as far as cable news anchors go.  But, geez... he keeps showing that horrible image of Heath's body too (just like Fox did earlier). 
 >:( :'(

I really can't take that anymore. 

Poor, poor Heath.  He deserves much better then that type of spectacle.

So, I think I'm turning the TV off for the night.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on January 22, 2008, 11:57:48 pm
I just lost a lot of respect for Anderson Cooper just hearing that he even showed that once, let alone more than once.

No matter how you slice it, the media is rotten.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 23, 2008, 12:24:49 am
Yeah ednbarby, it's definitely pretty disturbing.  My biggest shock is not with the media in this circumstance (although it's definitely in poor taste for the media to repeatedly show images like that), but with the medical examiner.  It amazes me that that particular moment wasn't handled with more professionalism and with greater care to guard a sensitive image like that from TV cameras.  I mean of course he was covered... but, as far as I'm concerned it was way too graphic to be considered respectful.


Anyway...  :'(

As far as news/media coverage goes... I'm really curious to hear if some of "our" folks will start to make statements.  Like Ang Lee or Proulx or Jake, other BBM people, etc.  I really feel that it would be comforting and meaningful to hear from those folks.  I'm sure they may not be ready to make statements right away.  But, still I'll be interested to hear from them when they're ready.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 23, 2008, 12:30:55 am
Time.com article:  http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1705981,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 23, 2008, 12:44:30 am
Time.com article:  http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1705981,00.html

"Even with his big face..."  That turned me off and I couldn't seem to read the rest of it.  But thanks for posting, Laura, and everyone.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 23, 2008, 01:40:57 am
CNN mentioned that Mel Gibson had released a statement.  I guess it could be because he's an Aussie, too, but he's not one of the folks I care to hear from right now.  ::)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 23, 2008, 02:33:03 am
CNN mentioned that Mel Gibson had released a statement.  I guess it could be because he's an Aussie, too, but he's not one of the folks I care to hear from right now.  ::)

And because he was in The Patriot with him.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 23, 2008, 02:52:29 am
And because he was in The Patriot with him.

Yes, but that's hardly recent.  It still seems somewhat presumptuous to me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 23, 2008, 02:57:23 am
Yes, but that's hardly recent.  It still seems somewhat presumptuous to me.

Well, one CNN reporter who's at Sundance now said she couldn't find celebrities who would comment on it.  But Mel would...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on January 23, 2008, 08:37:50 am
Heath and Mel may have shared many nice times together. No telling how long it took to make that movie. I like to hear from people who've actually met him. But I understand other's feelings about it since Mel is so controversial and gets in trouble with his mouth. I just think he has as much right as anyone to comment. Better than some of the reporters who say idiot rumors.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 08:39:54 am
Morning all,

The latest dispatch from the New York Times:

January 23, 2008

Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28


By JAMES BARRON

Heath Ledger, the Australian-born actor whose breakthrough role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain” earned him a nomination for an Academy Award and comparisons to the likes of Marlon Brando, was found dead Tuesday in an apartment in Manhattan with sleeping pills near his body, the police said.

The police said Mr. Ledger, 28, was found naked on the floor near the bed in an apartment in SoHo that he had been renting. The chief police spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said the police did not suspect foul play.

“There was no indication of a disturbance,” he said, adding that there were no signs that Mr. Ledger had been drinking. Nor were any illegal drugs found in the loft, which takes up the entire fourth floor. Neighbors said Mr. Ledger had occupied it for several months.

Police officials said that a bottle of prescription sleeping pills was found on a nearby night table, but that they did not know whether the pills had anything to do with Mr. Ledger’s death. Officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications in the bathroom. A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.

Mr. Browne said no obvious indication of suicide, like a note, was found in the bedroom.

Mr. Ledger had become a familiar figure in his SoHo neighborhood — and something of a fixture in gossip columns — since moving there after he broke up with the actress Michelle Williams, who played his wife in “Brokeback Mountain.”

There were reports of hand-holding and lip-locking with various actresses and models, and sightings at restaurants and cocktail bars. He had clashed with paparazzi in Australia, but in New York, where there is no shortage of problem-causing partygoers, “he certainly wasn’t one of them,” said Paul Sevigny, an owner of the Beatrice Inn, a West Village club that Mr. Ledger frequented.

“He was really polite and nice,” said Mr. Sevigny.

The police said Mr. Ledger’s body was found after a masseuse arrived at the apartment at 2:45 p.m. for her regular appointment with Mr. Ledger. A housekeeper let her in and knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. No one answered.

The housekeeper and the masseuse pushed open the bedroom door and saw Mr. Ledger, unconscious, on the floor. They shook him but could not revive him, and then called for help, the police said. The housekeeper told officers that she had heard him snoring in the bedroom around 12:30 p.m., the police said.

As word of Mr. Ledger’s death began circulating, fans and camera crews converged on the street outside the apartment, at 421 Broome Street, between Crosby and Lafayette.

Neighbors said Mr. Ledger was friendly. Julie McIntosh, a hairstylist at a salon a few doors down the block from the apartment, said she saw him on the street once or twice a week. She said she had seen him with his 2-year-old daughter a couple of times.

“He seemed happy,” she said, recalling how she had run into him outside the salon last month and joked, “When are you going to come in and let me wash your hair?”

Others in the crowd said their first reaction to word of his death was disbelief. Nicole Vaughan, 24, a law student at New York University, was in a seminar about Jesus when someone sent her a message about Mr. Ledger. She checked the Web, then walked to the apartment “because of the way our generation is; we sort of feel we’re a part of each other’s lives.”

Vanessa Yuille, 29, a record-company manager who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, said her vigil outside the apartment building was a way of paying tribute to what Mr. Ledger did the night she saw him in a Williamsburg restaurant last summer. “A guy fell off a motorcycle in front of the restaurant,” she said, “and it was Heath Ledger who went to see if the guy was all right.”

More recently, Mr. Ledger had made the rounds in Manhattan.

A cocktail waitress at a downtown hotel bar that regularly draws celebrities said he showed up one night last week with some friends, ordered bottled water, as he always did, and stayed for an hour or two. “He looked fit,” said the waitress, who would give her name only as Renee for fear of jeopardizing her job. “He looked healthy.”

The Associated Press reported that his father, Kim Ledger, called his death “tragic, untimely and accidental.” An uncle, Neil Bell, said the family was taken by surprise. “He was in good spirits and having a wonderful time on this Terry Gilliam movie,” he said, referring to “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” scheduled for release next year.

Mr. Bell, whom Mr. Ledger once cited as the inspiration for his character in “Brokeback Mountain,” added: “They were all flying to Vancouver for a shoot on this movie. Heath flew into New York to go home for a bit.”

Mr. Ledger’s publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said that she was too upset to talk about Mr. Ledger’s death.

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger was born on April 4, 1979, in Perth, Australia, where a local theater company cast him in “Peter Pan” when he was 10. That role led to parts on children’s television programs, and to the 1992 film “Clowning Around” and the television series “Ship to Shore.”

But the magazine Current Biography said he was also a champion at chess and go-kart racing as a youngster, and played field hockey until his coach forced him to choose between that sport and drama.

After appearing in a short-lived Australian television series, he moved to Los Angeles in 1999. His first Hollywood film was the teenage romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” a send-up of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” in which he appeared opposite Julia Stiles.

He passed up other roles in teen films. “I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself,” he said in a 2007 interview with The New York Times. He paid a price, running so low on money that, according to Current Biography, he was borrowing from his agent. The magazine quoted him as telling The Evening Standard in London, “I was literally living off ramen noodles and water, because I was sticking to my game.”

The payoff came in an audition for Mel Gibson’s film “The Patriot” — Mr. Ledger’s second audition; he had walked out of the first, saying his first was no good. He later appeared in “A Knight’s Tale” and “Monster’s Ball” in 2001, and in four films released in 2005: “Lords of Dogtown,” “Casanova,” “The Brothers Grimm” and the cowboy romance that established him as a major star, “Brokeback Mountain.”

“Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character,” Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times. “It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.” Mr. Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor, but the Oscar went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Capote.”

Still, Mr. Ledger was viewed as a significant talent on the rise. Although he was notoriously choosy about his roles, he was well-liked by directors and his fellow actors, an amiable presence on the set who gave little indication if he was experiencing personal turmoil.

“I had such great hope for him,” Mr. Gibson said in a statement. “He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss.”

Mr. Ledger met Ms. Williams while filming “Brokeback Mountain.” They began a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted in the New York tabloids and on celebrity-oriented Web sites. Ms. Williams gave birth to their daughter, Matilda Rose, on Oct. 28, 2005.

Until they separated last summer, he, Ms. Williams and Matilda were the darlings of Brooklyn, photographed around Boerum Hill. But Mr. Ledger often clashed with paparazzi — most intensely back home in Australia.

In January 2006, photographers sprayed him with water pistols at the Sydney premiere of “Brokeback Mountain.” Mr. Ledger left the country soon after, and was quoted as saying he was sick of Australia because the photographers were so intrusive. The paparazzi accused him of spitting on them, which he denied. Later that year, blogs reported that he and Ms. Williams had made obscene gestures at photographers in Mexico.

But a Brooklyn blog, the Brownstoner, proudly posted this comment from The Daily Telegraph after he and Ms. Williams bought their house near Smith Street: “Ledger, who’s had a rocky relationship with the paparazzi in Australia, has found Brooklyn’s residents to be a good deal mellower. ‘He’s very nice and they’re very sweet people,’ said his neighbor Margaret Cusack. ‘We got to go to the premiere of “Brokeback Mountain” — he gave us tickets.’ ” Reached on Tuesday after Mr. Ledger had died, Ms. Cusack said she would not comment.

After splitting up with Ms. Williams — and jilting Brooklyn — Mr. Ledger remained a favorite of tabloids and photographers. He was linked to the model Gemma Ward, and last month Page Six reported that Mr. Ledger and the actress Kate Hudson had been seen “kissing and making out” at a West Village restaurant. (Her publicist denied it.)

Mr. Ledger’s death shook Warner Brothers, which is scheduled to release his next film on July 18 — “The Dark Knight,” a big-budget sequel to “Batman Begins.” Mr. Ledger plays the Joker, Batman’s archnemesis.

The studio had already started to roll out a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign. The film’s dominant marketing image, cheered by fans when it was unveiled late last year, shows Mr. Ledger in costume, painting the question “Why So Serious?” in what appears to be blood.

In a recent interview with WJW-TV, a Fox affiliate in Cleveland, about “I’m Not There,” in which he was one of several actors playing the music legend Bob Dylan, Mr. Ledger struck a philosophical note. He responded to a question about how having a child had changed his life:

“You’re forced into, kind of, respecting yourself more,” he said. “You learn more about yourself through your child, I guess. I think you also look at death differently. It’s like a Catch-22: I feel good about dying now because I feel like I’m alive in her, you know, but at the same hand, you don’t want to die because you want to be around for the rest of her life.”

Reporting was contributed by Al Baker, Anne Barnard, Brooks Barnes, David Carr, Sewell Chan, John Eligon, David S. Hirschman, Thomas J. Lueck, Angela Macropoulos, Jennifer Mascia, Colin Moynihan, Campbell Robertson, Melena Ryzik and Paula Schwartz.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 09:23:29 am
Another article from the New York Times:

January 23, 2008

Throngs Gather in City as News Spreads at the Speed of Technology


By BRUCE LAMBERT

Hundreds of fans, curiosity seekers and news crews gathered in front of Heath Ledger’s home in SoHo on Tuesday night, spilling into the street as the police struggled to keep one lane open for traffic and roped off a sidewalk path to the door.

The noisy, restive crowd gathered quickly as word of Mr. Ledger’s death was transmitted via phone calls, text messages, blogs, radio, television and Web sites. People used their cellphones to call friends and send photographs from the scene outside the actor’s home, at 421 Broome Street.

“I didn’t expect to be in the center of all these cameras — I just brought flowers,” Jessica Farr, 19, an acting student, said as she was interviewed by television crews with video cameras, bright lights and microphone booms. She had read about the death on Facebook, she said. “It felt like we had just seen an assassination,” she said. “Like Anna Nicole all over again, just a chaotic circus.”

Taking pictures with his pocket digital camera, Doug Krantz, 27, a New York University student and Iraq war veteran, said, “I have a sick fascination with morbid stuff.” A video camera panned the crowd, and a friend apparently spotted Mr. Krantz on television. “No way — you saw me on TV?” Mr. Krantz said, talking on his cellphone.

Nearby, a young woman was on her phone saying: “Watch ABC news. I was just standing in front of the camera.”

The television coverage included crews from German, British and Spanish-language channels.

Jessica Roy 19, a New York University journalism student, said she had met Mr. Ledger in the neighborhood, and she called his death “really sad.” She said she had never seen such hubbub in SoHo. “It’s fascinating to me, this whole media extravaganza,” she said

A smaller crowd cropped up in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, outside the home where Mr. Ledger used to live with Michelle Williams, the mother of their child. Elliott Puckett, an artist in the neighborhood, said: “That’s terrible. I used to see them with their dry cleaning and their baby. It’s really sad.”

Taking a break from texting the news to relatives in Redlands, Calif., Kristen Venderhulst, 26, who was at the scene in SoHo, said about celebrities, “All these young people want the fame.” A co-worker, Karema Backsh, 35, chimed in, “But it comes at a big price.”

Vanessa Yuille, 29, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who was also busy sending text messages, said, “It’s a very instantaneous world.”

Some people seemed bereft. A tearful Jennifer Rosner, 21, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, said she had been watching “Sweeney Todd” at a theater when her mother called with the news. “She knew how much I loved him,” Ms. Rosner said. “I was a really big fan of his; I loved him. I always dreamed of meeting him. I loved him so much. I’m really upset.”

Ms. Rosner, who had removed a photo of Mr. Ledger from her bedroom wall, took it to the impromptu shrine at the entrance to his building.

Another N.Y.U. student, Laura Maderal, 21, was speaking into her phone: “Oh, they’re saying it was an accident now. Oh, that’s so horrible. He was so cute.”

Some people got the news the old-fashioned way, by word of mouth, like the family of tourists from Mr. Ledger’s hometown in Australia who happened to be passing by after dinner. “We saw all the people,” said Cindy Anthony, 16, of Perth. “It’s a big coincidence.”

Back home, she said, “it’ll be all over the news. I still don’t believe he’s dead.”

John Eligon, David S. Hirschman and Angela Macropoulos contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 23, 2008, 09:34:32 am
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20173197,00.html

entertainment weekly.  i've only read the first three paragraphs..l but nothing obviously tasteless just yet.

some comments about how other actors heard the news
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 23, 2008, 09:54:31 am
NPR's Morning Edition:

"Ledger's Death Is Film World's Loss" and a remembrance from NPR's film critic: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18328154&ft=1&f=1001 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18328154&ft=1&f=1001)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Autopsy Results
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 23, 2008, 11:37:16 am
NEW YORK —  An autopsy on actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office said.

A spokeswoman for the office, Ellen Borakove, said Wednesday that it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation.

There was no obvious indication of suicide or foul play, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne, who added that cops are "investigating the possibility of an overdose."

The 28-year-old Australia-born actor's ex-fiancée, actress Michelle Williams, was flying to New York from Sweden with their 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, her father said.

"It has just broken everybody's heart in my family," Larry Williams, Michelle's dad, told The Daily Telegraph in Australia. "My heart goes out to everyone, his family, my family, we are just very saddened. The saddest thing is his daughter, whom he just loved dearly."

Oscar-nominee Ledger was found dead Tuesday at his downtown Manhattan residence, face-down and naked at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills in the apartment, police said.

Ledger's father, Kim Ledger, released a statement on Australian television while surrounded by his family:

"We, Heath's family, confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda. He was found peacefully asleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30 p.m. U.S. time.

"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."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Heath's Bad Habits Worse Than Thought
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 23, 2008, 11:40:14 am
Here comes the slams and the suspicion, courtesy of Fox News & the NY Post:

Heath’s Bad Habits Worse Than Thought
By Roger Friedman

Heath Ledger’s untimely tragic death at 28 on Tuesday may have been accidental, but there was a path to it.

Ledger has many friends, I am told, who will turn up in the next few days with tales to make our collective hair stand on end.

As a reporter, I hesitate to start getting into this less than a day after his passing. But from what I was told Tuesday night by someone who really knew Ledger and ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, the young actor’s problems were severe.

"When they do the autopsy it will all come out, I’m sure," says one producer who knew the couple well. "They’ll find everything."

Ledger, he says, was morose over losing his life with Williams and their baby daughter in Brooklyn. He may not have committed suicide, but he carried on, my source says, with little regard for his health or well-being.

It’s hard for the average movie fan, including yours truly, to totally grasp why a guy like Heath Ledger — drop-dead handsome, popular, incredibly talented — could be depressed about anything.

My source reminds me: "You’re being paid $10 million and wondering if you’re worth it. Then your girlfriend kicks you out, you’re separated from your child and you’re thinking: 'I’m a big movie star but not popular at home.' That’s when the trouble starts."

Ledger’s death is heartbreaking to those who knew and loved him, for his child and his parents as well as friends. I won’t belabor the point. But when all the facts are in, Ledger’s accidental death will certainly seem like one that could have been prevented.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Funeral May Be Moved - Protests
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 23, 2008, 12:27:04 pm
The funeral for Heath Ledger may be held in his native Australia in lieu of a service in the United States with Tuesday's announcement by the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church that he intends to disrupt and protest the funeral.

Phelps and his supporters, which run a website GodHatesFags.com, released a statement late last night that hundreds of protesters intend to picket and shout down any funeral service for the 28-year old actor found dead in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.

From a statement:

"Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word; to wit: God Hates Fags! & Fag Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as ‘Brokeback Mountain’ - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it."

"Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 12:28:19 pm
from the New York Times:

 January 23, 2008,  10:24 am

Ledger Autopsy Is Inconclusive, Official Says


By Sewell Chan

An autopsy of the actor Heath Ledger was performed on Wednesday morning, but the results are inconclusive, according to Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for New York City’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch.

Additional blood and tissue testing needs to be performed before the manner and cause of death can be determined, Ms. Borakove said in a phone interview, estimating that the process could take 10 days to two weeks. “If you have no apparent cause, you have to do further testing,” she said.

No cause of death has been ruled out, she added. The autopsy, at the medical examiner’s headquarters at 520 First Avenue, near 30th Street on the East Side of Manhattan, began around 8:30 a.m. and lasted about two hours, she said.

The two types of tests that still have to be performed include toxicology, which examines the adverse effects of chemicals in the blood stream, and histology, in which thin slices of tissue are analyzed by pathologists.

Ms. Borakove said the body was ready to be released to Mr. Ledger’s family for burial. “We don’t need to keep the body once the family is ready,” she said.

Mr. Ledger, 28, the Australian-born actor whose breakthrough role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain” earned him a nomination for an Academy Award and comparisons to the likes of Marlon Brando, was found dead on Tuesday afternoon in an apartment at 421 Broome Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets, in SoHo. Prescription sleeping pills were found near his body, but it is not know if the medication played a role in his death.

John Sullivan contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Autopsy Results
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 12:29:22 pm
NEW YORK —  An autopsy on actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office said.

A spokeswoman for the office, Ellen Borakove, said Wednesday that it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation.

No more than I expected. They never get toxicology reports right away.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Heath's Bad Habits Worse Than Thought
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 12:33:47 pm
Here comes the slams and the suspicion, courtesy of Fox News & the NY Post:

Some talking heads on the Today show this morning were saying essentially the same things to Matt Lauer, though perhaps putting it a little more respectfully: That since the breakup with Michelle he'd been out in clubs a lot, and told someone while he was working on the Batman movie that he was only able to sleep two hours a night.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 23, 2008, 12:36:48 pm
And Australia has every right to deny entry to Reverend Phelps and his ilk. I'm glad he's being buried abroad.  Australia is a smaller country with less celebrities, so I'm sure it will be a big deal down there.
===================================
Yes, I've heard ppl say he hasn't looked so great in recent photos. Hectic schedule, alone in NYC, i.e. no parents/siblings in the area, marriage ended, was anyone looking out for him?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Funeral May Be Moved - Protests
Post by: dot-matrix on January 23, 2008, 12:41:09 pm
The funeral for Heath Ledger may be held in his native Australia in lieu of a service in the United States with Tuesday's announcement by the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church that he intends to disrupt and protest the funeral.

Phelps and his supporters, which run a website GodHatesFags.com, released a statement late last night that hundreds of protesters intend to picket and shout down any funeral service for the 28-year old actor found dead in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.

From a statement:

"Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word; to wit: God Hates Fags! & Fag Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as ‘Brokeback Mountain’ - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it."

"Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."

I am big believer in free speech,freedom of the press, the public's right to know and all that but do we really need to give this MONSTER and his evil family yet another forum for their hateful and vile rhetoric by posting it in all it's repugnant and disgusting detail here at Bettermost.  Especially now aren't we already in enough pain without reading that filth.  That last line alone reduce me to tears all over again and I KNOW it's not true.

 :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 23, 2008, 12:51:55 pm
Re: Roger Friedman and Fred Phelps...

I feel like I need to puke. Maybe I can puke on their shoes.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Special Report from London
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 23, 2008, 12:53:51 pm
Jack Nicholson on tragic death of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger: 'I warned him'
{Thisislondon}
 
The news of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger's death in a New York apartment has caused shockwaves around the world, but it didn't come as a surprise to one Hollywood star.

A revealing – if ambiguous - comment made by Jack Nicholson hints he was aware Ledger was battling personal demons.

The acting veteran, who played the Batman's most famous Joker, said in London last night: "I warned him.”

The comment came as the 28-year-old's family rejected speculation Ledger committed suicide.

An intial autopsy carried out by the New York City Medical Examiner was "inconclusive", according to U.S. reports.

The official investigation was launched after a police spokesperson confirmed sleeping pills - both prescription medication and non-prescription - were found in the vicinity of the actor's body.

In Perth, his home town, Ledger's father Kim read out a statement in which he insisted the death was an accident.

Surrounded by his ex-wife Sally and their sobbing daughter Kate, he said: “We confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda.”

He went on to describe his son as "a down to earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many."

Kim continued: "Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him."

It has been revealed Ledger made a friend promise to call and “wake me up” hours before his death.

Film director Shekhar Kapur said Ledger had asked him to call the next morning during a conversation on the eve of the tragedy.

Kapur, who directed Ledger in The Four Feathers, telephoned him on Monday after arriving in New York from London.

“I last spoke to him the night before he died. 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. I tried. Little did I know that his soul had already left his body,” he said.

He added: “He was one of the most gentle, the most honest, most caring, and most compassionate persons I had met.”

The actor was found dead at a SoHo, Manhattan residence, where he had been staying on a temporary basis.

Sources told Mail Online today that Ledger had been battling substance abuse problems - including an addiction to heroin - for some time.

"He had a stint in rehab last year when he was treated for heroin," a source told The Daily Mail, adding that Ledger was increasingly introverted at the time of his death.

There are claims the strain of playing the Joker in the new Batman film may have proved too much for the star – in a recent interview he told how the role of a “murderous psychopath” had left him “sleepless and exhausted”. He is also said to have recently suffered pneumonia.

He was only sleeping around two hours a night, with reports speculating his reliance on sleeping pills lead to his "accidental overdose".

A housekeeper at Ledger's New York City apartment made shocking discovery of his body face down on a bed at 3.20pm local time on Tuesday afternoon.

Minutes earlier, the housekeeper had opened the door to a masseuse, who had an appointment with the actor.

The Hollywood website TMZ.com reported that Ledger was in cardiac arrest when emergency services arrived on the scene.

The actor's body was moved to the floor but subsequent attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at 3.35pm, at the scene.

Police are treating Ledger's death as possible suicide or an accidental drugs overdose.

Officers have blocked anyone from entering the apartment and said a full autopsy will be carried out on Ledger's body on today.

His remains were removed by police in a body bag from the apartment three hours after his death.

Ledger's ex-fiancée Michelle Williams and their two year old daughter Matilda flew from a film set in Sweden to their home in Brooklyn following tragedy.

“You can't begin to imagine the state she's in,” an executive on the film told the Mail Online.

Her father Larry Williams said: “It has just broken everybody's heart in my family. I think Tennyson got it right in the poem he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends. And oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath.”

He said Ledger was devoted to the couple's daughter.

"The saddest thing is his daughter whom he just loved dearly. The Tennyson poem is just so true. His years were few but he left a beautiful legacy."

An insider disclosed that the Oscar nominated star had been battling substance abuse problems during the later part of his life.

Perth-born Ledger took his break-up with Williams last September very badly, according to the source.

"Heath was shattered by his split from Michelle," the source told Mail Online, adding: "He became a recluse. He barely slept he was dealing with terrible mood swings."

Ledger spent the past several months mourning the loss of his relationship with Williams and friends say he had become an introvert, who was headed in a downward spiral.

"Heath totally wanted to be on his own these past few months since he and Michelle split in September," says a source. "She was very much in love with him, but the fact he continued to dabble in drugs kept their relationship from being one she could rely on.

"He adored his daughter Matilda, and when Michelle called it quits, he missed Matilda so much that he was thrown into a deep dark depression.

"Heath was living in New York to be close to his daughter. But he hardly ever ventured out anymore.

"His close friend and Brokeback co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal has been worried about him for months. And he knew Heath was sinking further into a depression. Jake is Matilda's godfather, and he and Heath had become really close since they did the film Brokeback together.

"Jake wanted Heath to get help, but he refused, and now it looks as though he may have died of a drug overdose.

"Michelle will be devastated by the news, because she always hoped he would get help and they could manage to work out their relationship for the sake of their daughter.

"Now poor little Matty is left without a father, and Heath has died a senseless death.

"He had so much to live for and he was so talented. He was working on a new film, and he had everything in life to live for. Now, tragically, he has thrown it all away at just 28."

Industry observers spoke last night of the increasingly "unhinged" way that Ledger has carried himself professionally and personally in recent months.

"It's easy to think an actor is just dressing bizarrely and acting weird on the red carpet to try to drum up some interest in themselves. But a picture is fast emerging, through discussions with his friends and work associates, that Heath has really been very out of it for months.

"And he's been battling some pretty serious demons. It's just so incredible that it was allowed to gone on unchecked for so long."

Ledger's former fiancée Williams failed to talk sense into her now deceased former partner.

"She cared for him deeply but his life was unmanageable," said the source. "As much as she wanted to stay together, he was a different person these past couple of years.

"The tragic reality was that he lost his grip on life."

As for Ledger's trip to rehab, the source said: "It was during his filming of The Dark Knight. Heath's addiction was really getting in the way of his ability to act. He went to rehab but left fairly quickly, within a number of days.

"Tragically, he never really faced up to his addictions. Had he done so, he would be alive today."

It was at the Venice Film Festival in September of last year that Ledger first started displaying signs of being floored by his split with Williams and at was then that friends noticed a change of behaviour in him.

After behaving oddly during a press junket at the festival on the Venice Lido all day on September 3rd, Ledger went alone to a party thrown by Italian designer Alberta Ferretti on a yacht moored off the main city at 10pm.

Ledger arrived dressed "as if he was homeless", said a source.

"It looked as if he was if he was trying to make some kind of point. He drifted around the party not talking to anyone for half an hour and then just walked off into the night like a lost soul. It was most odd.

"He and Richard Gere were both special guests at the party. But Heath was just like a ghost. It was obvious something awful had happened to him."

In an interview last November, Ledger spoke of the joy of fatherhood; "Having a child changes every aspect of your life – for the better, of course. The sacrifices are large, but what you get in return is even bigger than the sacrifices you make.

"I feel, in a sense, ready to die because you are living on in your child."

Chief among his celebrity confidants during the final stages of his life was fellow Australian Naomi Watts, who dated Ledger for two years after meeting on the set of Ned Kelly.

Ledger was currently in the middle of filming the Terry Gilliam movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death. Last weekend, he was photographed dressed as a clown on set in London.

The fantasy-adventure film about a travelling theatre troupe was scheduled for release next year.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, to race car driver Kim Ledger and French teacher Sally Bell, the actor left school at age 16 to pursue his acting career in Sydney.

After making his TV debut in children's TV series Clowning Around at the age of 13, Ledger made his first big screen outing in Australian drama Blackrock.

Ledger's breakout Hollywood role came in 1999 teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, alongside Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

After high-profile roles opposite Mel Gibson in The Patriot and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball, Ledger was firmly established as a leading man in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain in 2005.

Ledger was Oscar-nominated for his acclaimed performance as gay cowboy Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, but missed out to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for Capote.

He can currently be seen in cinemas playing Bob Dylan in I'm Not There alongside Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere.

His performance as The Joker in Batman sequel The Dark Knight has already received a good reception from test audiences. The movie is expected to be a blockbuster when it is released this summer.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group, who produced the Batman movie, has issued a statement: "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. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."

As well as his film career, Ledger also had a love for music and started a record company with American musician Ben Harper.

Ledger's demise comes just a week after the sudden death of another young Hollywood star, 25-year-old Brad Renfro. It is believed Renfro died of a suspected drug overdose.

Despite his high-profile relationships with Williams, Watts and Heather Graham, Ledger hated the media attention that came with his fame and had often hit the headlines for altercations with the paparazzi.

As well as his parents and daughter Matilda, Ledger is also survived by his sister Katherine, and half-sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell.


Heath Ledger's filmography

The Dark Knight (2008}
I'm Not There (2007)
Candy (2006)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Ned Kelly (2003)
The Four Feathers (2002)
Monster's Ball (2001)
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The Patriot (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Paws (1997)
Blackrock (1997)
Clowning Around (1992)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 23, 2008, 01:09:44 pm
Phillip,what sort of reputation does the Melbourne Herlad Sun have. Are they a tabloid?

There article on Heath Ledger leads with the headline

"Heath Ledger dies battling drugs and depression"

Here's the link 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23099380-661,00.html

I'm not posting the article because it says that there were generic prescriptions for Valium and Xanax as well as sleeping pills at the scene.  I haven't heard that before, i.e., anti-anxiety meds being involved. Don't know if they are just reporting rumors.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 01:27:16 pm
From the New York Times:

January 24, 2008
Appreciation
An Actor Whose Work Will Outlast the Frenzy

By A. O. SCOTT

The defining performance of Heath Ledger’s tragically foreshortened career — more or less equivalent to what Jim Stark in “Rebel Without a Cause” was for James Dean — will surely be the role of Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain.”

A portrait of inarticulate love and thwarted desire, Ennis is a rich, complicated character succinctly sketched in Annie Proulx’s original short story and brought to heartbreaking life by the film’s screenwriters, Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry, by its director, Ang Lee, and above all by Mr. Ledger himself.

Outwardly, Ennis presents a familiar image of rough-hewn western masculinity, and the longing that surges under his taciturn demeanor does not so much contradict this image as help to explain it. Ennis’s love for Jack Twist, whom he meets tending sheep on a Wyoming mountaintop in the early 1960s, takes Ennis by surprise and throws him permanently off balance. His lifelong silence, the film suggests, is less a sign of strength than of cowardice, a crippling inability to acknowledge or communicate the truth of his own feelings.

What made the performance so remarkable was that Mr. Ledger, without betraying Ennis’s dignity or his reserve, was nonetheless able to convey that truth to the audience. This kind of sensitivity — the ability to signal an inner emotional state without overtly showing it — is what distinguishes great screen acting from movie-star posing. And while Mr. Ledger was handsome enough, and famous enough, to be called a movie star, he was serious enough, and smart enough, to be suspicious of deploying his charisma too easily or cheaply.

In retrospect, the best thing that happened to him — the lucky break for his admirers, at any rate —may have been his early failure to live up to his apparent movie-star potential. He was the most likable of the young things in the Shakespeare-derived teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” with his curly hair, high forehead and the permanent intimation of a smirk on his thin-lipped, angled mouth. And as often happens with young actors Hollywood, his good looks and easy charm looked like a ticket to the commercial big time. Dutifully, but also with sparks of playful, eager energy, he played period golden boys in “The Patriot” and “A Knight’s Tale,” a misbegotten (but not entirely unenjoyable) entry in the evergreen, ever-silly costume-action genre.

It is hard to know exactly when Mr. Ledger discovered his range, and set about trying to explore it, but it is clear that he covered a lot of ground in a very short time. He had a taste for portraying troubled, brooding, self-destructive young men, it’s true — the anguished second-generation prison guard in “Monster’s Ball”; the heroin addict in “Candy”; the unhappy film star in “I’m Not There,” in addition to Ennis — but the temptation to blend their fates with Mr. Ledger’s own should be resisted at all costs. Those roles should be seen less as expressions of some imagined inner torment than as evidence of resourcefulness, creative restlessness and wit.

Those same characteristics are abundantly evident in less well-known movies that should not be overlooked. Mr. Ledger was hilarious and eccentric in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Lords of Dogtown,” playing a shaggy old-timer on the Venice Beach surf- and skateboard scene, and affably mischievous in Terry Gilliam’s “Brothers Grimm,” alongside Matt Damon. Ennis Del Mar is complemented and complicated by Casanova, whom Mr. Ledger played in Lasse Hallstrom’s unfairly neglected biopic-as-sex-farce, which came and went too quickly in late 2005, during the ascendancy of “Brokeback Mountain.” It’s not just that the flamboyantly heterosexual Casanova is Ennis Del Mar’s opposite in obvious ways. He is also a creature of pure whimsy, a lighter-than-air confection of licentiousness and gallantry.

Which is not to say that Mr. Ledger’s performance is frivolous. Rather, it required intelligence, restraint and a tricky lightness of touch. Mr. Ledger’s had an unusual ability to mix lightness and gravity, an emotional nimbleness he displayed most fully, perhaps, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There.” Of the six avatars of Bob Dylan in that film, his, an actor named Robbie Clark, is the most remote from Mr. Dylan’s various personae and closest to the prosaic world of love, fame and ambition. Bobby starts out full of youthful energy, heedless and in love, and finds himself a decade later adrift and disappointed, robbed of the happiness that early success had seemed to promise.

Again, it’s important to warn against looking in that film, or any other, for clues or portents. It seems to me that Mr. Ledger, in his choice of roles, was motivated above all by curiosity, and perhaps also by an impatience with the predictability and caution that can settle around the shoulders of talented young stars. In heroic roles, like “A Knight’s Tale” or “Ned Kelly,” he often seems bored, which may be why he so eagerly seized the chance to play the sociopathic Joker in “The Dark Knight,” the next installment in the “Batman” franchise.

The dismaying sense of loss and waste at Mr. Ledger’s death at the age of 28 comes not only because he was so young, but also because his talent was large and as yet largely unmapped. It seems inevitable that he will now be inscribed in the cult of the beautiful stars who died too young, alongside James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe. Even before his death, he had been ensnared in a pathological gossip culture that chews up the private lives of celebrities, and Tuesday’s news unleashed the usual rituals of media cannibalism.

Mr. Ledger’s work will outlast the frenzy. But there should have been more. Instead of being preserved as a young star eclipsed in his prime, he should have had time to outgrow his early promise and become the strange, surprising, era-defining actor he always had the potential to be.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Funeral May Be Moved - Protests
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 01:32:35 pm
The funeral for Heath Ledger may be held in his native Australia in lieu of a service in the United States with Tuesday's announcement by the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church that he intends to disrupt and protest the funeral.

Phelps and his supporters, which run a website GodHatesFags.com, released a statement late last night that hundreds of protesters intend to picket and shout down any funeral service for the 28-year old actor found dead in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.

Hundreds? Phelps's usual bullshit grandstanding. If I remember correctly, the last time he pulled a stunt like this there were only a few members of his own famiily there.

He's too lunatic fringe for even the lunatic fringe.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 01:37:40 pm
Hundreds? Phelps's usual bullshit grandstanding. If I remember correctly, the last time he pulled a stunt like this there were only a few members of his own famiily there.

He's too lunatic fringe for even the lunatic fringe.

Actually they came to the UU church I work for shortly after the marriage bill was passed in MA & prtested.  I looked this man in the face and crossed their little hate line, went in and sang a performance of the Mozart Requiem.  Ironic isn't it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 23, 2008, 01:39:07 pm
Phelps has to pay out a USD 11,000,000 lawsuit settlement.  What happened to that?  I thought if you can't pay it, the courts can confiscate whatever assets you do have. Am I wrong???
=============================================================
Jury Awards $11 Million in Damages for Phelps Protest at Funeral
Members of Fred Phelps's fundamentalist Kansas church, ordered to pay nearly $11 million in damages to a grieving father, smiled as they walked out of the courtroom, vowing that the verdict would not deter them from protesting at military funerals.

Members promised to picket future funerals with placards bearing such slogans as ''Thank God for dead soldiers'' and ''God hates fags.''

''Absolutely, don't you understand this was an act in futility?'' said Shirley Phelps-Roper, whose father founded the Westboro Baptist Church.

The group believes that U.S. deaths in the Iraq war are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. They say they are entitled to protest at funerals under the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

Albert Snyder sued the Topeka, Kan., church after a protest last year at the funeral of his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. He claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

A jury agreed. On Wednesday, the church and three of its leaders -- Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress. Jurors awarded Snyder $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages.

Snyder, of York, Pa., said he hoped other families would consider suing.

''The goal wasn't about the money; it was to set a precedent so other people could do the same thing,'' he said.

Appearing on NBC's Today show Thursday, Sndyer said that while his son was fighting for freedom for Iraqis, ''my son did not fight for hate speech.

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid50136.asp
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Special Report from London
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 01:39:29 pm
Heath Ledger's filmography

The Dark Knight (2008}
I'm Not There (2007)
Candy (2006)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Ned Kelly (2003)
The Four Feathers (2002)
Monster's Ball (2001)
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The Patriot (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Paws (1997)
Blackrock (1997)
Clowning Around (1992)

They forgot Casanova.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Special Report from London
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 01:42:47 pm
Jack Nicholson on tragic death of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger: 'I warned him'
{Thisislondon}

We can all see what's going to happen here, can't we? We're going to go from arguing over whether Jack was murdered to whether Heath died of an illegal drug overdose.

God, I hope not.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 01:46:24 pm
We cannot focus on the reasons, or the results.  Even if this were someone we didn't feel any kinship to, it wouldn't serve any purpose to debase ourselves by engaging in that kind of speculative clap trap.

We DO have to focus on the lessons we can learn from not only his life, but what his contribution to a story that has inarguably changed all of our lives has meant to us.  Don't ever let a moment go by where you can say "I love you".  That is the essence of community, and that is why we are here now!

I love you all very much.  Each and every one of you are precious to me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts - Autopsy Results
Post by: BelAir on January 23, 2008, 02:14:17 pm
No more than I expected. They never get toxicology reports right away.

and what takes the longest is the tissue analysis (too look for heart disease, etc.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 23, 2008, 02:17:52 pm
i am planning to mentally ignore any statement coming from "a source" (vs. a real person)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 23, 2008, 02:25:30 pm
From CNN.com:

In light of Ledger's death, President Bush on Wednesday postponed an event surrounding the launch of a public-service ad campaign warning against the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 23, 2008, 02:34:24 pm
From CNN.com:

In light of Ledger's death, President Bush on Wednesday postponed an event surrounding the launch of a public-service ad campaign warning against the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.





!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 02:35:05 pm
From CNN.com:

In light of Ledger's death, President Bush on Wednesday postponed an event surrounding the launch of a public-service ad campaign warning against the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.




How damn condescending can he get
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 23, 2008, 02:39:44 pm
she. Dana Perino is a woman.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 02:40:12 pm
she. Dana Perino is a woman.

I was referring to GWB
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 23, 2008, 03:01:39 pm
I don't know ... maybe I'm missing something, and I hate GWB as much as the next person, but I thought the gesture seemed appropriate.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 03:22:59 pm
I don't know ... maybe I'm missing something, and I hate GWB as much as the next person, but I thought the gesture seemed appropriate.



I'm not quite getting how that was condescending, either.

OTOH, if they had gone through with the launch of the campaign, the word I would have used would not have been opportunistic. It would have been insensitive.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 03:24:41 pm
I don't know ... maybe I'm missing something, and I hate GWB as much as the next person, but I thought the gesture seemed appropriate.



We don't know what happened yet.  It's an assumption that they are making.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 23, 2008, 03:29:07 pm
We don't know what happened yet.  It's an assumption that they are making.

I don't know that they're assuming anything; perhaps they're just thinking that, given the news reports, the subject would be on people's minds.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 03:38:05 pm
I don't know that they're assuming anything; perhaps they're just thinking that, given the news reports, the subject would be on people's minds.

I agree with you, Katherine.

No offense, Scott, but I think if the White House had done what they decided not to do, it would have looked like they were pointing fingers at Heath.

On the contrary, I'm surprised by what I see as some actual sensitivity from that Administration.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Scott6373 on January 23, 2008, 03:39:30 pm
I agree with you, Katherine.

No offense, Scott, but I think if the White House had done what they decided not to do, it would have looked like they were pointing fingers at Heath.

On the contrary, I'm surprised by what I see as some actual sensitivity from that Administration.

None taken.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 23, 2008, 03:40:26 pm
CBS in New York reports drug packets found in Ledger's apartment with a rolled $20 bill, sent for testing.

http://wcbstv.com/local/heath.ledger.autopsy.2.635880.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 23, 2008, 03:49:39 pm
No offense, Scott,

None taken.

I know! I hesitate to disagree with any Brokie about anything, today.

 :-\


Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 03:53:09 pm
None taken.

Thanks. I'm glad. And your point that we don't yet know the cause of death is well taken and, of course, correct.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 23, 2008, 05:03:23 pm
From WCBSTV.com
"On the doorstep of his building, candles, flowers and notes from fans were strewn about. One fan wrote, "How could anyone hate 10 things about you," a reference to one of his early teen movies..."

I wish I lived in NYC and could drop something off by his apartment building. I guess it's a circus there right now. I hope the Ledger family makes note of a charity they'd want friends and fans to donate to.

And I agree with Jeff, I think it was very tactful that the White House back off from launching another "just so no" to prescription drugs on such a terrible day.   
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 23, 2008, 05:11:58 pm
CBS in New York reports drug packets found in Ledger's apartment with a rolled $20 bill, sent for testing.

http://wcbstv.com/local/heath.ledger.autopsy.2.635880.html

All the insinuation...  I don't know about drug packets, but don't a lot of bills in circulation have cocaine traces?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 23, 2008, 05:16:25 pm
All the insinuation...  I don't know about drug packets, but don't a lot of bills in circulation have cocaine traces?

I don't know about the number in circulation, but isn't it "customary" to inhale cocaine throuigh a rolled twenty?

Shit.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 23, 2008, 05:19:44 pm
I don't know about the number in circulation, but isn't it "customary" to inhale cocaine throuigh a rolled twenty?

I think any denomination will do.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 23, 2008, 05:21:09 pm
I don't know about the number in circulation, but isn't it "customary" to inhale cocaine throuigh a rolled twenty?

Not in this economy.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on January 23, 2008, 05:25:34 pm
I hope the Ledger family makes note of a charity they'd want friends and fans to donate to.


Me, too.  I feel the need to do something in his memory.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 23, 2008, 05:27:10 pm
http://www.heatworld.com/Article/4082/Michelle+Williams/Michelle%e2%80%99s+best+friend+and+mum+arrive+in+New+York

While Michelle Williams herself is still believed to be en route to New York from Sweden with two-year-old Matilda and the family nanny, her mother and best friend have arrived in the city to console her when she arrives. The best friend in question is actress Busy Philipps, who used to star in Dawson’s Creek with Michelle, as Katie Holmes’s college roommate Audrey – she’s godmother to Heath and Michelle’s daughter, Matilda (while Heath’s Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal is godfather). Busy, and Michelle’s mum Carla, arrived at the home Heath and Michelle once shared in Brooklyn in the early hours of this morning, New York time. They both looked visibly shaken as they got out of a limousine and entered the house to wait for Michelle. According to sources at the airport in Sweden, Michelle was “so quiet” and “in her own world” as she waited to board her flight back to the US. We can’t even begin to imagine how the poor girl must be feeling.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 23, 2008, 05:28:41 pm
Me, too.  I feel the need to do something in his memory.

I see people on the DC forum are talking about gathering a collection of people's comments into a book to give to Matilda.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on January 23, 2008, 05:32:08 pm
Me, too.  I feel the need to do something in his memory.

Well, I plan to "live in the now", like he did.

I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future.
-Heath Ledger


Source: IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005132/bio)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Lumière on January 23, 2008, 05:33:30 pm
I see people on the DC forum are talking about gathering a collection of people's comments into a book to give to Matilda.


I saw that as well.  Sounds like a great idea.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 23, 2008, 05:42:45 pm
I see people on the DC forum are talking about gathering a collection of people's comments into a book to give to Matilda.



 :) :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BennyBoy on January 23, 2008, 05:44:01 pm
Peter Travers Remembers Heath Ledger -

The shocking death of Heath Ledger stopped all the usual yammering here at the Sundance Film Festival. It was a day that started with the Oscar nominations and news of the big sale of Hamlet 2 to Focus Features—the Sundance jackpot at last. And yet this afternoon, just after I finished interviewing Josh Peck and Olivia Thirlby, the gifted young stars of The Wackness , one of the hot films in competition, the news of Ledger's death in his apartment in Manhattan hit us like a cold slap. Thirlby sat quietly by herself collecting her thoughts. This was a huge day for the young actress, her film Juno in which she played the pregnant teen's bff, had just been announced as one of the five contenders for the Best Picture Oscar. Both Thirlby and Peck had just talked about where they'd like to be as actors ten years from now. Peck saying that he'd hoped to keep challenging himself to reveal something about the human condition, that acting if it was honest and fearless united us somehow as human beings. His remarks reminded me of my first meeting with Ledger seven years ago when A Knight's Tale put him on the Hollywood map. He and his blond ringlets became prettyboy poster art and he damn near choked on it. Not the movie, just the image branding. Like Peck and Thirlby, Ledger thought of acting as something deeper, a striving toward goal he'd probably never reach. Ledger told me then that if his only offers were for movie-star posing he'd bag the whole thing. Instead, he went on to capture the loneliness of the guarded heart— as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, as a heroin junkie in Candy, and as a fame-resistant Bob Dylan in I'm Not There. The last time I saw Ledger, just before he started on the role of the Joker in this summer's The Dark Knight, he wore the same crooked grin, the same drop-the-bullshit attitude. He knew acting as an adventure couldn't match being a father to his daughter Matilda Rose. As movie enthusiasts, we will all miss seeing Ledger push against the barriers in roles he'll never play. But the end of his life at twenty eight is the real tragedy. Here at Sundance, in the swirl of deals and Oscar buzz, priorities—at least for the moment—were set straight.

Peter Travers
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 23, 2008, 06:36:11 pm
I see people on the DC forum are talking about gathering a collection of people's comments into a book to give to Matilda.




That does sound like a good idea.

Somehow at the moment just doing something, anything feels like a comfort.  Rather than simply sitting and feeling increasingly sad.
:(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 23, 2008, 06:48:52 pm
NY Times report from NYPD, clarifying many of the early rumors:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/police-provide-new-details-on-ledger-death/index.html?hp (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/police-provide-new-details-on-ledger-death/index.html?hp)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 07:01:10 pm
The masseuse call Mary-Kate Olsen TWICE? What was she thinking? Isn't everyone on the planet trained to dial 911?

Good God, I can only hope that Heath was already dead and her ridiculous time wasting phone calls didn't contribute to his death.

Unbelieveable.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BennyBoy on January 23, 2008, 07:02:50 pm
The masseuse call Mary-Kate Olsen TWICE? What was she thinking? Isn't everyone on the planet trained to dial 911?

Good God, I can only hope that Heath was already dead and her ridiculous time wasting phone calls didn't contribute to his death.

Unbelieveable.

L

No shit...especially since it turned out to not even be her apartment...right?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 23, 2008, 07:05:20 pm
No shit...especially since it turned out to not even be her apartment...right?

No, it's not her apartment. She doesn't even have an apartment in the building...she lives around the corner or something.

Supposedly, the masseuse wanted to contact Mary-Kate's bodyguard who had EMT training....but come on, call 911 and get the pros on the job.

This just makes me angry--I am trying to be understanding and assume the masseuse was scared and frightened and unsure what to do...but at the same time, she spent 15 minutes setting up her massage table before realizing the man in the bed was not moving.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BennyBoy on January 23, 2008, 07:07:07 pm
Supposedly, the masseuse wanted to contact Mary-Kate's bodyguard who had EMT training....but come on, call 911 and get the pros on the job.


That is by far the dumbest thing I've ever heard.  I can't believe some people...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 23, 2008, 07:11:47 pm
I wonder if the masseuse avoided 911 because of publicity issues with celebrities?

Or maybe she panicked.

Or maybe she was really clueless.

Or maybe all of the above.

I wish the masseuse and the housekeeper had taken CPR, though. Check breathing and pulse, then start CPR... There was half an hour wasted before anyone tried breathing for him.

(New resolution for the year: get re-certified in CPR.)

I wish other news organizations would correct their stories, though. Heath was in bed, under his sheet, snoring, at 1:30. At 3 pm he was unresponsive (and possibly already dead).
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on January 23, 2008, 07:13:55 pm
This might be a case where a person's celebrity may have hindered the help they needed. The masseuse was probably impulsively deferring to Heath's star status, and was trying to think of ways of rendering aid without involving the authorities (I'm speculating that she might have been speculating that drugs [illegal or prescription] may have been involved), so as to protect Heath from potential embarrassment (or perhaps even criminal charges). If Heath were an unknown, 911 would have been the first option, no doubt (which it certainly should have been in any case).

The article confirms that Heath was found in bed, and not on the floor, as I was hearing earlier today.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Lumière on January 23, 2008, 07:21:42 pm
Quote
The article confirms that Heath was found in bed, and not on the floor, as I was hearing earlier today.

I know.
There were reports of pills "all over the place" as if he was sleeping in pills.
But then it was mentioned later that he had those pills *in his house*; and that there was a bottle on the night stand not scattered all around him like was reported at some point. argh.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 23, 2008, 07:29:18 pm
an inkling of information about Jake:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23100660-661,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 23, 2008, 07:33:48 pm
I know.
There were reports of pills "all over the place" as if he was sleeping in pills.
But then it was mentioned later that he had those pills *in his house*; and that there was a bottle on the night stand not scattered all around him like was reported at some point. argh.

Yeah really.  By that definition, everyone who dies at home would have "pills all over the place".

They're turning this into a morbid circus a la Marilyn and Elvis.  What garbage. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 23, 2008, 07:40:36 pm
an inkling of information about Jake:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23100660-661,00.html

That's the same story PageSix ran. It's relatively tasteful and may turn out to be true someday, but it's just another "angle".  (Old quotes and conjecture):

Now that two-year-old Matilda is left to grow up without her doting father, the responsibility to keep Heath Ledger's memory alive falls partly on her famous godfather, Jake Gyllenhaal.

"Heath and I are best friends now making the film was very intense for us," said Jake, 27, who played Heath's sheep-herding love interest in the blockbuster hit. He described being Matilda's godfather as "an amazing honor."

"I remember being in rehearsal, and the two of them had googly eyes with each other," he has said of the romance between Matilda's parents.

Despite her unimaginable loss, Matilda should expect to have an extended family in the Gyllenhaals.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on January 23, 2008, 08:06:49 pm
This is a very sweet and complimentary article:

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=294218&GT1=7701& (http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=294218&GT1=7701&)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 23, 2008, 09:46:02 pm
um.. warning... maybe excessive details for some...



i just read a ny times update... i could have lived without knowing they used a defibrillator...

don't know if that makes sense to anyone.  but it was enough for me to know that resuscitation was unsuccessful.  i don't need to know details.

 :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 24, 2008, 11:24:16 am
This morning's New York Times update:

January 24, 2008

Autopsy on Actor Is Inconclusive as Calls for Help Are Revealed


By ANDY NEWMAN and AL BAKER

The cause of the actor Heath Ledger’s death could take two weeks to determine, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on Wednesday. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday morning, but the results were inconclusive and blood and tissue tests need to be completed, said Ellen Borakove, the spokeswoman for the office.

Other details surrounding Mr. Ledger’s death emerged on Wednesday as rumor and speculation swirled. Police officials said that the masseuse who discovered Mr. Ledger unconscious told them that she made two phone calls to the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, moments before she called 911.

Mr. Ledger, 28, the Australian-born star of “Brokeback Mountain,” was found dead on Tuesday afternoon in bed in his apartment in SoHo, with a bottle of prescription sleeping pills nearby.

Although the police said on Wednesday that a rolled-up $20 bill was also found, they said that tests of the bill found no trace of drugs and that they had turned up no illegal drugs anywhere in the apartment. Mr. Ledger left no suicide note, the police have said.

The authorities found six different types of prescription drugs in Mr. Ledger’s apartment, including sleeping pills and antianxiety medicine, according to a law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe, said the official, who noted that Mr. Ledger had recently returned to the United States from London.

According to the police, the masseuse who found Mr. Ledger on Tuesday, Diana Wolozin, arrived at Mr. Ledger’s apartment, at 421 Broome Street, about 2:45 p.m. to give him a massage and saw his bedroom door closed.

When he had not emerged by around 3 p.m., she called his cellphone, got no answer and entered the bedroom, where she saw him in bed.

She went to the closet, took out a massage table and started to set it up near his bed, the police said. Then she went over to Mr. Ledger and shook him, but got no response. Using his cellphone, she pressed a speed-dial button and called the 21-year-old Ms. Olsen, who she knew was a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, to ask for help.

According to the authorities, Ms. Wolozin told Ms. Olsen, who was in California, that Mr. Ledger was unconscious. Ms. Olsen said she would call private security people she knew in New York.

Ms. Wolozin again shook Mr. Ledger, called Ms. Olsen a second time, and said she feared Mr. Ledger might be dead and would call 911.

Ms. Wolozin called 911 at 3:26 p.m. to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing. The call was made less than 15 minutes after she first saw him in bed and only a few moments after the first call to Ms. Olsen. The 911 operator urged Ms. Wolozin to try to revive Mr. Ledger, but Ms. Wolozin’s efforts were not successful.

Emergency medical workers arrived at 3:33 p.m., at almost exactly the same moment as a private security guard summoned by Ms. Olsen. The medical workers moved Mr. Ledger’s body to the floor and then used a defibrillator and CPR, to no avail. He was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m. By that point, two other private security guards summoned by Ms. Olsen had arrived, as had police officers.

Mr. Ledger had been snoring around 1 p.m. when a housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, arrived at the apartment, she told the police. Ms. Solomon went into Mr. Ledger’s bedroom to change a light bulb in an adjacent bathroom and saw Mr. Ledger face-down on the bed.

The police said that all five witnesses — Ms. Solomon, Ms. Wolozin, and the three guards summoned by Ms. Olsen — were cooperating with the authorities.

The police said they could not immediately say if Ms. Wolozin was a licensed masseuse. There is no Diana Wolozin listed in the state database of licensed massage therapists. It is a felony to practice massage without a license in New York.

After the two-hour autopsy at the medical examiner’s headquarters Wednesday, Ms. Borakove, the spokeswoman for the office, said that the cause of death was still unclear.

“If you have no apparent cause, you have to do further testing,” she said. The two types of tests that still have to be performed include toxicology, which examines the adverse effects of chemicals in the bloodstream, and histology, in which thin slices of tissue are analyzed by pathologists.

“Toxicology is done on blood and urine and what is in the stomach contents,” Ms. Borakove said. “It does not take one day. It takes 10 days to two weeks.”

It is the medical examiner’s office that will ultimately determine whether Mr. Ledger died of suicide, natural causes, accident or foul play. The police have said that there is no evidence of foul play and no note or any other obvious evidence pointing toward suicide.

Mr. Ledger, whose breakthrough role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain” earned him a nomination for an Academy Award, moved to SoHo sometime after he separated last summer from his companion, the actress Michelle Williams, and left the town house they and their 2-year-old daughter shared in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

He led a high-visibility life in Manhattan, and was often spotted at clubs and bars with actresses and models.

Mr. Ledger’s death has drawn international attention and even affected President Bush’s schedule. Out of deference to Mr. Ledger, the president postponed an appearance Wednesday to promote an advertising campaign on preventing prescription drug abuse, Reuters reported.

“We did not want anyone to think we were trying to link into that story in any way,” said Dana Perino, his spokeswoman.

Outside Mr. Ledger’s home in SoHo and his former residence in Brooklyn, news crews clustered for a second day and mourners and fans trickled by to leave flowers or notes.

Ms. Williams returned to the Brooklyn house shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

On the doorstep was a letter taped to a teddy bear, signed by the Melendez family.

“Stay strong,” the note said. “Just remember he loved you and your baby very much.”

Sewell Chan and Christian Hansen contributed reporting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on January 24, 2008, 11:32:22 am
The detail about it being a felony to practice massage without a licence in New York could help to explain why Ms. Wolozin did not call 911 immediately, assuming it is confirmed that she lacks such a licence. But why would someone of Heath's wealth and fame not seek out the best (i.e., someone who was reputable and had a licence)?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 24, 2008, 11:45:33 am
The detail about it being a felony to practice massage without a licence in New York could help to explain why Ms. Wolozin did not call 911 immediately, assuming it is confirmed that she lacks such a licence. But why would someone of Heath's wealth and fame not seek out the best (i.e., someone who was reputable and had a licence)?

Maybe she was recommended by a friend, like Mary Kate Olsen?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 24, 2008, 12:28:01 pm
According to "People", Gemma Ward and her sister spent time with Heath over Christmas and report he was clean and not drinking:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173487,00.html

Describing Ledger over the holidays, she (Sophie Ward) said, "He was clean and wasn't drinking any alcohol or taking drugs. He smoked cigarettes, but that's about it. He was drinking Diet Coke when we were together and he said he was very committed to not drinking alcohol."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on January 24, 2008, 12:30:53 pm
Mr. Ledger had been snoring around 1 p.m. when a housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, arrived at the apartment, she told the police. Ms. Solomon went into Mr. Ledger’s bedroom to change a light bulb in an adjacent bathroom and saw Mr. Ledger face-down on the bed.


This comforts me a bit.  He was asleep whilst in the position he was found.  If (and I say if) he died because of an overdose, then it would appear he simply went to sleep and never woke up.  Peacefully.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on January 24, 2008, 12:37:04 pm
Maybe she was recommended by a friend, like Mary kate Olsen?
That would extend the same question then to Olsen, who I've heard is worth, counting her sister, billions.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 24, 2008, 12:55:34 pm
That would extend the same question then to Olsen, who I've heard is worth, counting her sister, billions.

Well, I suppose just because she may not be licensed doesn't necessarily mean she isn't good at what she does.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 24, 2008, 01:30:34 pm
Just thought I'd mention that the local NY news reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 24, 2008, 01:32:22 pm
Just thought I'd mention that the local NY news reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

 :'( :'( :'(

I feel so sorry for her.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 24, 2008, 01:56:36 pm
MSN has an article up with someone describing how the drugs can interact.  There are also a number of videos and other articles linked.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/101112?GT1=10755

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=294165&GT1=7701

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22813570/?GT1=10755

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 24, 2008, 02:04:45 pm
Just thought I'd mention that the local NY news reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

The poor woman.


 :'( I still have these moments, thinking, I don't want to read this, it is all SO WRONG!


 :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 24, 2008, 02:15:48 pm
Just thought I'd mention that the local NY news reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

So he's going to be taken "home" for burial. How said for a mother to have to do that.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 24, 2008, 02:29:56 pm
would the papers be able to get hold of the audio of the actual calls to 911 do you think ? I bet you they try.  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 24, 2008, 02:43:49 pm
would the papers be able to get hold of the audio of the actual calls to 911 do you think ? I bet you they try.  :-\

Oh my, Kelda, what a horrible thought.  :(
I hope not. I know in the US (and probably other countries) they played Joaquin Phoenix' 911 call in the media back then.

Please not.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 24, 2008, 02:59:34 pm
would the papers be able to get hold of the audio of the actual calls to 911 do you think ? I bet you they try.  :-\

I won't be a bit surprised. ...  :'(

Shit.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 24, 2008, 03:02:14 pm
From Comingsoon.net:

Production Shut Down for Ledger's Parnassus?

Source: Us Magazine, Variety

January 23, 2008


According to Us Magazine, crew members on the Vancouver set of Heath Ledger's new fantasy, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, were sent home after the actor's death yesterday.

"I just got the call [Tuesday] saying everyone was being let go," the on-set source said. "We were supposed to start this weekend, but obviously they fired everyone today. They don't know yet what they are doing with the footage that was already shot," the source added.

Ledger was on a break from filming Terry Gilliam's $30 million indie film when he died Tuesday. Shooting had begun in London last December. He was last photographed on set Jan. 19.

Variety says that blue-screen work was due to start next week in Vancouver and continue until early March.

The producers have yet to issue any statement about how or whether they plan to proceed without Ledger.

Ledger was the biggest name in an ensemble cast including Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. It's the story of an ancient travelling show which arrives in modern London with a magical mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination.

Plummer plays the impresario Doctor Parnassus, and Ledger took the role of a mysterious outsider who joins the troupe on a quest through parallel worlds to save the doctor's daughter (Cole) from the clutches of the devil (Waits).

The movie is produced by Samuel Hadida, Bill Vince and Amy Gilliam, and largely financed through Hadida's Paris-based Davis Film.

Ledger's involvement in the project was a key factor in raising the finance. He had a strong relationship with Gilliam from their last pic together, The Brothers Grimm.

In November 2000, Gilliam was forced to abandon his $32 million indie project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote after just a week of shooting, when his star Jean Rochefort was too ill to continue.

Ledger's death also came as he was working on what would have been his [Ledger's] feature directing debut, an adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel "The Queen's Gambit," with British writer/producer Allan Scott.

The leading role of a young female chess prodigy had been offered to Oscar nominee Ellen Page. Ledger, himself a highly rated chess player, was due to play a supporting role.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 24, 2008, 03:04:51 pm
Not that this is the biggest problem resulting from Heath's death, of course, but aren't Terry Gilliam's movies known for being plagued by production disasters?


 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 24, 2008, 03:16:36 pm
I was just abouttpo start a thread on that Lelsie and Katherine.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 24, 2008, 03:18:25 pm
Please do, Kelda!

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 24, 2008, 03:19:38 pm
Do we need another thread? Just seemed like another news item to me...

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 24, 2008, 04:07:23 pm
From Comingsoon.net:

Production Shut Down for Ledger's Parnassus?

Source: Us Magazine, Variety

January 23, 2008


According to Us Magazine, crew members on the Vancouver set of Heath Ledger's new fantasy, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, were sent home after the actor's death yesterday.

"I just got the call [Tuesday] saying everyone was being let go," the on-set source said. "We were supposed to start this weekend, but obviously they fired everyone today. They don't know yet what they are doing with the footage that was already shot," the source added.

Ledger was on a break from filming Terry Gilliam's $30 million indie film when he died Tuesday. Shooting had begun in London last December. He was last photographed on set Jan. 19.

Variety says that blue-screen work was due to start next week in Vancouver and continue until early March.

The producers have yet to issue any statement about how or whether they plan to proceed without Ledger.

Ledger was the biggest name in an ensemble cast including Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. It's the story of an ancient travelling show which arrives in modern London with a magical mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination.

Plummer plays the impresario Doctor Parnassus, and Ledger took the role of a mysterious outsider who joins the troupe on a quest through parallel worlds to save the doctor's daughter (Cole) from the clutches of the devil (Waits).

The movie is produced by Samuel Hadida, Bill Vince and Amy Gilliam, and largely financed through Hadida's Paris-based Davis Film.

Ledger's involvement in the project was a key factor in raising the finance. He had a strong relationship with Gilliam from their last pic together, The Brothers Grimm.

In November 2000, Gilliam was forced to abandon his $32 million indie project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote after just a week of shooting, when his star Jean Rochefort was too ill to continue.

Ledger's death also came as he was working on what would have been his feature directing debut, an adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel "The Queen's Gambit," with British writer/producer Allan Scott.

The leading role of a young female chess prodigy had been offered to Oscar nominee Ellen Page. Ledger, himself a highly rated chess player, was due to play a supporting role.

i will be very sad if we don't get to see the movie... or I suppose I really mean, I think Heath would be sad if the movie doesn't get made...  (not that I really have any basis for such a supposition)
 :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 24, 2008, 06:09:43 pm
An interesting article on the CNN website about how to handle the marketing of the Dark Knight, etc.

Ledger's death puts last films in a bind
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/24/ledger.films/index.html#cnnSTCText (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/24/ledger.films/index.html#cnnSTCText)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on January 24, 2008, 06:11:45 pm
I didn't realize that Heath was preparing to become a film director himself, nor that he was a chess player. Even though I believe that he went when his soul was ready to go, there is such a sense of interruption in his death.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 24, 2008, 06:17:56 pm
I didn't realize that Heath was preparing to become a film director himself, nor that he was a chess player. Even though I believe that he went when his soul was ready to go, there is such a sense of interruption in his death.

I read somewhere that he liked to go to Washington Park, and play chess with the regulars who gathered there.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 24, 2008, 06:46:17 pm
Do we need another thread? Just seemed like another news item to me...

L

oh it is I was just interested in the film in general - i think I will
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on January 24, 2008, 07:52:49 pm
MSN has an article up with someone describing how the drugs can interact.  There are also a number of videos and other articles linked.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/101112?GT1=10755

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=294165&GT1=7701

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22813570/?GT1=10755



Meryl -- I'm glad I looked back. That first link is the one that I read at work and I was going to post it. If it's all true, it seems plausible. I've had the (erroneous) thought -- "If one's good; two's better" before. And Heath, I'm sure, would want to get to feeling better fast so that he could get to work. He was so conscientious about his career.  
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 24, 2008, 10:05:28 pm
Slate has a piece explaining how sleeping pills work and what happens in your brain when you overdose.

http://www.slate.com/id/2182753/ (http://www.slate.com/id/2182753/)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 24, 2008, 11:14:11 pm
A beautiful appreciation tribute article from the L.A. Times with extensive quotes from Heath and a discussion of his portrayals of 21st century masculinity.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-heath24jan24,0,7037712.story
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 08:13:24 am
From the New York Times this morning:

January 25, 2008

Funeral Plans for Ledger Remain Cloudy

By JAMES BARRON

Two days after the actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment in SoHo, reporters and paparazzi converged on Thursday at the funeral home where his body had been taken.

The police set up barricades outside the Frank E. Campbell funeral home, on Madison Avenue at 81st Street, while a stream of mourners left flowers and scribbled tributes at a makeshift memorial outside the loft building where Mr. Ledger, the Australian-born star of “Brokeback Mountain,” died. By Thursday afternoon, someone had tacked an Australian flag beside the front door of the building, at 421 Broome Street.

Mr. Ledger, 28, was found in his apartment on Tuesday by a masseuse who arrived for an appointment and went into his bedroom, where he had been sleeping.

The police have said that the masseuse, Diana Wolozin, called the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, three times before she called the police and once afterward. Ms. Olsen, who was in California, sent private security agents who arrived at the same time as emergency medical workers.

The police also said that Ms. Wolozin shook Mr. Ledger twice — before she placed the first call to Ms. Olsen, and again before she dialed 911. She could not rouse him, the police said.

Dominick Carella, an official at Frank E. Campbell, said on Thursday evening that that funeral arrangements had not been completed.

“Everyone assumed funeral arrangements were going on today, which they were not,” he said. There had been speculation during the day, heightened by no-parking signs the police posted up and down Madison Avenue, that Mr. Ledger’s father, Kim, would arrive from Australia on Friday and would then accompany the body back to Australia for burial. “I never commented on that and I haven’t gotten word on that,” Mr. Carella said.

Mr. Ledger’s spokeswoman, Mara Buxbaum, said she would not comment on when or where services would be held.

Outside the funeral home, the police stood watch in anticipation of crowds. Their mission was to prevent anything approaching the turmoil that surrounded the funeral of a far more famous movie star, Rudolph Valentino, in the Roaring Twenties. Thirty thousand fans swarmed the funeral home, then on the Upper West Side, hoping for a last glimpse of the matinee idol. In the chaos, more than 100 people were injured.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 08:17:39 am
From the Associated Press, by way of the New York Times:

January 25, 2008

NYPD: 4 Calls to Olsen Instead of 911

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:02 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- The massage therapist's first call on finding a lifeless Heath Ledger wasn't to 911. Nor was her second. Nor her third, police said.

A day before a Friday private viewing for the 28-year-old actor, police said the masseuse spent nine minutes repeatedly ringing ''Full House'' actress Mary-Kate Olsen before calling authorities for help.

The masseuse called Olsen a fourth time after paramedics arrived -- at the same time as Olsen's security guards.

The details emerged as Ledger's family made plans to bury the star of ''Brokeback Mountain.'' The viewing was scheduled at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home in Manhattan, and Ledger's family was flying to the U.S. from his native Australia.

Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said Thursday that no details about the actor's funeral would be shared with the media.

Ledger's family apparently placed a death notice that appeared Friday in The West Australian, a newspaper based in his hometown of Perth, remembering him as ''the most amazing 'old soul' in a young man's body.''

''As a close knit and very private family we have observed you so determined yet quietly traveling in your self-styled path in life,'' said the notice, which the newspaper said had been submitted by Ledger's relatives. ''Our hearts are broken.''

Authorities believe Ledger was already dead while his masseuse was dialing Olsen, with the first three calls ranging from 21 seconds to more than a minute and a half. The details about the calls do not have any significant bearing on an investigation that has ruled out foul play, but they paint a more precise picture of the bizarre series of events surrounding Ledger's death.

The cause of death will not be answered for at least a week, after medical examiners complete toxicology tests. Authorities suspect a possible overdose, but nothing conclusive has been determined. Several prescription drugs were found in the Manhattan apartment where Ledger's body was found.

Police originally said the masseuse made two calls seeking Olsen's advice about what to do, but they revised it to four after taking a closer look at Ledger's phone records. The masseuse, Diana Wolozin, apparently knew both Ledger and Olsen and knew they were friends; all the calls were made from Ledger's cell phone, police said.

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Ledger's housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard what she thought was snoring. The masseuse showed up for Ledger's massage appointment at about 2:45 p.m., knocked on his door and called his cell phone at 3 p.m. to wake him up., police said.

After setting up her massage table, she tried to wake Ledger and realized something was wrong.

That was when events took a strange turn.

At 3:17 p.m., she made a call to the Olsen twin that lasted 49 seconds. At 3:20 p.m., she made another call, lasting 1 minute and 39 seconds. At 3:24 p.m., another call to Olsen. That one lasted 21 seconds.

Then, at 3:26 p.m., Wolozin called 911.

At some point during the frenzy, Olsen, who was in California, summoned her personal security guards to the apartment to help with the situation, the New York Police Department said.

Paramedics arrived at 3:33 p.m. and actually went up in the elevator to the apartment with Olsen's security guards. Paramedics did not allow the security guards into the bedroom where Ledger died, and they declared him dead at 3:36 p.m. -- 19 minutes after the first call to Olsen.

The masseuse called Olsen a final time at 3:34 p.m. The duration of that call was unknown.

Ledger told The New York Times in November that his recent work on the films ''The Dark Knight'' and ''I'm Not There'' had been stressful, and that he was struggling with sleeplessness and had taken the sleeping pill Ambien.

Ledger received an Oscar nomination for his role as a gay cowboy in 2005's ''Brokeback Mountain,'' one of several acclaimed for the actor in recent years. He plays the Joker in the Batman flick ''The Dark Knight,'' set to come out later this year.

Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams in Brooklyn. Ledger split last year with Williams, who played his wife in ''Brokeback.'' The two had a daughter, 2-year-old Matilda.

Williams and Matilda returned to their Brooklyn home Wednesday evening from Sweden. The 27-year-old actress had been there shooting scenes for the upcoming film ''Mammoth,'' said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.

------

Associated Press Writers Clare Trapasso and Verena Dobnik contributed to this report.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 08:24:41 am
From the West Australian newspaper:


Ledger's family struggles with loss


25th January 2008, 14:05 WST

Heath Ledger was an "old soul" in a young man's body, his grieving family says.

And his legacy would be his two-year-old daughter Matilda, the 28-year-old actor's family said in a newspaper death notice.

"How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss," the family said of the acclaimed Perth-born actor's death in a New York apartment.

"You were the most amazing 'old soul' in a young man's body.

"As a close knit and very private family we have observed you so determined yet quietly travelling in your self-styled path in life, nothing would get in your way ... no mountain too tall, no river too wide.

"You dreamed your dreams and lived them with passion and intelligent commitment.

"We have been privileged to accompany you on a ride through life that has simply been amazing and through it all we have loved each other beyond imagination."

Ledger's family said his true legacy would be his daughter with actor Michelle Williams, from whom he split last year.

"Our hearts are broken..."

In a separate notice, Ledger's father Kim wrote: "Heatho, Beef ... my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent ... so no more chess games mate ... this is it, couldn't beat you anyway.

"We were one, in soul and commitment, just ... father and son."

The actor's sister Kate said she could "hardly breathe" as she tried to write her tribute.

"We were the ultimate soul mates," she said.

"You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother.

"You will never leave my thoughts, 'Roast', ever."

Ledger's mother Sally Ledger-Bell said the family would always be there for his daughter.

Other family members, friends and Ledger's old school, Guildford Grammar School, also paid tribute to the actor.

His immediate family will attend a memorial service for the actor in the United States, a family friend says.

Perth Model Sophie Ward says the family will fly to Los Angeles for the service, to be held before his body is returned to Perth for burial, The West Australian reports.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 08:27:07 am
From the West Australian newspaper:

Ledger to be buried in Perth: US reports

25th January 2008, 13:48 WST

Hollywood celebrities will gather to farewell Heath Ledger at a memorial service in the United States, but his body is expected to be brought home for burial in his home town of Perth.

The Australian actor's distraught parents, along with his sister, are due to arrive in New York tomorrow to finalise funeral arrangements for their accomplished son.

The family is expected to lay him to rest in Perth, with his father Kim Ledger said to be planning the sad journey home with his son's body.

"I just want to be with my son. I will be with my son," he told funeral home officials in discussing the arrangements, The New York Post reported.

There is broad speculation that a memorial service for the 28-year-old star - who died in his New York apartment on Tuesday from a possible accidental drug overdose - will be held Los Angeles.

Some of Hollywood's biggest names are expected to join his parents at the event, in a measure of the respect Ledger had earned for the depth of his work.

Perth model Sophie Ward, whose sister supermodel Gemma Ward dated Ledger last year, said she believed the memorial service would be held in Los Angeles.

She told The West Australian that it would be a service only and that "he'll probably be buried in Perth".

New details have emerged about the chaotic scenes that led to ambulance officers finally being called to Ledger's New York apartment on Tuesday afternoon, after he was found in bed and could not be roused.

New York police revealed the masseuse who found Ledger unresponsive in his bedroom spent nine minutes using his mobile phone to make three calls to the actor's celebrity friend Mary-Kate Olsen before she dialled emergency authorities for help.

Diana Wolozin also called the Full House actress a fourth time after paramedics arrived.

Police originally said she made two calls to Olsen, seeking help about what to do, after she found him cold to the touch.

But the revelation of the minutes spent on the phone to Olsen do not have any significant bearing on the police investigation, because authorities believe Ledger was already dead.

Test results due back early next month are expected to show if Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose, after six types of prescription drugs, including pills for anxiety and insomnia, were found in his home.

Ledger's Perth-based uncle, Mike Ledger, said he did not expect the actor's parents to stay long in the US, saying they'd be back in Perth "shortly".

Mike Ledger and another uncle Haydn Ledger who also lives in Perth again dismissed any suggestion their famous nephew may have taken his own life.

"No. Not possible," Mike Ledger said during a live cross with the US network CBS. "No, we know Heath well enough to know."

Haydn agreed.

"It's certainly, as far as we are concerned, it was a tragic accidental death," he said.

They would not answer when asked if Ledger had been suffering from depression, saying Ledger's parents were better placed to comment on that.

But they paid tribute to Ledger's larrikin traits, and praised him as a loving father to two-year-old Matilda, the daughter he had with US actress Michelle Williams.

Matilda was "everything in the world" to Ledger, Mike Ledger said.

"... we know Heath would have wanted to be around her forever. She meant everything to him," he said.

George Amado, the general manager of Manhattan's Frank E Campbell funeral home, confirmed that funeral arrangements had been made, but would not reveal any details.

"The family doesn't want us to give out any information," Amado said.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 09:09:03 am
From the Herald Sun, in Australia:

Staff writers

January 25, 2008 12:20pm

HEATH Ledger's heartbroken family has tried to describe in words the devastating loss of their beloved son, brother and uncle.


Two columns of death notices in today's West Australian newspaper begin with "How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss? ... '' , the PerthNow  website reports.

The family paid tribute to "Heatho'', "Beef'' and "Roast'' - pet names for the actor who died suddenly in New York on Wednesday - saying "there will never, ever be another Heath''.

Elder sister Kate wrote: "I can hardly breathe when I try to write this . . . we were the ultimate in soul mates. I feel both my heart and life have been torn apart. I loved our special talks, our daily chats from where ever you were in the world.

"I especially loved all the precious time we spent together. We were so fortunate to have you as long as we did. You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother.

"There will never, ever be another "Heath'' and I think that in itself is the greatest tragedy.

"I will continue to talk with you everyday and love you just as if you were here. You will never leave my thoughts "Roast'', ever.''

A tribute from all members of Heath's immediate family said: "How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss? ... You were the most amazing individual "old soul" in a young man's body."

Ledger's father Kim added: "Heatho'', "Beef'', . . . my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent, so caring, so young . . . no more chess games mate . . . this is it, couldn't beat you anyway!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 25, 2008, 10:53:45 am
Thanks for these reports, Leslie.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 12:36:57 pm
Thanks for these reports, Leslie.



Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 25, 2008, 12:58:02 pm
Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L

I sure do.

I've been wondering how the Australian press would treat him, and the funeral, now. I seem to remember that between Brokeback and Candy, they gave him a pretty hard time in the past.

Still seems unreal, doesn't it?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Lumière on January 25, 2008, 01:00:33 pm
Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L

Indeed they are.  Thanks.


~M
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 25, 2008, 01:38:13 pm
Yes, thanks Leslie. Your posts really help me keep up with things.

I think I might disagree with this:

Quote
Outside the funeral home, the police stood watch in anticipation of crowds. Their mission was to prevent anything approaching the turmoil that surrounded the funeral of a far more famous movie star, Rudolph Valentino, in the Roaring Twenties. Thirty thousand fans swarmed the funeral home, then on the Upper West Side, hoping for a last glimpse of the matinee idol. In the chaos, more than 100 people were injured.

Rudolph Valentino was famous and popular because he was THE heartthrob of his day. There were only a handful of movie stars back then, period. You could list them: Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Pola Negri, Lillian Gish, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Fatty Arbuckle (until he was brought down by scandal) ... and maybe a few others.

But "far more famous"? Maybe not, in the age of celebrity culture, global film distribution, the internet, People Magazine and its ilk, tabloids, ET, EW, E! and all of their ilk, movie stars gracing every magazine cover on the racks, etc., etc., etc. ...

Anybody who knew anything at all about movies back then knew Rudolph Valentino, whereas there are probably people now who, before this week, wouldn't have known Heath from Christian Bale or Orlando Bloom. But I would guess Heath is far more widely known.

Back when I was about 12, I was a Valentinophile (Valentinohaalic?). Yes, I know, I was kind of a strange girl.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on January 25, 2008, 03:20:43 pm
Anderson Cooper Says No to Heath Ledger Coverage
Fri, 25 January 2008 at 9:01 am

CNN host Anderson Cooper set his foot down last night, refusing to cover the death of Heath Ledger until hard facts and new evidence turns up. Here’s what he had to say on the 360 blog:

“For the last two nights we have reported on actor Heath Ledger. His shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report.

The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information. I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won’t be covering it anymore anytime soon.”

Star Jones also wrote a similar piece about Heath on HuffingtonPost.com.

Says Star, “Might I suggest that we in the media, instead of reporting on the dead based on gossip, rumor, innuendo and anonymous sources, choose to honor this man’s memory based on his talent and the good taste we all should be exercising. My heart goes out to the family of Heath Ledger.”

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/01/25/anderson-cooper-heath-ledger/ (http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/01/25/anderson-cooper-heath-ledger/)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 25, 2008, 03:38:57 pm
Good for Anderson and Star!

It's a continual quandry the news media find themselves in -- feeling the need to report on something because it's big news and a lot of people are interested, only there are no new developments so there's really nothing to say.

Nice that they were able to just admit that and move on.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 03:42:36 pm
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Heath Ledger deserved better goodbye

UNION-TRIBUNE

January 25, 2008

Ennis Del Mar was a man of few words, but powerful passions.

It required an actor possessed of uncommon instinct and courage to bring to the screen the vulnerable and conflicted hero of Annie Proulx's short story, “Brokeback Mountain.”

Heath Ledger was that actor. Without emotional eruptions or cowboy clichés, he inhabited a character whose struggle with a profound love and loss – both beyond his comprehension – was unforgettable.

He died Tuesday at 28. Rarely has the announcement of the Academy Award nominations, made the same day, seemed so unimportant.

An internalizing actor whose film roles consistently defied the leading-man expectations assumed of him, Ledger chose to follow his conscience and his muse. Before “Brokeback,” for which he received an Oscar nomination in 2006, Ledger appeared in “Monster's Ball” and “Lords of Dogtown.” We saw him last year in Todd Haynes' out-there “I'm Not There.” For a movie star, he worked – and lived – about as quietly as did Ennis Del Mar.

How unfitting, then, that the hours following the discovery of Ledger's body in his New York apartment were consumed by a paparazzi-and Internet “media”-feeding frenzy. Among the worst offenders: TMZ.com, which boasts the stink of respectability because it has a TV show and because its managing editor, Harvey Levin, is a recurring talking head on “Today,” among other shows. The site may as well have changed its name to “All Heath All the Time,” updating viewers seemingly by the second with grainy photos and lurid tidbits like: “The People Who Found Heath,” “Jack (as in Nicholson) on Heath: I Warned Him!”, “How Heath's Body Was Discovered,” “Michelle Williams (Ledger's ex-fiance'e and the mother of their child) – Devastated,” and “Inside the Building Where Heath Died.”

There was more: Lindsey (as in Lohan) was distraught at Ledger's death. Ledger was not at the apartment of Mary-Kate Olsen. And photos, photos and more photos of Ledger's body being removed from the building.

TMZ was not alone in – I don't know any other way to say this – the fine art of ghoulish reporting. Culprits abounded – in both mainstream and tabloid coverage.

This isn't the first time we've seen this, and it won't be the last.

I just didn't expect Heath Ledger to be in the middle. Silly, naive me.

Sorry me, too. Sorry for a child named Matilda, now without a father. Sorry for those who read and watch and listen, who deserve better. Sorry for those whom I must accept, like it or not, are my colleagues in the media.

Sorry, most of all, for Heath Ledger, who deserved at least as much dignity as he gave Ennis Del Mar.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 25, 2008, 03:45:35 pm
Nice piece. Thanks for posting, Leslie.

It's beginning to seem just faintly, faintly possible that this experience will create enough backlash that the media are forced to consider moderating their approach in the future.






Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: dot-matrix on January 25, 2008, 03:46:10 pm
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Heath Ledger deserved better goodbye

UNION-TRIBUNE

January 25, 2008

Ennis Del Mar was a man of few words, but powerful passions.

It required an actor possessed of uncommon instinct and courage to bring to the screen the vulnerable and conflicted hero of Annie Proulx's short story, “Brokeback Mountain.”

Heath Ledger was that actor. Without emotional eruptions or cowboy clichés, he inhabited a character whose struggle with a profound love and loss – both beyond his comprehension – was unforgettable.

He died Tuesday at 28. Rarely has the announcement of the Academy Award nominations, made the same day, seemed so unimportant.

An internalizing actor whose film roles consistently defied the leading-man expectations assumed of him, Ledger chose to follow his conscience and his muse. Before “Brokeback,” for which he received an Oscar nomination in 2006, Ledger appeared in “Monster's Ball” and “Lords of Dogtown.” We saw him last year in Todd Haynes' out-there “I'm Not There.” For a movie star, he worked – and lived – about as quietly as did Ennis Del Mar.

How unfitting, then, that the hours following the discovery of Ledger's body in his New York apartment were consumed by a paparazzi-and Internet “media”-feeding frenzy. Among the worst offenders: TMZ.com, which boasts the stink of respectability because it has a TV show and because its managing editor, Harvey Levin, is a recurring talking head on “Today,” among other shows. The site may as well have changed its name to “All Heath All the Time,” updating viewers seemingly by the second with grainy photos and lurid tidbits like: “The People Who Found Heath,” “Jack (as in Nicholson) on Heath: I Warned Him!”, “How Heath's Body Was Discovered,” “Michelle Williams (Ledger's ex-fiance'e and the mother of their child) – Devastated,” and “Inside the Building Where Heath Died.”

There was more: Lindsey (as in Lohan) was distraught at Ledger's death. Ledger was not at the apartment of Mary-Kate Olsen. And photos, photos and more photos of Ledger's body being removed from the building.

TMZ was not alone in – I don't know any other way to say this – the fine art of ghoulish reporting. Culprits abounded – in both mainstream and tabloid coverage.

This isn't the first time we've seen this, and it won't be the last.

I just didn't expect Heath Ledger to be in the middle. Silly, naive me.

Sorry me, too. Sorry for a child named Matilda, now without a father. Sorry for those who read and watch and listen, who deserve better. Sorry for those whom I must accept, like it or not, are my colleagues in the media.

Sorry, most of all, for Heath Ledger, who deserved at least as much dignity as he gave Ennis Del Mar.


Well said, beautiful...thanks for posting that Leslie :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 25, 2008, 03:56:06 pm
From the Wall Street Journal:

Will Marketing Change After Star's Death?

By MARSHALL CROOK and PETER SANDERS

January 24, 2008; Page B1

For nearly nine months, Internet-savvy movie fans have been tantalized by a Web marketing campaign to slowly unveil the new look for one of Hollywood's most popular characters: the Joker, nemesis to Batman and a central figure in the next installment of the Warner Bros. film franchise based on the Caped Crusader.

Tuesday, however, Warner Bros.' careful online campaign, which still has months left to run, took an unexpected turn when Heath Ledger, the 28-year-old actor playing the Joker in "The Dark Knight," was found dead in a New York apartment.

The tragedy will force the studio to ponder how or whether to continue the elaborate Web campaign that was already generating buzz for one of its most important movie properties. That question is made even trickier by the fact that the campaign, to date, has been largely built around Mr. Ledger's Joker, even though Christian Bale returns as Batman. The Joker character became film legend in an earlier incarnation of the Batman series, when Jack Nicholson won praise for his deranged take on the comic-book villain. Mr. Ledger's eagerly anticipated portrayal is, if anything, said to take the character to a new level of violence and intensity that is darker than Mr. Nicholson's Joker.

A spokeswoman for Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc., said the marketing campaign was continuing but declined to comment further.

The viral campaign of "The Dark Knight" began to appear out of nowhere in May. That's when an inaugural political advertisement for Harvey Dent, aspiring Gotham City district attorney, appeared online without mentioning any movie. IBelieveinHarveyDent.com featured a photo of the candidate and was "Paid for by Friends of Harvey Dent." By following clues sprinkled on Internet message boards, fans then were led to a second site: IBelieveinHarveyDentToo.com. The page was the same, but Mr. Dent's picture was defaced with blackened eyes and a ghastly red grin. (The page has since changed, but visitors can scroll down to see a hidden message.)

The site was a fake, the candidate photos were of actor Aaron Eckhart, and the Web pages were the beginning of an elaborate attempt to stir up interest among fans. Throughout the summer and fall of 2007, the campaign served up a labyrinthine adventure set in an alternate-reality Gotham City. The drive of the campaign was the slow reveal of the Joker as played by Mr. Ledger. The actor's death puts into question the future of the Joker-centric marketing push for "The Dark Knight" and whether Warner Bros. will change tactics rather than risk a negative public response.

At the defaced Harvey Dent Web page, fans could get a code that allowed them to remove a piece of the overlying image. As more fans participated, Mr. Dent disappeared pixel by pixel, displaying the first official photo of Mr. Ledger's Joker: a grim white face appearing out of the darkness with dead eyes and an erratic, ruby smile carved into his cheeks.

With a playful but psychotic tone, the Joker character kept movie fanboys guessing for months. In late October, he requested that they participate in a nationwide scavenger hunt. Fans took photos of letter-shaped landmarks all over the country. The letters formed a message: "The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules," which then dissolved into a fresh Joker image. In November, the Joker encouraged fans to submit images of them and friends painted with white faces and red smiles. Each game resulted in a new image of the Joker or a new site with a new quest. Fans were updated on viral developments by editors of popular film news sites like www.superherohype.com and aintitcool.com, among others.

In late fall, fictional newspaper the Gotham Times launched its Web site, www.thegothamtimes.com, where fans could read up on Batman's exploits or Mr. Dent's war on corruption. Readers then discovered a second newspaper, the HaHaHa Times, at www.thehahahatimes.com, which was a frightening version of the original paper with edits made by the Joker himself.

In December, the campaign subsided when "The Dark Knight" prologue was screened before IMAX showings of "I Am Legend" and the first full-length trailer for "The Dark Knight" made its debut. Both featured footage unveiling Mr. Ledger's performance.

Such campaigns aren't new, of course. "The Blair Witch Project" in 1999 established that young movie fans could be enticed by online games that hold their interest for months before a film's release. Online campaigns have now become a standard feature of the marketing for certain films, especially comic-book fare like Batman.

Mr. Ledger isn't featured just in the online campaign. The movie's current poster includes a ghostly and haunting image of Mr. Ledger in his Joker getup, with the tag line "Why So Serious?" scrawled in red. In recent interviews, Mr. Ledger said the Joker was the most-fun role he had ever undertaken but was taxing physically and emotionally.

The movie's viral campaign is the work of 42 Entertainment, a Pasadena, Calif., independent producer of alternate-reality multimedia environments. The goal was to create a multiplatform story bridging the 2005 film -- which cost $150 million to produce and sold about $370 million of tickets world-wide -- and its sequel.

Untimely deaths have interrupted movie marketing before -- from James Dean's 1955 death before "Giant" was released, to the accidental shooting of Brandon Lee on the set of "The Crow," to the murder of director/actress Adrienne Shelley in the run-up to "Waitress" last year.

Web movie campaigns often rely on movie fan sites to whip up and maintain interest in the online initiatives. "We usually help kick off campaigns by spreading the word, and fans take it from there," said Mirko Parlevliet of Coming Soon Media LP, which operates sites like comingsoon.net and superherohype.com.

Mr. Parlevliet said the viral campaign for "The Dark Knight" "was very detailed and got a great response from the fans," adding that fans were rewarded for participating by gaining access to trailers, posters and photos. Still, he says, "I personally don't think these games reach an audience beyond the Internet-savvy fans. ... Also, [the studios] should concentrate more on a world-wide audience instead of just the U.S. fans."

Warner Bros. released a statement yesterday expressing its condolences on Mr. Ledger's death but didn't comment on the status of the film, which is in post-production in Los Angeles. It is possible that some of Mr. Ledger's sound-recording work was incomplete.

An executive at a rival studio said that while "The Dark Knight" is basically a big-budget movie with tragedy now attached to it, it would be unwise to change the marketing strategy or campaign at this point. "The best thing that could happen is that all this marketing stuff just goes on and the movie and the campaign don't turn into some kind of weird grave marker," he said.

Write to Marshall Crook at [email protected] and Peter Sanders at [email protected]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 25, 2008, 04:07:15 pm
Among the worst offenders: TMZ.com, which boasts the stink of respectability because it has a TV show and because its managing editor, Harvey Levin, is a recurring talking head on “Today,” among other shows. The site may as well have changed its name to “All Heath All the Time,” updating viewers seemingly by the second with grainy photos and lurid tidbits like: “The People Who Found Heath,” “Jack (as in Nicholson) on Heath: I Warned Him!”, “How Heath's Body Was Discovered,” “Michelle Williams (Ledger's ex-fiance'e and the mother of their child) – Devastated,” and “Inside the Building Where Heath Died.”


There is one on tmz - http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1389981778 - which I had to smile at - it showed busy and mrs williams - plus another woman i didn't recognise walking toward the brooklyn apartment. During the clip with Michelle's mum, there is someone shouting at the press - leave them alone you should be ashamed of yourselves. Good on that woman
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on January 25, 2008, 04:42:47 pm
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Heath Ledger deserved better goodbye

UNION-TRIBUNE

January 25, 2008

Ennis Del Mar was a man of few words, but powerful passions.

.......

Sorry, most of all, for Heath Ledger, who deserved at least as much dignity as he gave Ennis Del Mar.

Yes, thanks for posting that, Leslie.  What a beautifully written piece.  He certainly did. 

Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 25, 2008, 05:28:32 pm
Not Fit to Print Dep't: From New York Magazine

In Other News

1/25/08

In Ledger Mystery, ‘Post’ Goes After Mary-Kate. Cops, Not as Much

(http://www.nymag.com/images/2/daily/intel/08/01/25_grilledmarykate_lgl.jpg)

We'll admit it: When we saw the cover of the Post today, we felt a little bad for Mary-Kate Olsen.

Sure, it was weird that she didn't tell her masseuse to call 911 immediately after the employee found Heath Ledger's dead body, but everything happened quickly, and she did try to help.

Why was it suddenly her responsibility to take care of things? She's only 13 years old for Pete's sake. The "HEAT IS ON MARY KATE" headline, followed by the "Cops to grill her in death" kicker, seemed a little aggressive. And, we've just found out, it's not even true. Both Us Weekly and TMZ.com are reporting that Mary-Kate will not be questioned.

"We have absolutely no interest in talking to Mary-Kate," a police source explained today. Now, if you look closely at the Post story, buried at the bottom, another cop source said the same thing.

"Law enforcement sources last night said they did not think there was anything suspicious about either [the masseuse's] or Olsen's conduct," their story said. So the heat, technically, was not on her at any time. Except, of course, from the Post.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 25, 2008, 05:34:54 pm
From New York Magazine

Intel

1/25 | 2:29 PM

Col Allan Is Not Afraid of Mary-Kate Olsen!

(http://www.nymag.com/images/2/daily/intel/08/01/25_marykatecol_sm.jpg)

Following our post this morning about how the Post's story on Mary-Kate Olsen being questioned by police turned out to be wrong, we just received this statement from Post editor-in-chief Col Allan, via e-mail:

We confirmed this story last night with an impeccable source inside the NYPD and we stand by our reporting.

Almost immediately after the tragic passing of Mr. Ledger, Ms. Olsen’s attorneys began emailing us threatening letters. As has been well reported, there were a number of calls to Ms. Olsen from the masseuse before the NYPD arrived on the scene.

We would find it strange if Ms. Olsen were not questioned at all. The New York Post will not be pressured and we find it odd that the chiefs at the NYPD appear to be terrified of 4-foot-11 inch, 90-pound Mary Kate Olsen.


Classic.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 25, 2008, 05:52:14 pm
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Heath Ledger deserved better goodbye

UNION-TRIBUNE

January 25, 2008

....


I just didn't expect Heath Ledger to be in the middle. Silly, naive me.

Sorry me, too. Sorry for a child named Matilda, now without a father. Sorry for those who read and watch and listen, who deserve better. Sorry for those whom I must accept, like it or not, are my colleagues in the media.

Sorry, most of all, for Heath Ledger, who deserved at least as much dignity as he gave Ennis Del Mar.

Thank you Leslie for posting this.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 25, 2008, 10:52:00 pm
From New York Magazine

In Other News

1/25 | 4:30 PM

Heath Ledger: To Belabor or Not to Belabor?

(http://www.nymag.com/images/2/daily/intel/08/01/25_heathmemorial_sm.jpg)

Those of you who, like us, watch Anderson Cooper 360 religiously, probably noticed last night that Manderson didn't have much in the way of Heath Ledger coverage. While many other news outlets were repeating the same information over and over, he decided to focus on other things. He explained this decision on his blog last night:

[Ledger's] shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report. The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information.

I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won't be covering it anymore anytime soon.


Wow, that makes sense (unless, like us, you are covering the coverage). Frankly, it's a sober, levelheaded choice to make when deciding how to handle Ledger's death. But it's certainly not the only one. In fact, we were just watching Fox News and heard this teaser for Bill  O'Reilly's show later today:

"ON THE O'REILLY FACTOR: DO AMERICANS CARE MORE ABOUT THE LIVES OF CELEBRITIES THAN THE LIVES OF OUR TROOPS?"

Mmm.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 25, 2008, 11:04:39 pm
From: The New York Times

Funeral Plans for Ledger Remain Cloudy

By JAMES BARRON
Published: January 25, 2008

Two days after the actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment in SoHo, reporters and paparazzi converged on Thursday at the funeral home where his body had been taken.

The police set up barricades outside the Frank E. Campbell funeral home, on Madison Avenue at 81st Street, while a stream of mourners left flowers and scribbled tributes at a makeshift memorial outside the loft building where Mr. Ledger, the Australian-born star of “Brokeback Mountain,” died. By Thursday afternoon, someone had tacked an Australian flag beside the front door of the building, at 421 Broome Street.

Mr. Ledger, 28, was found in his apartment on Tuesday by a masseuse who arrived for an appointment and went into his bedroom, where he had been sleeping.

The police have said that the masseuse, Diana Wolozin, called the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, three times before she called the police and once afterward. Ms. Olsen, who was in California, sent private security agents who arrived at the same time as emergency medical workers.

The police also said that Ms. Wolozin shook Mr. Ledger twice — before she placed the first call to Ms. Olsen, and again before she dialed 911. She could not rouse him, the police said.

Dominick Carella, an official at Frank E. Campbell, said on Thursday evening that that funeral arrangements had not been completed.

“Everyone assumed funeral arrangements were going on today, which they were not,” he said. There had been speculation during the day, heightened by no-parking signs the police posted up and down Madison Avenue, that Mr. Ledger’s father, Kim, would arrive from Australia on Friday and would then accompany the body back to Australia for burial. “I never commented on that and I haven’t gotten word on that,” Mr. Carella said.

Mr. Ledger’s spokeswoman, Mara Buxbaum, said she would not comment on when or where services would be held.

Outside the funeral home, the police stood watch in anticipation of crowds. Their mission was to prevent anything approaching the turmoil that surrounded the funeral of a far more famous movie star, Rudolph Valentino, in the Roaring Twenties. Thirty thousand fans swarmed the funeral home, then on the Upper West Side, hoping for a last glimpse of the matinee idol. In the chaos, more than 100 people were injured.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger Dead - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 25, 2008, 11:44:24 pm
This is how the host of The Soup concluded tonight's show...  "Heath Ledger passed away this week and in all the years we've been doing this show, we've never had cause to mention him, so stop digging through the dirt, weasels.  A talented, decent guy is gone, and our thoughts go to those who knew him."


(for those that aren't familiar with the show, it is on E! and covers various talk shows, reality shows, and Britney/Lindsey hoopla)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 09:43:39 am
From the New York Times:

January 26, 2008

Actor’s Body Is Leaving New York for Burial in Australia


The body of the Australian-born actor Heath Ledger was taken from a Manhattan funeral home on Friday, and police officers who had been assigned to the funeral home said the body would be flown to Australia for burial.

Mr. Ledger, 28, was found dead in bed in his apartment on Tuesday. A bottle of prescription sleeping pills was nearby.

An autopsy on Wednesday was inconclusive, and the medical examiner’s office is awaiting the results of blood and tissue tests before announcing the cause of death.

About 100 fans, reporters and photographers spent hours on Friday waiting outside the funeral home, Frank E. Campbell, on Madison Avenue near 81st Street.

The police set up barricades there on Thursday and posted signs prohibiting parking on Friday along a two-block stretch of Madison Avenue around the funeral home.

Shortly before 4 p.m., a plain wooden box was loaded into a hearse, and the hearse pulled away. Officers who had been assigned to the funeral home said the box contained Mr. Ledger’s body.

There had been speculation that a service would be held in Los Angeles. But Mara Buxbaum, the publicist who had represented Mr. Ledger, wrote in an e-mail message, “There are no plans for a public service.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/nyregion/26ledger.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 10:04:15 am
From The Age, in Australia:

Ledger's final journey home


Melissa Kent
January 27, 2008


FOR a man who in life was often at odds with the limelight, in death Heath Ledger found no reprieve yesterday.

In an anonymous pine crate, the Perth-born actor began his final journey home amid chaotic scenes, as photographers jostled with police outside a Manhattan funeral parlour.

Police were forced to hold back more than 50 members of the paparazzi and news crews as five employees from the Frank E. Campbell funeral home carefully loaded the crate into a black hearse. "Back up. Back up, please," a police officer yelled at swarming photographers.

Just hours earlier, Ledger's grieving parents Kim and Sally and older sister Kate arrived in New York from Perth to claim the body and attend a private memorial service. Ledger's former fiancee Michelle Williams, mother of his daughter Matilda, 2, also attended the service.

Yesterday the Ledger family and friends went public with their grief in death notices placed in The West Australian newspaper.

"My body aches for the sound of your voice, our chats, our laughs and our life and times together. Your truly varied artistic skills, insatiable desire to improve and eclectic abilities set you apart from any other person on the planet," his father wrote.

It is now five days since the Brokeback Mountain star, 28, was discovered by his masseuse lying unconscious face down on his bed in his Manhattan apartment surrounded by sleeping pills.

The mystery surrounding his death then deepened when the masseuse changed her story.

Diana Wolozin, 40, who had visited Ledger's flat on Tuesday afternoon for a massage, initially told police that she rang actress Mary-Kate Olsen twice before calling for an ambulance.

However, police now claim Ms Wolozin actually rang Olsen four times, spending nine minutes on three calls before she dialled the emergency services and ringing her again later.

According to investigators, an increasingly anxious Ms Wolozin told Olsen that Ledger was unconscious and she did not know what to do.

Investigators believe Ledger may have overdosed on prescription sleeping and anti-anxiety pills. Police, who have ruled out foul play, say that the calls to Olsen do not have any significant bearing on the investigation because they believe Ledger was already dead. But they have asked to see security video from the building.

Olsen, who is rumoured to have been casually dating Ledger for three months, yesterday broke her silence over the death.

"Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family during this very difficult time," she said in a statement.

Ledger's journey home to Perth is expected to take two days.

A public remembrance has also been proposed for Los Angeles in the coming days, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in New York, where he was visiting the United Nations.

"I understand there's a private memorial service today for family members. I also understand it's proposed there will be a public memorial service in Los Angeles later this week," Mr Smith said, adding that Australian consular officials had offered to help the family repatriate the body.

The family is still considering an offer from Guildford Grammar School, Ledger's Perth high school, to host a memorial service, a school spokesman said.

with AGENCIES

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/26/1201157739179.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 10:07:15 am
From the Associated Press:

Sales Spike for Heath Ledger Films


By JAKE COYLE – 15 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Heath Ledger's death has spiked sales and interest in the late actor's films.

As often happens after the death of a famous actor or musician, many have sought to revisit or simply discover his work. Three of Ledger's movies charted among the 25 best-selling DVDs on Amazon.com as of Friday afternoon.

Most have been purchasing copies of Ledger's 1999 comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" and his 2001 period action flick "A Knight's Tale." After those films, Ledger pursued more dramatic, challenging roles, with 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" — the third most popular of his DVDs on Amazon — being roundly considered his finest achievement.

The 28-year-old Australia native died Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment. Toxicology tests to determine the cause of death will not be completed for at least a week.

Ledger's latest film to be released, the multi-persona Bob Dylan film "I'm Not There," has mostly completed its theatrical run. It played in only 61 theaters last weekend.

The lone theater it remains playing at in New York is the Film Forum, an art house and repertory theater that has been screening "I'm Not There" since it was released in November.

"The film is doing very well and as long as it does well, we'll play it," said Film Forum first-run programmer Karen Cooper. "I don't imagine that it's going to do better because of his loss. I think it's doing as well as it is because it's a very strong and interesting and unusual film."

The impact of Ledger's death on his last completed project, "The Dark Knight," remains to be seen. The latest installment in the "Batman" series, Ledger plays the Joker, and his dark, twisted take on the villain had been a focal point in the film's advance promotion.

Since Ledger's death, over seven million have flocked to YouTube to watch trailers of "The Dark Knight." Over one million have watched a clip of an interview where Ledger discusses the Joker role.

Warner Bros., the studio distributing "The Dark Knight," has not yet announced any change in schedule for the film, which is planned for a blockbuster summer release on July 18.

"Certainly `The Dark Knight' is one of the most anticipated films of the year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "I think Warners is just going to stay the course and keep marketing the film."

As for its box office performance, Dergarabedian suspects the film is so big that it "kind of transcends almost anything like this that might happen." He adds that the film's release will to a certain degree honor Ledger, whose performance was already expected to impress moviegoers.

At the time of his death, Ledger was in the midst of shooting "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," a $30 million film directed by Terry Gilliam. The movie recently completed shooting scenes in London and was soon to resume production in Vancouver, British Columbia. Producers have not said whether the film will continue or not.

In the film, Ledger was to co-star with Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. Options open to producers — depending upon how many scenes Ledger had left to shoot — include recasting (and thus reshooting) his part, finishing it with the help of a body double (as was done after Brandon Lee died while making 1994's "The Crow") or simply canning production.

Ledger had also been preparing to make his feature directing debut by adapting Walter Tevis' novel "The Queen's Gambit."

In an interview last month with Variety, Gilliam told the trade paper: "Heath is extraordinary. He's just so good, and he's going to be a film director. He's watching everything, and he's going to be a much better director than I will ever be."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hwNoKpqUfow2XucrYxYpeu9F90egD8UD61DO0
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on January 26, 2008, 10:12:59 am
What is this strange connection between Heath and an actress who was called 4 times by masseuse?? - asks Tom Hays.
Is it strange... may I ask?

I am refering to this article:
Quote
By Tom Hays, The Associated Press


NEW YORK - The masseuse who discovered Heath Ledger's body spent nine minutes making three calls to "Full House" actress Mary-Kate Olsen before she dialled 911 for help, police said Thursday. The masseuse called Olsen a fourth time after paramedics arrived.
The details about the calls do not have any significant bearing on the investigation because authorities believe Ledger was dead at that point and have ruled out foul play. But they paint a more precise picture of the bizarre series of events surrounding Ledger's final moments.
Police originally said the masseuse made two calls to Olsen in seeking her help about what to do, but revised it to four after taking a closer look at Ledger's phone records. The masseuse, Diana Wolozin, apparently knew both Ledger and Olsen and that they were friends; all the calls were made from Ledger's cellphone.
At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Ledger's housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard what she thought was snoring. The masseuse showed up for Ledger's appointment at about 2:45 p.m. and knocked on his door and called his cellphone at 3 p.m. to wake him up.
After setting up her massage table, she tried to wake Ledger and realized something was wrong.
That was when the episode took a strange turn.
At 3:17 p.m., she made a call to the Olsen twin that lasted 49 seconds. At 3:20 p.m., she made another call - this one lasting a minute and 39 seconds. She made a third call at 3:24, which lasted 21 seconds.
She called 911 at 3:26 p.m.
Before this frenzy, Olsen, who was in California, summoned her personal security guards to the apartment to help with the situation, the NYPD said.
Paramedics arrived at 3:33 p.m., and actually went up in the elevator to the apartment with Olsen's security guards. Paramedics did not allow the security guards into the bedroom where Ledger died, and they declared him dead at 3:36 p.m. - 19 minutes after the first call to Olsen.
The masseuse called Olsen a final time at 3:34 p.m. The duration of that call was unknown.
Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams - who played his wife in "Brokeback Mountain" - in Brooklyn, and the couple had a daughter, the now two-year-old Matilda. The couple split last year.
Williams and Matilda returned to their Brooklyn home Wednesday evening from Sweden. The 27-year-old actress had been there shooting scenes for the upcoming film "Mammoth," said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.
A gaggle of reporters gathered outside the funeral home in search for news about Ledger's funeral but Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said Thursday no details on funeral or burial arrangements would be shared with the media. A long line of celebrity deaths have been handled by the same funeral home over the last century, from Judy Garland, John Lennon and Notorious B.I.G. to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Leona Helmsley.
An Australian newspaper reported Friday that Ledger would likely be buried in his hometown Perth, in western Australia, after a star-studded funeral service in Los Angeles. Australian model Sophie Ward said she was planning to fly to the United States on Friday for Ledger's funeral service.
"I think we're going to L.A.," Ward told the West Australian newspaper for its Friday edition.
"This is just a funeral service. He'll probably be buried in Perth."
....

Was this articlce placed here before?

Hugs!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 10:20:46 am
from MTV:

Jan 25 2008 6:15 PM EST

Heath Ledger's Death: Awards Shows Struggling With How To Pay Tribute


Almost immediately after the sudden death of Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger on Tuesday, tributes from colleagues, friends, family members and fans began to flood in. Many have been moved to honor the man some called one of the best actors of his generation.

Now, three days after Ledger's death, many awards shows are trying to figure out how best to do the same thing.

"Something's gonna be done," a representative for the Independent Spirit Awards, who did not want to be named, told MTV News. "We just don't yet know what."

A previous ISA Best Male Lead nominee for "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was slated to receive the Robert Altman Award with director Todd Haynes and the cast of "I'm Not There," a film in which Ledger was one of six actors to play the role of Bob Dylan. The 28-year-old actor was to be among the very first recipients of the award, named last year in honor of director Robert Altman.

Ledger's presence at the ceremony, which he attended last year with then-fiancee Michelle Williams, will be sorely missed and appropriately noted, sources said.

"Obviously it's on everybody's minds over here. It's been discussed: 'What are we going to do about Heath?' " another ISA source, who also did not want to be named, revealed to MTV News. "We're figuring out what to do, but we're working on something. Luckily, we've got a month."

Compounding the delicate matter for the ISA is the fact that Ledger is not the only nominee to pass away. Also up for an award is writer/director Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered in New York in November 2006. A nominee for Best Screenplay ("Waitress"), Shelly and Ledger will be similarly honored, according to the ISA.

While the Independent Spirit Awards has time on its hands in composing an appropriate tribute, the Screen Actors Guild Awards is not so fortunate. Though not up for a SAG Award this year, Ledger, a two-time nominee — again, for his work on "Brokeback Mountain" — should be honored at this year's ceremony if time permits, a source told MTV News. A representative for the awards show said they were working furiously to insert Ledger into a video-memoriam package, although it's been complicated by the fact that he died so close to the show's airdate, which is Sunday.

Also planning to acknowledge Ledger is the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Awards, a show that honors individuals and projects for their positive representations of the gay community. Along with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, Ledger was lauded for his portrayal of a homosexual ranch hand in Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain."

"GLAAD intends on acknowledging Heath Ledger's death at the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards," publicist Nick Adams told MTV News. "We are still in the early stage of production, and do not know at this time what form that will take."

Representatives for the Academy Awards could not be reached by press time.

The most interesting tribute, however, may not come from colleagues. In the wake of Ledger's death, the Web site WhySoSerious.com — which for months has been the primary location of online viral marketing for "The Dark Knight" — was updated recently with a black ribbon. Ledger recently completed his role as the Joker in the highly anticipated sequel.

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1580366/20080125/story.jhtml#
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 26, 2008, 11:38:09 am
I'm just wondering if anyone has the full text of the messages that Heath's family wrote.  I know various articles have all quoted excerpts, but I don't think I've seen the full text listed... ?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 11:46:15 am
I'm just wondering if anyone has the full text of the messages that Heath's family wrote.  I know various articles have all quoted excerpts, but I don't think I've seen the full text listed... ?

You can see them here:

http://www.thewest.com.au/printfriendly.aspx?ContentID=55984
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 11:49:19 am
I was able to save them as pictures:

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/heath1.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 11:49:39 am
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/heath2.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 11:49:59 am
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/heath3.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on January 26, 2008, 11:52:31 am
That is just heartbreaking.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 11:54:54 am
That is just heartbreaking.  :'(

I know. I am sitting here sobbing (again). Sigh...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 26, 2008, 11:59:48 am
You know, it occurred to me last night: just about everything I know about Heath's death I know from the internet. (I was going to say just about everything I know about Heath, which is almost true, too, for that matter, if you don't count his movies.)

I don't watch TV news. My newspaper reading is spotty these days. So actually the only tiny exception to the above is a conversation I caught on The View. My other main TV sources of news, The Daily Show and Colbert Report, haven't covered it, as far as I've seen, for understandable reasons. (Though I've missed the past couple of episodes, and it seems like there might be humor to be mined from the press' behavior or that John Gibson thing, so maybe they have.)

Anyway, I wanted to add that my main source of information about my main source of information, the internet, is Leslie, plus a few others here who've been posting! So thanks, Leslie and everybody!



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 12:07:45 pm
Thanks, Katherine.

It is a little bit of a compulsion, I have to say--this need to search out news articles. I like to try to find things that are a little bit obscure, have a different tidbit of information, or put a different spin on the story. I actually read many more than I post--call me your personal vetting service.

It started with Brokeback Mountain and it was a lot happier then (of course) but finding these stories is really helping me to grieve--and cope.

I am glad folks appreciate them.

Leslie
"News Sleuth"
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 26, 2008, 12:09:24 pm
I've been watching Entertainment Tonight, a show I watch with great infrequency.  But I have watched them everynight since the passing of Heath. So that show and the internet have been my two main sources of information about developing events involving Heath Ledger. 

One more thing.  Mel Gibson expressed his sorrow over the death of Heath Ledger, but it seems he distanced himself from the actor when he decided to play the role in  BBM. Of course, Gibson believes Vatican II is a mistake as it went too far, so he's a very reactionary Catholic.   I originally saw this on IMDB.com.  I usually don't have any regards for FOX, but they picked it up from The New York Daily News. I'm sure Heath had many better friends then Gibson, he certainly seemed popular with the ladies.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325567,00.html

Though Mel Gibson expressed his sorrow this week over the death of Heath Ledger, he had actually distanced himself from the younger Australian actor in the years since Ledger played a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," according to the New York Daily News.

Ledger chose not to follow Gibson's advice against taking the "Brokeback" leading role of Ennis Del Mar, a ranch hand who falls in love with another male cowboy and all the while struggles with his homosexuality, private investigator Paul Barresi told the News.

As a result, Gibson pulled back from the friendship with Ledger, whom he'd gotten to know when Ledger played his son in "The Patriot."
Barresi said a "major Hollywood producer" told him that Ledger asked Gibson whether he should play the part of Ennis, and "Gibson strongly counseled against it. The role apparently ran counter to Gibson's morality. And he felt that it would ruin Heath's career," the News reported.

But Ledger ignored the suggestion and signed on to do the film anyway, leading to a rift with Gibson, according to the News.

"When Gibson parted ways with Heath, it broke his heart," Barresi told the paper.

In the end, Ledger's performance in "Brokeback" won him critical accolades, an Oscar nomination and newfound respect as a serious, talented and complex actor, allowing him to shed his image as just another Hollywood heartthrob.

In 2006, Ledger told London's Evening Standard that his decision to play Ennis "was kind of a reaction against the comparison that I'm the new Mel Gibson."

On Tuesday, Gibson issued a statement calling Ledger's death "a tragic loss."

“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," he said. "My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

Click here to read more on this story from the New York Daily News.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 12:16:22 pm
Who You Gonna Call?

When things go wrong, stars rely on private security services for help

By Matthew Philips

Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 8:46 PM ET Jan 25, 2008

In all the chaos surrounding the death of Heath Ledger last week in his lower Manhattan apartment, one reported detail stood out: that when his masseuse found him face down and unconscious on his bed, and then frantically called Ledger's fellow actor Mary-Kate Olsen, the 21-year-old star's immediate response was, "I'm sending my private security." Most people, upon hearing that a friend was unresponsive, with pill bottles nearby, would rush to dial 911. But the masseuse called Olsen two more times before finally calling 911 about 20 minutes later, the second time to tell Olsen that Ledger was cold to the touch and that she feared he was dead. Olsen's response? "I already have people coming over."

Her "people" arrived at the same time as the paramedics, nearly a half hour after Ledger's body was first discovered. So who are these "private security" providers? And why are they--and not public emergency services--the first call a celebrity would make?

To get a peek behind the curtain of celebrity security services, NEWSWEEK's Matthew Philips spoke with Joe Lasorsa, who spent 20 years as a special agent in the U.S. Secret Service. His company, J.A. Lasorsa and Associates, has been in business since 1998 and provides a range of high-end security and protection services to the rich and sometimes famous. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: What kind of protection do your personal-security agents provide?

Joe Lasorsa: Personal security can range from estate or residential security to travel security. We'll stand guard at a residence or travel with clients aboard boats, wherever.

What sorts of people do you have as clients?

My clients tend mostly to be high-end athletes, VIPS and corporate executives and CEOs. I don't take on a lot of celebrities for the simple reason that they tend to be more problematic. They expect to be pampered and can usually create more problems with themselves than anyone else.

Where do you draw the line between protecting a client from others and protecting them from their own behavior?

I make the point with my staff that when problems start to arise to diplomatically persuade the client to cease and desist from an activity. Part of our job is to pick up on signs that indicate a bad situation. So usually if we're out at a club and we feel a disruption is about to occur, we'll quietly whisper to them that we should leave. We're there not to deal with problems but to avoid them.

Do you typically sign nondisclosure agreements?
Yes, we require it. Part of the contract is to do everything we can to maintain the client's confidentiality.

What's the background of the agents who work for you?
Mostly former federal agents and Secret Service agents, whom I consider to be the best long-term private-sector agents because they understand the mentality of the job.

In what way?

In their trained ability to spot situations before they become problems, and to use discretion and diplomacy rather than force to diffuse a situation. If you ask me, too many Special Forces guys are getting involved in the industry, people who aren't trained in de-escalation but only in escalation. And the problem with celebrities is they're drawn to these types. Celebrities typically hire people who are big in stature because they think they'll prevent a problem through intimidation, when in fact those people are more prone to use their size and often end up accentuating problems.

How personal do the relationships get between agents and clients?

We expressly avoid any personal relationship. We assign them in 8- or 10- or 12-hour shifts. There's no sleeping over at a client's home. It creates too much of a familiarity, and, as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.

But it happens?

Of course it happens, clients will develop relationships with protective agencts, especially when it's a male and female, that leads to sexual relationships.

I guess you're not a fan of the movie "The Bodyguard"?

No, I actually like it because it's a realistic depiction of how easily that can happen.

What about being bystanders to illegal activity, like drug use?

We don't tolerate illegal drug use. We will walk away and terminate the contract. Remember, the majority of our staff are former Secret Service. We'll turn our heads to most issues, but not when it crosses the line of legality. Of course, again, it happens, I guarantee, and the majority of security agents out there wouldn't feel the way I feel.

How do you handle behavoir that's not neccesarily illegal but isn't something a client would want publicized?

Do we take care of a client if they've had too much fun? Sure. We try not to associate with clients where that happens all the time but of course it's going to happen every so often. People are human, and when it does, that's part of the protection that's offered.

What about if you found a client unconsious or with drug paraphernalia around? Would you call the police?

Again, if they cross the line into illegal activcity, we're going to call the police. I can't speak for other agencies, but I know that pretty much most security agents are former law enforcement, and most of them won't cross that line. Now, if they're just passed out, then we'll see if we can't revive them--but if not then yeah, we'd get medical attention.

You'd call 911?

If it's serious, yes. We don't pretend to be medical technicians. We're trained in CPR and as EMTs, but if someone needs to be transported in an emergency situation, then definitely that's our obligation in protecting them.

It seems as though sometimes celebrities are looking for their security agents to be a guardian angels of sorts.

I think that's accurate in a lot of cases. It's not something we do, but I'm not going to say that isn't the case with some people and that some firms provide that for them.

URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/105488
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 26, 2008, 12:17:46 pm
January 26, 2008

About New York

Only Private Security Will Do, Until It Doesn’t

By JIM DWYER

On a Friday evening exactly 29 years ago, a man in a town house on West 54th Street in Manhattan had a heart attack. His name was Nelson A. Rockefeller; he had built a life of power atop the oil fortune that came down to him from his father, serving as governor of New York and vice president of the United States.

The habits of power — insulation from everyday life, mediators like private security guards and drivers and people who could fix things in discreet phone calls — were not, it turns out, nearly as much use as medical help might have been.

Mr. Rockefeller, 70, was with a 25-year-old woman, Megan Marshack, when he fell ill. Her home was just down the street. She called a friend who lived in her building and asked her to send their doorman to get Mr. Rockefeller’s chauffeur, who was parked around the corner. An hour after Mr. Rockefeller was stricken, the friend — by then in the town house with Ms. Marshack and Mr. Rockefeller — dialed 911. He was dead, or about to be.

This week, when the actor Heath Ledger could not be awakened in his apartment, a masseuse made calls to an actress friend of Mr. Ledger’s in California before calling for emergency help. The actress dispatched several private security guards, who happened to be in the neighborhood. They arrived at the same moment as emergency medical workers. Neither the actress nor the security guards have publicly explained what they were supposed to do about an unresponsive man.

“You have children 6 years old who know to call 911 when someone is sick,” said Lou Palumbo, who owns an agency that provides private security to celebrities and heads of state. “What you find is that people in entertainment, sports, politics, people with a lot of money who might not be famous, they’re operating with their own set of rules. They’re under the impression that concessions are made for them every day. They want us to do damage control.”

What has emerged is a moving gated community, protection hired by the hour or kept on retainer that is supposed to solve petty troubles or the most urgent crisis.

Public life, whatever its benefits, can be unsparing for people who want privacy when they get sick or have a quarrel, or want to die with a shred of dignity. But money also buys breaks from trouble, escape routes or control. Steve Davis, a retired police captain who is now in the security business, says that private guards cannot disturb a crime scene or cover up evidence.

They can, however, perform tasks that keep people out of trouble: A hedge fund director gets drunk and foolish at a party; private security will quietly arrive, usher him out, drive him home. A British royal struck with a panic attack can get medical help without being wheeled in the front door at Bellevue. The possessive husband of a star singer wants her watched; private security moves into her life, to the point that she devises ruses, like going for a walk with the dog, handing the security guard the dog, and then racing off, with him unable to follow.

Alongside the rise of security for celebrities of even the faintest wattage, private security power has expanded in far more serious ways. Blackwater Worldwide, a private military company, has played a major role in the American occupation in Iraq, with few of the limits on the use of force that the United States Army is subject to. Blackwater operatives were also sent by federal officials to New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

Some days after the floods had receded, a helicopter hovered above a parking garage next to a luxury hotel on Canal Street in New Orleans. A bay in the helicopter opened, and men dressed in black commando outfits were lowered by winch onto the garage roof. They climbed down to the street, and headed into the hotel. What were they doing? “A removal,” one explained. They were private muscle sent to evacuate corporate clients from New York stranded in the hotel.

It was a puzzling moment: the rented commandos, and for that matter, their clients, could just as easily have gotten into cars and driven straight out of town, because the roads were clear and the airport was open. But that would have been quite ordinary. No blades thrumming into the sky, no illusion of a special way out, power without a visible pulse.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/nyregion/26about.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 26, 2008, 12:43:30 pm
You can see them here:

http://www.thewest.com.au/printfriendly.aspx?ContentID=55984

thank you internet sleuth!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on January 26, 2008, 12:57:57 pm
Thank you for posting the notices. I looked at them earlier today, and read them aloud to my hubby.  I couldn't get through them so he ended up reading them to me.

What really shines through is how close the family were, and I'm grateful to them for calling him by his (private) pet names in our presence. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 26, 2008, 02:17:21 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7210474.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7210474.stm)  [has links to other BBC Heath articles]

Public service planned for Ledger

A public memorial service for Australian star Heath Ledger will be held next week in Los Angeles, Australia's foreign minister has said.


Stephen Smith added the actor's family would be offered help to return his body to Perth in Australia, where he is expected to be laid to rest.

Ledger's publicist said funeral arrangements "would continue to be kept private at the family's request".  The 28-year-old was found dead in his New York flat on Tuesday.

Mr Smith also told reporters on a visit to the United Nations in New York that he understood that a private family memorial service had taken place in the city.

'Old soul'

He gave no details of the proposed memorial in Los Angeles, and said any tributes in Australia would be determined by Ledger's family.  The actor's body was moved from a funeral home on Friday amid a crowd of reporters and photographers.  A private viewing of Ledger's body had been scheduled at Frank E Campbell funeral home in Manhattan earlier in the day, which was barricaded by police.

In death notices published in The West Australian newspaper, the Brokeback Mountain star's family remembered him as an "old soul".  "You dreamed your dreams and lived them with passion and intelligent commitment," it said.  In a separate tribute, his sister Kate said that the pair were "ultimate soulmates", adding she viewed him as "just my little brother".  "We have been privileged to accompany you on a ride through life that has simply been amazing and through it all we have loved each other beyond imagination. Our hearts are broken," the death notice read.

In an additional tribute, Ledger's father Kim wrote:  "Heatho, Beef, my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent ... so no more chess games mate ... this is it, couldn't beat you anyway. We were one, in soul and commitment, just father and son."

Production halted

Meanwhile, the makers of Ledger's most recent film have suspended production.

The star had recently completed filming in London on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam.  The $30m (£15.1m) production had moved to Vancouver, Canada for interior and bluescreen scenes.  The film's makers issued a statement saying: "Terry and the producers will be assessing how best to proceed."

The producers also paid tribute to the 28-year-old, calling him "a great actor, a great friend and a great spirit.  We are still in a state of deep shock, saddened and numb with grief".

A post mortem carried out on Ledger was inconclusive, with results from further tests expected to take more than a week.


Last Updated: Saturday, 26 January 2008, 09:58 GMT
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 26, 2008, 02:58:03 pm
I appreciate articles concerning the security firms, you guys.  I'd been going 'WTF?' over the phone call thing all week, and this gives a little more clarity . . .

-Laura
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 02:58:53 pm
I appreciate articles concerning the security firms, you guys.  I'd been going 'WTF?' over the phone call thing all week, and this gives a little more clarity . . .

-Laura

Me too. I was glad to find the one I posted and Meryl's was interesting, too.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 26, 2008, 06:35:08 pm
I just posted this over on the "Tributes and Obits" thread, but I'll ask the question here, too, since it's kind of newsy. Does anybody know whether Annie Proulx has issued a statement?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BBM-Cat on January 26, 2008, 07:53:59 pm
I clicked on some random news article this morning and the featured picture was 'the crate' being loaded into a hearse. I could have done without seeing that and in fact, wish I hadn't. I know Heath is not inside of that crate, but it really hit home how final it really is. I sympathize with the family's very long journey back to Australia as they accompany Heath's body.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 08:21:12 pm
From the Sunday Telegraph, Australia

Williams sorrow for Heath

By Sarah Blake

January 26, 2008 12:00am

AS the world mourns the loss of the prodigious talent of Heath Ledger, attention has turned to the sorrow of his former partner, Michelle Ingrid Williams.

Ledger's most challenging and rewarding role was that of family man and there are fears that the loss of his greatest love may have prompted the anxiety and insomnia that could well have cost his life.

The split in September with his then-fiancee and mother of his beloved daughter, Matilda, came as a shock to many.

The couple, whose love story had played out publicly - both as co-stars on the set of Brokeback Mountain, then in a world tour promoting the film - had seemed perfectly matched.

Indeed Ledger, a wildly successful performer who clearly never wanted to be a celebrity, had been unusually forthcoming in interviews about his feelings for 27-year-old Williams.

"The level of synchronicity that's in my life now, with me and Michelle and now Matilda, has meant it's become everything to me - the most important thing I do,'' he once said, of family life.

"My child smiles up at me in the morning and that's it - I feel connected to life, this is what it's all about.

"Before, I felt like I was floating through life, like a ghost - I may not have even existed - and now I feel physical and grounded and life now is about as real as it gets. There's something very cosmic about the experience of parenthood. Suddenly, you get the right perspective and priorities.''

Ledger said he and Williams, a former child star who made her name in the soap series Dawson's Creek, had fallen for each other almost as soon as shooting started on Brokeback Mountain, in Canada.

"We were knee-deep in snow and on the fifth take, Michelle and I were tobogganing down the hill _ we were supposed to fall off, having a fun time,'' he said.

"(But) Michelle was screaming in pain. She'd twisted her knee - she was pretty much on crutches for the rest of the shoot. And I felt I always had to look after her after that.''

The romance was so swift that Williams was pregnant before the shooting finished and had given birth to Matilda before the film's release.

"Becoming a father definitely exceeds all my expectations, but I was always expecting it and a lot from it. It's marvellous - and the most remarkable experience I've ever had,'' Ledger said.

Friends and co-stars reflected last week on the powerful bond that the pair had shared.

Screenwriter Luke Davies, whose film Candy was the first shoot Ledger took part in after Brokeback Mountain, wrote of their obvious bond during a night in Sydney.

"He seemed, at times, quite literally beside himself with love for her, unable to contain his excitement,'' Davies wrote last week.

"I remember one night during pre-production, in an almost empty nightclub in Kings Cross, watching him sweep her to her feet and swirl her around an empty dance floor, much to the relief of a bored DJ.

"It was a completely private moment - he wasn't doing it for the benefit of others, those of us settling into our seats or buying a round.

"He wanted to dance with Williams. He seemed to carry that same I-can't-believe-it-can-feel-like-this grin from 10 Things I Hate About You.

"I had the odd sensation, watching them, that their experience at just that moment was a little more intense than mine. I almost felt the need to avert my eyes - that pure joy again.''

Williams was not just his lover - she became his defender, after a nasty run-in with paparazzi photographers spurred the pair to move out of their Bronte home, in search of privacy in New York City.

The young star who, like Ledger, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Brokeback Mountain, had the grief of his death etched across her face in grainy photographs taken a day after her former partner's shock death.

Williams had been in Trollhattan, Sweden, where she had been shooting scenes for the upcoming film Mammoth, when she was told.

It is not known why their love story fell apart. Neither has spoken about it publicly.

Even in a world of cynical movie-star romances, their relationship seemed special.

Those moments on the red carpet, when they looked at one another and smiled, seemed to have extra intensity.

But like so many relationships in the glare of public life, it just simply crumbled.

At the time of the separation, there was no official statement - just confirmation of the break-up from a "source'' to a US tabloid magazine.

Saying the relationship had been troubled for some time, the "friend'' said the pair had simply grown apart.

Ledger moved out of the Brooklyn townhouse that he and Williams shared, into the SoHo, Manhattan, apartment where he was to die.

He still spent time with his daughter, but filled his other hours with long periods of socialising and a frenetic work schedule.

Since Ledger's death, reports have emerged of a complicated web of relationships with a series of glamorous women.

The number and beauty of these women is not unlike those who played a role in Michael Hutchence's life before his untimely death in Sydney in November, 1997.

Hutchence's partner, Paula Yates, never recovered from his death and died of an accidental heroin overdose at the age of 40, in September, 2000.

The death of Yates left their daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence, an orphan.

Much younger than Yates, Williams must now confront her own grief, the public outpouring for her ex-fiance - and the women who filled his days in her absence.

It is a lot to ask of a 27-year-old single mother.

Ledger's close-knit family, devastated over his death, has promised to keep looking out for the little girl whom he loved so much.

"You lived life with courage and daring and we are so grateful for the wonderful times we shared,'' his mother, Sally, wrote in one of a number of heart-rending death notices in The West Australian newspaper on Friday. "We will be there for Matilda.''

Let's hope there is as much consideration for Williams.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23113951-5009160,00.html?from=mostpop
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 26, 2008, 08:26:15 pm
From Entertainment Weekly:


Did Heath Ledger finish vocals on 'Dark Knight'?

Jan 26, 2008, 03:49 PM | by Kristen Baldwin

Categories: Movie Biz

While the late Heath Ledger's family and friends tend to the sad details of his burial this weekend, a debate is ripping through Internet fan sites about what will stand as Ledger's last completed film, Batman: The Dark Knight (due to open on July 17th). The burning question is, how complete was Ledger's post-production work on the maniacal character of the Joker?

On Jan. 25th, E! Online gossip columnist Ted Casablanca posted an item quoting a "studio insider" saying that Ledger had done "zero" post-production looping on the movie. (Typically, an actor re-records many lines for a film long after principal photography wraps, in a process called "automated dialogue replacement," or ADR. It's an especially extensive process when many shots have been filmed on location, since all kinds of incidental noise can interfere with the dialogue's clarity and can require  up to three-quarters of the lines to be re-performed on a dubbing stage, with the actor looking up at the film images and matching his or her own mouth movements.) But Ledger's vocals are perfectly clear in the bits of footage so far released—trailers and a prologue bank-robbery sequence shown with IMAX prints of I Am Legend. Fan websites like Ain't-It-Cool-News, Superherohype.com and Batman-on-Film.com are full of assertions contrary to the Casablanca report, saying that in fact Ledger was done with all significant looping. Ledger himself, while promoting the Todd Haynes film I'm Not There last fall, had said he was finished with his work on Dark Knight.

Still, given the way post-production schedules usually run on mega-budget superhero films, it's not out of the realm of possibility that director Chris Nolan might have wanted to call on Ledger for limited additional sessions with more than six months to go before opening weekend. Directors often decide to insert new bits of dialogue in post-production for the sake of clarity and economy. Doing anything like that now with Ledger's Dark Knight role would require hiring another voice actor to emulate his speaking voice, or creating a complicated mash-up from Ledger's existing dialogue tracks. (Both of these alternate approaches have been taken in similar past situations, as when Oliver Reed passed away before the completion of Gladiator and James Dean died before the release of Giant.)

Dark Knight director Chris Nolan and execs at Warner Bros., the studio releasing the film, were not available for comment, and have not issued any public statements about the status of the movie. EW placed a call to Oscar-winning sound designer and sound editor Richard King, who's handling the Dark Knight audio work, but he declined to comment. According to several other sound-mixing experts who also declined to speak on the record, there's no way to tell what the situation is with Dark Knight from the outside, since the amount of ADR required, and the timetable for doing it, varies wildly between films. (In plenty of instances, looping is not completed until very close to the final release date, perhaps as little as a month or two out.) Ledger had been working in London on Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which meant he was close to Dark Knight director Chris Nolan's home turf and might well have been available if needed.

Warner Bros. has temporarily pulled back on some of the promotional material centered on Ledger's creepy whiteface makup as the Joker, keyed to the tagline "Why So Serious"? It remains to be confirmed whether the film's technical wrapup will require a new game plan as well. —Steve Daly


http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/01/did-heath-ledge.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 26, 2008, 10:19:54 pm
(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/9056/original.jpg)


Confirmed: People Only Celeb Weekly To Have Heath Ledger Cover

Huffington Post   |  Rachel Sklar   |   January 23, 2008 12:29 PM

As surmised in my earlier post, People magazine will be the only celebrity weekly to have a cover featuring actor Heath Ledger, whose death was discovered late yesterday afternoon — too late to feature on other celebrity weekly covers, whose editions closed on Monday night and which will now be on newsstands all week without mention of the sad news. Nat Ives at AdAge has more details, as well as the cover image which we've reproduced here.


http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=123270 (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=123270)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 27, 2008, 03:44:58 am


Heath's Death Could Be Natural Causes
Posted Jan 26th 2008 6:53PM by TMZ Staff


(http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tmz.com/media/2008/01/0126_ledger_ex_tmz_4.jpg)

It sounds strange, but sources intimately connected with the Heath Ledger investigation tell TMZ it's possible the actor died of natural causes.

The reason they think that -- it's now appearing that the level of toxicity (from medication) in Ledger's system was low enough that it may not have caused his death. These sources say Heath's heart stopped. It could have been a heart attack but it's not certain, at least not yet. Although it's bizarre that a 28-year-old could die of natural causes, it happens.

We've also learned authorities do not believe the housekeeper heard Ledger snoring when she walked in his bedroom at around 1:00 PM. Sources tell us, a fireman observed rigor mortis in Ledger's jaw shortly after arriving on scene at around 3:30 PM. Sources say they now believe Ledger was dead for around three hours prior to their arrival, so they don't believe the masseuse could have heard snoring.

Authorities are also annoyed at news reports that there may have been a sinister plot to remove illegal drugs from Ledger's apartment before cops and firemen arrived. There are reports out there that the masseuse called Mary-Kate Olsen and a plot was hatched to have her bodyguard remove certain drugs. Authorities tell us that's impossible, because the cops were there the entire time the bodyguard was present and there would have been no opportunity to carry out such a plan. They say it's a made up story.

As we first reported, the masseuse contacted the bodyguard because she knew he was a licensed EMT.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 27, 2008, 05:32:05 am
Doesn't TMZ trash people much of the time?  Seems amazing they are basically saying what The Soup guy was saying, "So stop digging through the dirt, weasels."

I thought we were the only ones who knew he was so good and important.  Turns out a mighty lot of people feel that way.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 27, 2008, 09:35:41 am
from The Age, Australia:

Heath, worlds apart



January 27, 2008


Despite his soaring fame, Ledger's Perth home had a special place in his heart. Melissa Kent and Jacqueline Maley report.

AS HEATH LEDGER's body was stretchered out of a New York chapel yesterday, half a world away his home town grieved for a man torn between two lives. As the adulation, scrutiny, intense film roles and complicated relationships of his Hollywood life took their toll, Ledger never stopped yearning for the deep bonds of his Perth childhood.

"The beauty about being an Australian in Hollywood is we've got this sense of fearlessness that comes from knowing we can always go home," Ledger said in an early interview. "It's not a bad f---ing back-up plan."

For Ledger, home became a refuge so dearly cherished that during his last return over Christmas he took the unusual step of thanking the media for leaving him alone to relive his childhood.

"I would say they were probably the best years of his life. They were certainly some of the best years of my life," one of his long-time friends told The Sunday Age.

Perth in the 1980s, when Ledger was growing up, was as far removed as possible in attitude, spirit and distance from the fast-paced film world that was to become his life.

Far-flung, sleepy and safe, it was the backdrop for a carefree childhood and Ledger's was typical of most — a happy time spent ducking in and out of mates' houses around his Perth Hills home, playing sport and swimming at the beach.

As he grew older, Ledger and his friends would spend hours surfing at Scarborough Beach on weekends, playing hockey and cricket, and hanging out in the pits at Wanneroo Raceway watching his dad Kim race.

Ledger showed particular promise on the hockey field as a half-back for the Curtin Trinity Pirates, reaching state-level competition at 15.

Club president Ian Pestana recalls a talented player who had the potential to pursue the sport to the top level.

"He had a lot of potential to do very well as a sportsman," he said.

"He was very quick and had handy stick skills. His dad used to bring him down to training and would stay to watch. He really encouraged him."

A former teammate remembers Ledger as a kid who made friends quickly when he joined the team.

"We were pretty arrogant, we thought we were pretty good, but Heath just fit right in," he said. "After he joined the team, we won all the prizes. He certainly could have pursued hockey further, but I think he made the right (career) decision.

"We had a pretty awesome three years on the team. It was a great time I'll never forget."

Ledger didn't forget either — he recently made a donation to the club and came along to watch a grand final with his dad.

At Guildford Grammar School, drama replaced hockey as his first passion and it wasn't long before his emerging talent was noticed by casting agents.

One of his first acting roles was a TV ad for Chicken Treat — still fondly recalled by Perth TV audiences — which starred a young Heath basting a chicken, those famous blond curls sticking out from under his red and yellow cap.

From those humble beginnings his career began to take off, with roles on TV show Sweat and the Australian film Black Rock among the first serious revelations of his ability.

As his success continued, Ledger never forgot those friendships forged at school, on the hockey field and at the beach. He invited his group of close-knit buddies to share his success, often flying them to LA or New York to attend his film premieres or to stay at his apartment.

Guildford Grammar School principal Robert Zordan said the bond between Ledger and his mates was important to him.

"He established very close friends at this school and throughout his very successful film career he sent text messages to his mates and invited them to stay with him at his apartment in New York," he said.

"He was an earthy sort of character and the beaut thing is, stardom never went to his head."

Despite his normal, knockabout childhood, there was always something a bit different about young Heath.

A little more intense than his peers, Ledger showed early signs of the character trait that was to later influence his eclectic choice of film roles and penchant for delving into dark characters such as the Joker.

"He was super cool, you know. Even though he was one of us, he was very mature; a deep thinker," a friend said.

"Just the way he talked, sometimes it was like he grew up in the 1600s or something. His dad was a big influence in that way, I think."

While Ledger's tragic death came at a pivotal time in his career, the final few months of his short life suggested his life in New York was a far cry from the happy childhood he enjoyed growing up in Perth.

Despite enjoying the attentions of a string of beautiful women, including Helena Christensen, Mary-Kate Olsen and Gemma Ward, Ledger struggled to deal with the separation from his daughter, Matilda, following his split with fiancee Michelle Williams.

A week before his death, he looked "pretty banged up" while filming in a wintry London street, according to a witness on the set.

Ledger spent the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before his death in the Dickensian back lanes of Clerkenwell, East London, where he was filming scenes from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

"He was sitting in the corner, sneezing and coughing," said Cheryl Dougal, a barmaid at the Horseshoe, the 17th-century pub that was the location for the shoot.

"He looked pretty banged up."

The outdoor shoot continued despite the drizzle that clouded London in a slate-grey mist last week. As the temperature dropped into single figures at night, the actors were ferried back between takes to their trailers a few streets away.

Ledger arrived on set in full costume and make-up, wearing a white cloak, a helmet and a beak-mask, for his role as a shadowy outsider who joins the theatre troupe of Dr Parnassus, played by Christopher Plummer.

This week, Plummer said the London set had been cold. "You know how damp it gets in London. And at night the temperature drops horribly, and that little breeze gets up. You have to wear tonnes of stuff," he told Entertainment Weekly.

"Heath did have a terrible, lingering bug and he couldn't sleep at all. We all thought he'd probably got walking pneumonia."

Bur Plummer said speculation that Ledger committed suicide didn't make any sense.

"He was looking forward … he was in such a good, happy mood about the picture. Looking forward to going to Vancouver. He was enjoying the film thoroughly.

"I just left a very laughing, happy fellow, practically a few minutes ago. It's quite shocking because it's so incredible."

With THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/26/1201157738746.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 27, 2008, 09:41:29 am
from The New York Times:

January 27, 2008

When Icons Die Young


By JENNY LYN BADER

A YOUNG man lying in bed seems at peace. You might recognize him, or not, as he is not in a familiar role. He is supposed to wake up but he never does, causing a surge of public sadness.

Heath Ledger passed away only Tuesday, but his transformation is already under way, from acclaimed actor to most-searched Internet term, from film star to cultural touchstone.

The blogosphere went into overdrive. In two days his memorial page on Facebook had over 30,000 members. The entertainment Web site TMZ generated over 74 pages of user comments. Hundreds of eulogies for the 28-year-old Australian appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald’s site.

What accounts for this need to pay public tribute? Successive generations have felt that impulse — the need to make sense of untimely death, and even justify it, by celebrating the dead young person in an outsize way, or, every so often, to attend the funeral of someone they don’t know.

When the actor Rudolph Valentino lay in state in 1926 at the age of 31, more than 50,000 fans showed up. In 1955, Baby Boomers grieved the passing of the 24-year-old James Dean, who received two posthumous Academy Award nominations on his way to the pantheon.

In 1994, Generation X-ers, too, lost a 20-something artistic legend, with the death of Kurt Cobain. Mr. Cobain proved an unfortunate role model to some younger followers, inspiring a few copycat suicides and fueling speculation that there could be a wave of such imitations. This phenomenon, known as the Werther Effect, takes its name from Goethe’s “Sorrows of Young Werther.” The popular novel featured a hero who like Mr. Cobain, stirred fans both to dress like him and die like him.

When Marilyn Monroe died of a drug overdose three decades earlier, the overall suicide rate in the United States briefly rose by 12 percent. Fortunately, perhaps due to all the therapy and anti-depressants available in the 1990s, Mr. Cobain never had quite the Werther Effect that Werther had.

Star suicides shock us, raising the question of whether celebrities, underneath all their glamorous trappings, are just as miserable and depressed as everyone else. The suicides of the abject rarely, but occasionally, attract attention, too.

In 1770, the starving poet Thomas Chatterton killed himself at 17. His talents were not recognized until later, when the Romantic poets began romanticizing his literary brilliance and tragic death. Two of those who praised Chatterton met tragic early ends themselves — Keats by tuberculosis at 25, Shelley by drowning at 29.

As of now, the death of Mr. Ledger seems unintentional. No matter: the unintended death of someone with so much to live for captivates the public, too. Consider the mania surrounding Tutankhamen more than 3,000 years after he died at age 18.

In generational terms, the death of a contemporary most frightens the young. When one notable lifetime ends, that generation begins to end, too. The death of someone cut down in the prime of life brings home our own mortality. Maybe our rendering them immortal is our way of not facing that inevitability.

Yet, ultimately, the sudden loss of a young luminary offers a powerful message, not only about death but about life choices. There is the dilemma of Achilles, the Greek hero who learns from his mother that he has two options: go home and live a long life or die at war and earn everlasting fame.

He chooses fame, and upon his early death is mourned by mortals and gods alike. When a 20-something superstar expires, one cannot help but wonder how many celebrities make Achilles’ bargain with fame. In a way it is comforting, perhaps even life affirming, for the majority of human beings, nonsuperstars, to think they have chosen the other course.

Then there are the hard-core fans. One big fan of Achilles was Alexander the Great, who pretty much conquered the known world by the age of 25. He died at 32.

Mr. Ledger was originally offered the role of Alexander played by Colin Farrell in the biopic. Instead he will be remembered for being a leading man who is all things to all people from Casanova himself to Ennis del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain” to a literal knight in shining armor. In a way he will even be remembered for his courage, in a day and age when playing a gay role requires courage. And today he seems poised to conquer at least some of the known world in another way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bader.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=heath+ledger&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 27, 2008, 09:46:12 am
from the Associated Press, by way of the New York Times:

January 26, 2008

Redford to Take on 'A Walk in the Woods'


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 3:51 p.m. ET

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- With the Sundance Film Festival nearly over, Robert Redford is going for ''A Walk in the Woods.''

Redford told The Associated Press that his next film project is an adaptation of the best-selling 1998 Bill Bryson book about hiking the Appalachian Trail. He will produce the film and star as Bryson, and Barry Levinson is expected to direct it.

''It'll be fun. I don't know when I've read a book that I laughed so loud,'' Redford said by phone Friday from California. ''Also it's a chance to take a look at the country. ... The backdrop is pretty terrific, if you stop to think of all the visuals that are possible as they go along that trail.''

After that, Redford said he'll tackle the ''inside, down-to-the mats story'' of how Branch Rickey helped Jackie Robinson break into major league baseball in 1947.

''What Rickey had to do, what Robinson had to go through, and the partnership they had to form, that's a story nobody knows,'' Redford said. ''It's just a fascinating story.''

Redford, who has been part of Sundance since its inception 30 years ago, said he and other festival-goers were shocked and saddened by the news that actor Heath Ledger died on Tuesday. Ledger had appeared in two Sundance films, 1997's ''Blackrock'' and 1999's ''Two Hands.''

''I just think he was one of those actors that was very, very special because he played so many different kinds of roles, and much of his work was more in the independent area,'' Redford said. ''That's too young to check out.''

As for this year's Sundance festival, which concludes Sunday, Redford said he was only able to see a few films, including ''U2 3D,'' ''In Bruges'' and ''What Just Happened?'' which was directed by Levinson.

Redford noted that there were more new filmmakers at the festival this year than ever before, and praised the ''crossover'' movies that have grown in prominence here: ''You're seeing music in film, you're seeing poetry in film, you're seeing animation.''

Redford reiterated his concern that the festival is being judged not by its films but by peripheral activities like the lavish parties companies throw to attract celebrities and promote the companies' products.

''I don't have any problem with a large part of this. It's just once some of the media began to focus on the other part, and then judge us by that, then that got frustrating,'' he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Film-Sundance-Redford.html?scp=12&sq=heath+ledger&st=nyt
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 27, 2008, 01:39:57 pm
Heath Ledger Mourned In Private Los Angeles Memorial

(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/9471/thumbs/s-HEATH-LEDGER-DIES-large.jpg)
Huffington Post   |   January 27, 2008 09:01 AM


Heath Ledger was mourned in a private memorial Saturday in Los Angeles attended by family, friends and former girlfriends. He was found dead in New York on Tuesday. His casket was taken from New York to Los Angeles late Friday afternoon.

The New York Daily News reports:


Security guards stood at the gates of the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary as LAPD officers swept the grounds after closing hours.

Soon after, three black SUVs believed to be carrying Heath's father and other relatives as well as his ex-fiancée, the actress Michelle Williams, sped onto the grounds. They left a half hour later.

Also spotted entering the chapel where Heath's coffin lay was actress Naomi Watts, who dated the Oscar-nominated actor for nearly two years...

Two SUVs also left Williams' Brooklyn townhouse early yesterday for the airport. Several bags of luggage and a car seat used by Ledger's 2-year-old daughter with Williams were loaded into the vehicles before they whisked several people away from the Boerum Hill home.



People Magazine reports:


A memorial that drew Naomi Watts and other friends and relatives of Heath Ledger was held in Beverly Hills on Saturday night, just hours after the actor's death was marked at a New York event.

A small gathering of black-dressed mourners, including the Australian actress, was seen in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel around 8 p.m. for the private event, a source said. Ledger's rep had said that no public memorial was planned for Los Angeles.




Us Magazine reports the Beverly Hills Hotel event was an intimate memorial dinner:

Around fifteen people wore black for the occasion as they reminisced about the 28-year-old actor who was found dead in Manhattan on Tuesday.

An onlooker tells Usmagazine.com, "Even though it was a sad occasion, everyone was smiling, hugging each other and holding hands. It was a really positive group."
 


His body is now expected to be taken to Perth by his family. Mary-Kate Olsen continues to maintain her silence over the 3 phone calls she received before 911, other than a brief statement she released on Friday. His inconclusive autopsy has toxicology results still pending.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on January 27, 2008, 01:58:36 pm
Authorities are also annoyed at news reports that there may have been a sinister plot to remove illegal drugs from Ledger's apartment before cops and firemen arrived. There are reports out there that the masseuse called Mary-Kate Olsen and a plot was hatched to have her bodyguard remove certain drugs. Authorities tell us that's impossible, because the cops were there the entire time the bodyguard was present and there would have been no opportunity to carry out such a plan. They say it's a made up story.

Gah, who knows.  We're just going to have to wait for the toxicology tests.  I just got the People magazine with Heath on the cover and it's nothing but an article full of comments about Heath's "partying" and (illegal) drug use.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 27, 2008, 02:04:41 pm
Thanks for that article, John.  That's the first hard news we've had about an LA memorial service.  I'll update the first post on the Developments thread.

I'm very glad that it looks like Phelps and his crew have been thwarted in their plans to picket.  Thank goodness!  :P
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: dot-matrix on January 27, 2008, 08:33:56 pm
I feel certain that Jake and Maggie were at this memorial

(http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3075/agelogoforprintercv9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)


Ledger family heading home

Sarah-Jane Collins
January 28, 2008


A PRIVATE memorial service for Heath Ledger was held in Los Angeles yesterday. The 28-year-old actor's family and friends attended the service, which took place in Beverly Hills, the website etonline reported.

And in New York, at the G'Day USA Australia Day Ball, a letter from Ledger's father was read to the 1000-strong crowd of guests inside the Waldorf Astoria hotel's grand ballroom.

"Heath is, and always will be, an Australian," wrote Kim Ledger in a message read by John Olsen, the Australian consul-general in New York. "He adored his home. His last two weeks with us over Christmas in Perth were just bliss.

"Heath did not become an actor for the fame or fortune. He loved his craft and he loved helping his friends.

"My image of Heath in New York is him with his skateboard, a canvas bag and his beanie. That was Heath to me."

The actor's death last Tuesday shook the large Australian contingent of celebrities, politicians, trade officials and entertainers who gathered at the glamour event to celebrate the end of the two-week G'Day USA festival.

Ledger's body was removed from New York's Frank E. Campbell funeral home on Saturday in a wooden crate for the long journey back to Perth. His family flew to the US to escort his body.

Ledger's memorial in LA was a private affair, open only to family and friends, including many of the stars and directors who worked with him during his 20-plus film career.

"There are no plans for a public service," Ledger's US-based publicist Mara Buxbaum said in an email to the New York Times newspaper.

That decision was made to protect the family's privacy and avoid a possible confrontation with US religious fanatics who threatened to picket any memorial service for the star because of the actor's portrayal of a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.

In the days since his death there has been frenzied speculation over what killed the young star, after the results of autopsy on his body were inconclusive.

Reports in the British press have speculated that Ledger was heavily dependent on both prescription and illicit drugs, and had become increasingly anxious over custody arrangements for his two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

But a report on celebrity gossip site TMZ.com said sources close to the actor believed there was a real possibility his death was a result of natural causes.

"It's now appearing that the level of toxicity (from medication) in Ledger's system was low enough that it may not have caused his death," the site reported.

With AGENCIES


This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/27/1201368944851.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 28, 2008, 10:10:55 am
From The Age, Australia:

Hutchence's mother reaches out to Ledger family



January 28, 2008 - 10:35AM

The mother of late rock star Michael Hutchence says she has "shed tears" for Heath Ledger's daughter, who will never know her father.

Patricia Glassop has reached out to Ledger's mother Sally in an open letter to New Idea magazine, sharing the "heartbreak" of losing a son in the prime of his life.

"I wished I could pick up the phone to give you some consolation as I shed tears for your family, loved ones and Matilda," Ms Glassop said.

"I know how heartbreaking it is to see your son in a bodybag."

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday, which would have been Hutchence's 48th birthday.

Hutchence died at Sydney's Ritz-Carlton hotel in November 1997, with the NSW coroner ruling he had committed suicide.

Some of those closest to him, including his brother, believe he accidentally strangled himself during a sex act.

Ledger had been tipped to play Hutchence during a biopic of the late INXS frontman.

Ms Glassop said Ledger's daughter Matilda would suffer most.

"(She), like my granddaughter Tiger Lily, will never know her father ... it breaks my heart to think about her watching his films, like Tiger watches Michael's clips," she said.

The cause of Ledger's death remains unclear, with authorities awaiting toxicology results to determine whether he may have suffered a drug overdose.

His body was removed from New York's Frank E Campbell funeral home yesterday in a wooden crate for the long journey home to Perth, where he will be farewelled by family and friends.

AAP

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/28/1201368992658.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 28, 2008, 10:27:11 am
Ledger had been tipped to play Hutchence during a biopic of the late INXS frontman.

Oh, that's spooky.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 28, 2008, 12:37:28 pm
Quote from: MaineWriter on Today at 07:10:55 AM
Ledger had been tipped to play Hutchence during a biopic of the late INXS frontman.

Oh, that's spooky.  :(

Ledger would have been the obvious choice though.  The star quality, the sexual charisma . . .      :P
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 28, 2008, 03:25:33 pm
From the Daily Intelligencer, New York Magazine:

The ‘Post’ Still in the Anger Stage of Dealing With Heath Ledger's Death

We are still several days away from finding out results of the toxicology reports being done on Heath Ledger's body, but the New York Post is still having trouble with the fact that, as yet, there is no one to blame. Last week, we were surprised at all of the heat they brought on Mary-Kate Olsen. They put her face on the cover and claimed she was to be questioned by police (they stand by the story, but cops are now saying they won't be speaking with the actress). Olsen is involved, as even your golden retriever must know by now, because the masseuse who found Ledger's body mysteriously called her before calling 911. Olsen sent in her bodyguards rather than calling the police. After we and other Websites like Gawker.com pointed out the contradiction between the paper's story and what police were saying, we were e-mailed with a blusterous comment from Post editor Col Allan, which implied that the police were "afraid" of Olsen and that's why they wouldn't question her. Then, they followed up on Saturday with a photo-free cover, which asked "WHY" the police weren't questioning Olsen. There was an interior editorial that day explaining that the tabloid was receiving "dark communications" from Olsen's lawyers, threatening them.

Which brings us to today. The paper now concedes that two of the three calls the masseuse made to Olsen didn't connect. But a report in the Sydney Telegraph lends credence to their claims that more questions should be asked, because a witness said that Mary-Kate's bodyguards arrived three minutes before the cops. Now, enter Cindy Adams. The Post gossip columnist connected the dots for readers, all but accusing Olsen's bodyguards of criminal tampering with evidence:

    I know zip about Operation Mary-Kate Olsen. I only know how it plays in similar situations. Private security guards — the music biz calls them "the cleanup crew" — get dispatched PDQ. They show before anybody's called. They dispose of illegal substances right under authorities' noses and then "cooperate" with the fuzz. I mean, you didn't figure all that by yourselves? You needed me to explain this?

No, we didn’t need you to explain it to us, Cindy. But we're betting Olsen's lawyer might want to have it repeated a couple of times.

Whether or not Mary-Kate had some sinister role in Ledger's death, we'll let the police decide. It almost feels as if the Post hopes that she does. But one thing we really do appreciate about their coverage is this: They always refer to Mary-Kate as "the former Full House actress." Not designer, not business mogul, not fashion icon. Which is one of the small, but hilarious, types of snub that really makes us love that damn paper.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/01/post_kills_time_mary_kate_unti.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 28, 2008, 04:21:17 pm
From the Daily Intelligencer, New York Magazine:

The ‘Post’ Still in the Anger Stage of Dealing With Heath Ledger's Death

Whether or not Mary-Kate had some sinister role in Ledger's death, we'll let the police decide. It almost feels as if the Post hopes that she does. But one thing we really do appreciate about their coverage is this: They always refer to Mary-Kate as "the former Full House actress." Not designer, not business mogul, not fashion icon. Which is one of the small, but hilarious, types of snub that really makes us love that damn paper.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/01/post_kills_time_mary_kate_unti.html

Sorry if I'm being inappropriate, but this paragraph just made me chuckle.  ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 28, 2008, 04:27:36 pm
Sorry if I'm being inappropriate, but this paragraph just made me chuckle.  ;D

The whole article made me chuckle, Jeff. I thought we were due for a laugh.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 28, 2008, 04:54:18 pm
That decision was made to protect the family's privacy and avoid a possible confrontation with US religious fanatics who threatened to picket any memorial service for the star because of the actor's portrayal of a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.


Now that just males me so so so mad.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 28, 2008, 06:47:16 pm
The Show Must Go On.  Terry Gilliam is doing his best to try to salvage Heath Ledger's last film:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174404,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontentcnn
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: HerrKaiser on January 28, 2008, 08:16:04 pm
Sure hope the director pulls this off. It is somewhat standard to try hard to find a way to salavage a film when such a tragedy occurs. There was simply too little footage in "something's got to give" when Marilyn Monroe died so it was scrapped. but when vivien leigh had a breakdown on the set of Elephant Walk, for example, they replaced her with the not-well-known Liz Taylor. Many of the long shots of "her" is actually leigh.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 28, 2008, 09:15:19 pm
Quote
When the actor Rudolph Valentino lay in state in 1926 at the age of 31, more than 50,000 fans showed up. In 1955, Baby Boomers grieved the passing of the 24-year-old James Dean, who received two posthumous Academy Award nominations on his way to the pantheon.

A minor quibble, but careless for the NYT. The very oldest Baby Boomers were barely 10 in 1955. I doubt they were the main ones grieving James Dean.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 28, 2008, 09:41:46 pm

From this morning's Sydney Morning Herald, Tues 29 Jan 2008:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/look-whos-closing-mardi-gras/2008/01/28/1201369036438.html


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 28, 2008, 10:07:29 pm

Also in this morning's Sydney Morning Herald, Tues 29 Jan 2008:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/i-miss-him-terribly/2008/01/29/1201369094178.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 28, 2008, 10:20:08 pm

Sydney Morning Herald tribute to Heath. Lots of articles:

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/heath-ledger/index.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 29, 2008, 03:42:41 am
A minor quibble, but careless for the NYT. The very oldest Baby Boomers were barely 10 in 1955. I doubt they were the main ones grieving James Dean.





You know, I was bugged by that too, but then forgot by the end of the article.  I'm doing that a lot.  There are several things I observed when I saw I'm Not There yesterday that I really wanted to share with you all, but can't seem to access what they were.

Back to the NYT - there have been a few articles of theirs about Heath that were garbly and poorly edited for flow.  Whaddup with them? 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 29, 2008, 03:49:11 am
Also in this morning's Sydney Morning Herald, Tues 29 Jan 2008:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/i-miss-him-terribly/2008/01/29/1201369094178.html



That was a nice article about Chris Nolan, but honestly, when his picture came on my screen, the first thought I had was that HE looked like  my old mental image of the Joker.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 29, 2008, 07:08:15 am

The terse, pitifully inadequate Time magazine obituary. In the same issue (Feb 4) they dedicated three  pages (including a full-page photo) to Sylvester Stallone !!! Very disappointing.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1706753,00.html

And as for the bit about, "He (Heath) leaves behind a too small body of films . . .", how many films did James Dean "leave behind"?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 29, 2008, 07:11:02 am

Go here for 48 hits re Heath from Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/searchresults?N=0&Ntk=NoBody&Nty=1&Nr=OR%28p_record_type%3AArticle%2Cp_record_type%3Ablog%2Cp_record_type%3AOther%29&Ntt=heath+ledger&btnSearch.x=23&btnSearch.y=5&btnSearch=Search

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 29, 2008, 09:40:52 am
The Answer B!tch from E!Online gives us a bit of information about the mystery masseuse...

Who's this mystery masseuse, anyway?


So, who is this massage therapist who was with Heath Ledger right after he died? How come she kept calling Mary-Kate Olsen before finally calling 911? Who does that?
—Amy, Hoboken, New Jersey

The B!tch Replies:  Now, now. Before you go slapping around Diana Wolozin, let's be fair. She may not have a license to practice in the state of New York, but she does, apparently, have a Chihuahua. Perhaps he's the one with the license, using his padded little feet to pummel away at the stubborn muscle knots of the stars, all while Diana makes ill-fated telephone calls. Really. This is show business. You never, ever know.

Here's what we do know about the Upper West Side celebrity masseuse who reportedly helped discover Heath Ledger's lifeless body earlier this month:

   1. She's a bit of a ghost. Information has no current landline listings for her. She has no business website or blog. She has never been quoted—as a massage expert or in any other capacity—in any major media outlet. I also attempted to reach a relative of hers for comment; no response.

   2. Wolozin does not have the license required to practice her craft in the state of New York. Practicing without a license is a potential felony.

   3. However, the NYPD told me today it isn't pursuing Wolozin for her lack of license. Instead, a department spokesman told me, that's up to state regulators.

   4. The state hasn't said whether it will go after Wolozin or what possible punishment it could pursue. The State Education Department, which regulates massage therapists, didn't return my call seeking elaboration.

   5. And she doesn't appear to keep company with other masseuses. "We don't seem to have anyone by that name as a member," a spokeswoman for the American Massage Therapy Association told me.

   6. She really, really doesn't want to talk about Heath. At least not to anyone other than Mary-Kate Olsen, also one of her clients. When reporters approached her at her Upper West Side home earlier this week, she, per the New York Post, hissed, "Go away! Go away!"

   7. So, as to why she kept calling the actress instead of immediately dialing 911 after discovering Heath's lifeless form, no one is really sure. Yet.

   8. The cops don't have a problem with her, as far as Ledger is concerned. They say she has fully cooperated with them in their investigation into the actor's death.

I have no doubt we'll hear from Wolozin, or her Chihuahua, eventually.

http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=cb109866-a4b6-459c-9ca8-5c04c4e78e11&contentType=answerBitch
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ennisjack on January 29, 2008, 09:42:48 am
  Not sure if this is the place to post this. If it's not, please, let me know.

  I found this this morning while googling the news. I read it a found it to be a stirring tribute to our sweet angel.

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/on-the-death-of-heath-ledger/

EJ
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 29, 2008, 09:50:19 am
from the New York Daily News:

Heath Ledger to be buried in 25G mahogany casket

By RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, January 29th 2008, 4:00 AM

LOS ANGELES - Heath Ledger's body will be laid to rest in a $25,000 mahogany casket lined with cream-colored velvet, the Daily News has learned.

The handmade Concord mahogany casket is considered one of the finest wooden coffins on the market.

"It's a very, very beautiful casket - really special, really fancy," a source told The News.

The 28-year-old actor was found dead - naked and facedown on his bed - inside his SoHo loft last Tuesday. Authorities suspect the "Brokeback Mountain" heartthrob's shocking death may be linked to the six types of prescription drugs found in his bedroom.

Ledger, a rising star in Hollywood known for his brooding personality and complex roles, is expected to be buried in his native Perth, Australia.

Funeral plans remain shrouded in secrecy, but the Bowra & O'Dea funeral home in Midland Australia, is believed to be handling the arrangements.

The century-old funeral home is just a couple of miles away from Guildford, where Ledger attended grammar school in the 1980s.

Mike Ledger, Heath's uncle, told Australian news services that the family was still finalizing plans, but they were considering holding a private wake at Guildford Grammar.

Employees at Bowra & O'Dea were tight-lipped yesterday.

"I don't have any information I can tell you, sorry," a manager said when asked when Ledger's body would be received.

Ledger was memorialized by family members and a handful of A-list celebrities in a private service at a Los Angeles celebrity mortuary Saturday night.

In attendance were Michelle Williams, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his 2-year-old daughter, and the actress Naomi Watts, who dated the Oscar-nominated actor for nearly two years.

Ledger's lifeless body was discovered last week by a masseuse who repeatedly called celebrity twin Mary-Kate Olsen for help before she dialed 911.

Olsen dispatched her bodyguards to her celebrity pal's apartment; they arrived at the same time as emergency medical technicians, police sources say. Police officials have stated repeatedly they're not interested in questioning Olsen.

[email protected]

With David Cohen in Midland, Australia

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/01/29/2008-01-29_heath_ledger_to_be_buried_in_25g_mahogan.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 29, 2008, 09:59:19 am
from Ace Showbiz:

Michelle Williams' 'Blue Valentine' On Hold

January 29, 2008 06:36:30 GMT
by Staff Writer

Having its leading actress, Michelle Williams, grieving for the sudden death of her former lover, the THINKFilm's upcoming romantic comedy "Blue Valentine" has been postponed indefinitely. According to People, the Derek Cianfrance directed-film is put on hold to give the former "Dawson's Creek" cast member time to cope from the death of Heath Ledger.

To People, an insider said, "We will hold off until she is ready. The production is in the process of sorting it out in respect to her." Elaborating on the postponement news, the source then added, "We're hoping she will still come back and do the film and are happy to wait. The film is tailor made for those two so of course we would want to wait. You can't get much better than them."

Supposedly, "Blue" starts filming on February 25. The movie starring also Ryan Gosling is a relationship drama focused on a young couple, David and Cindy, who are struggling with their marriage. Their problem is that while Cindy has blossomed into a woman with opportunities and options, David is still the same person he was when they met and is unable to accept either Cindy's growth or his lack of it.

Williams was engaged to Ledger and have a 2-year-old daughter Matilda from the relationship. Last September, they have decided to split after three years together. When Ledger passed away last week on January 22, the 27-year-old actress had just finished filming her last scene in the film "Mammuth" in Sweden.

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00013795.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 29, 2008, 10:02:56 am
from the New York Daily News:

naked and facedown on his bed

Jesus H.! Must they keep repeating this?  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 29, 2008, 12:03:09 pm
Jesus H.! Must they keep repeating this?  >:(

Yeah, doesn't it make you think of Elton John's tribute to Marilyn Monroe:

"All the papers had to say was that Marilyn was found in the nude."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 29, 2008, 12:57:49 pm
I looked back in this thread and didn't see this abomination mentioned anywhere, so forgive me if it's in another thread somewhere (and mods, feel free to delete if it is). I also did a search and didn't find it. I am posting only the link and not the full text, because the words themselves are so horrifyingly disrespectful that I don't even want to see them posted here. It's disgusting. The hideous disrespect to both Heath's memory and Michelle shown by this woman is mind-boggling.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=510412&in_page_id=1773
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 29, 2008, 03:52:46 pm
and then there is this cow...

http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=my-life-is-madness&method=full&objectid=20300313&siteid=93463-name_page.html

Even if it true - I'm sorry but I'm a better looker than her.. if she managed to get Heath then there was hope for all of us.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 29, 2008, 04:06:05 pm
and then there is this cow...

http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=my-life-is-madness&method=full&objectid=20300313&siteid=93463-name_page.html

Even if it true - I'm sorry but I'm a better looker than her.. if she managed to get Heath then there was hope for all of us.


I found that article, too. I have been debating for a few hours whether or not to post the link.

Folks, be warned. This woman paints a very sad and tragic picture of Heath. The story (in a nutshell) is that he picked her up in a bar and they went back to his hotel together. The article is about the time they shared that evening. It occurred in December when he was in London. Be warned: drug use is involved.

It appears to be a tabloid magazine and who knows, the story might be rubbish. Unfortunately, I have a sad feeling that it is more or less true, although perhaps exaggerated.

If you are not in the mood to read something upsetting, don't click on the link.

L


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 29, 2008, 04:12:38 pm
I ask you... if you spent a night with him and he confided in you... would you do this? They couldn't have beaten and tortured that out of me, even it was true.

But I don't understand how someone who was supposedly SO heavy into illegal drugs was found with absolutely no trace of any anywhere around him. If you have a substance abuse problem, it's not something you can just put down and pick up at will. Yes, people who are upset or depressed can sometimes drink more than they normally would, or occasionally take drugs (illegal or otherwise) to dull the pain. But that's very different from the picture being painted in these articles, which is of a man who could not function without cocaine and/or heroin, and was not fit to be around a child. And I'm sorry, but in the kind of world we live in today, if that were true, it would have come out before now.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on January 29, 2008, 04:17:21 pm
It appears to be a tabloid magazine and who knows, the story might be rubbish. Unfortunately, I have a sad feeling that it is more or less true, although perhaps exaggerated.


I don't feel it's true. That woman has the word liar all over her face. Some newspapers are sadly hungry for any story about Heath Ledger since there's nothing else to report. The topic it is still hot yet there's no news. The family has banned the media from the burial service and all memorial services so they have their reporters fishing for any story about Heath that could sell, and I am sure a lot aren't bothering in checking the veracity. Something tells me that this one in particular is not true. I think it is possible Heath did drugs. If he hung out with the likes of Mary Kate Olsen or Helena Christensen, he probably did drugs. Those two are known cokeheads. But this story in particular strikes me as bullshit.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 29, 2008, 04:17:47 pm
They give out these stories because they are offered considerable cash to tell them.  Whether they are accurate or not is impossible to tell.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 29, 2008, 04:19:29 pm
I ask you... if you spent a night with him and he confided in you... would you do this? They couldn't have beaten and tortured that out of me, even it was true.

But I don't understand how someone who was supposedly SO heavy into illegal drugs was found with absolutely no trace of any anywhere around him. If you have a substance abuse problem, it's not something you can just put down and pick up at will. Yes, people who are upset or depressed can sometimes drink more than they normally would, or occasionally take drugs (illegal or otherwise) to dull the pain. But that's very different from the picture being painted in these articles, which is of a man who could not function without cocaine and/or heroin, and was not fit to be around a child. And I'm sorry, but in the kind of world we live in today, if that were true, it would have come out before now.

Very true, good points all.

But maybe a lap dancer who went to grammar school in Brighton (hell of a description, isn't it?) is seeking her 15 minutes of fame. So pathetic...

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 29, 2008, 04:29:28 pm
I'm sure there are many people here from the UK who can also attest to this... but I lived 8 years in London and read probably thousands of stories like this in the tabloids that simply were not true. And I worked in the media there.

But yes, there's a possibility this story is true. I've known many depressed men in my time, famous and otherwise, who have behaved exactly like this when miserable over a failed relationship. Men who normally wouldn't act remotely like this otherwise. Life happens. But some of the details in this piece are shockingly crass in their indiscretion and insensitivity. No amount of cash exists in this world that would have convinced me to do this. Some things just are not for sale, and should go to your grave with you.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Soluki on January 29, 2008, 04:30:09 pm
This man was not a saint.  I defy any of us to say that we have nothing that we would NOT want to come out under similar circumstances.  Mr. Ledger was  human being, nothing more, nothing less.  He, like all of us had failings.  As Mainewriter said, there is more than likely a kernel of truth to this story (and many of the other stories).  I may not choose to believe all of them in their entirety, but what I do take from them is that this man was a good but flawed human being (like all of us), talented, good looking, and perhaps tragic.  Who among us can say that we aren't or haven't been respectively tragic in our own lives?

I grieve for the loss of potential, however it was lost.  I grieve for the changes that potential could have brought to this world, but remember;  There is the same potential in all of us.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 29, 2008, 04:52:28 pm
Yeah the people has been known to print more than a fe kiss and tells which turn out to be apack of lies - yes some are true - but this girl - how could she - the guy is dead for gods sake - if you need the money you could have still got a deal without all these sordid details...

There probably is some grain of truth in it - but to do as much drug taking as he supposedly did, would we not have had an inkling before now?

And Leslie - thanks for giving people a heads up - I should ahve probably have done that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on January 29, 2008, 04:57:38 pm
I don't feel it's true. That woman has the word liar all over her face. Some newspapers are sadly hungry for any story about Heath Ledger since there's nothing else to report. The topic it is still hot yet there's no news. The family has banned the media from the burial service and all memorial services so they have their reporters fishing for any story about Heath that could sell, and I am sure a lot aren't bothering in checking the veracity. Something tells me that this one in particular is not true. I think it is possible Heath did drugs. If he hung out with the likes of Mary Kate Olsen or Helena Christensen, he probably did drugs. Those two are known cokeheads. But this story in particular strikes me as bullshit.

And Heath had been renting a house in North London, not staying in hotels -- per the interview with Sarah Lyall that took place shortly before the release of I'm Not There in November.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 29, 2008, 06:55:32 pm
from New York Magazine:

Intelligencer

Among Us


(http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/heath080204_250.jpg)
(Photo: Ben Watts/Corbis Outline)

If Heath and Michelle’s life in Brooklyn seemed like a wonderful dream, it was ours, not theirs.

By Samantha Hunt Published Jan 27, 2008


I t was a friend from Berlin who first pointed out his house to me. “That’s where Heath and Michelle live.”

“Really? How do you know?”

She looked at me sideways, unsure whether to believe me. “How do you not know?”

I could easily name the Brooklyn streets where Marianne Moore, Truman Capote, and Walt Whitman had lived. But this sort of celebrity? Of course I knew who he was. In fact, after seeing Brokeback Mountain, heart aching, I’d combed through the magazines at the supermarket checkout—a thing I’d not been compelled to do since the days of Scott Baio. I was looking for a way back to Wyoming, looking for Ledger’s photo. I just hadn’t known—until that moment—that he lived down the street from me.

Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams chose Brooklyn. They chose to do their laundry, take out their trash, change their baby’s diapers among us, in this place where so many end up washed up after the early, damaged days of youth, after dating bad men and drinking too much. To settle down (not to say settle, exactly). They could live wherever they wanted, but they chose Brooklyn. Ledger donned all that was good and laid-back about living here as if it were his best role, the most independent film yet, and we his happy extras.

When Brownstoner.com initially reported that Ledger and Williams had bought a home in Boerum Hill, one commenter posted that “roughly half the couples in the neighborhood with babies could be them.” But that’s not true, of course. They’d bought a fantastic corner brownstone. It was huge. There was a garden, soaring windows, an unheard-of three-car garage. The house shimmered as if they had a bit of Wyoming hidden behind that fence, loads of fresh air, mountains, horses, and gorgeous, gay cowboys who were, just then, saddling up to go give Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner hell. We imagined Ledger’s life. We lived it for him, and we didn’t even have to ask permission, because he was a celebrity. Here they could play at being regular people. They could go grocery shopping without having the clothes ripped from their bodies. We wouldn’t even sneak quick cell-phone photos of their child. We would keep our cool. We were that mature. We lived in Brooklyn now. The faked privacy we offered afforded these movie stars the casual grace that belongs to the rest of us, the ability to curl up inside their Brooklyn roles like Method actors, just a couple of hipsters in our little village. And in that, didn’t they became the proof that we were all living our dreams?

At the very least, for a brief moment, we could stand next to the fire of their beauty, the breathlessness of their youth and glory, while we pretended to ignore them at Bar Tabac.

Death returns Ledger from a star back to a son, a partner, a father—those relationships that actually matter. As fans, we are incidental. Still, the loss is compounded here because we’d gotten used to pretending he was like us. We thought he was safe. We thought he was ours. How did he slip back to Soho, where his brownstone and his baby meant so very little to death?

There are no cowboys on Dean Street. The magic of the movies is dampened here. Having admired Ledger from afar, having brushed shoulders and shopping carts with him, we are left wondering what it was we thought we saw flickering behind those brownstone walls

http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/43332/ (http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/43332/)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 29, 2008, 07:00:29 pm
from New York Magazine:

In fact, after seeing Brokeback Mountain, heart aching, I’d combed through the magazines at the supermarket checkout—a thing I’d not been compelled to do since the days of Scott Baio. I was looking for a way back to Wyoming, looking for Ledger’s photo. I just hadn’t known—until that moment—that he lived down the street from me.



I'm just sayin'.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 29, 2008, 07:11:59 pm
We're currently in the "news blackhole" with this story.  Entertainment media usually defines this as a time between the initial breaking of the story in the press and the period before the next big development, which in this case will be the funeral and/or the drug testing results from the autopsy.

Friends, this period always means the same thing - we're now squarely in the Spec-U-Plex, where anchorpeople bring in other media people, pundits, and gossip reliant media to endlessly speculate, first about Heath's untimely death, followed by speculation on why early reports were right or wrong, followed by speculation on secondary figures "involved" (Mary Kate), and then when things get really drawn out, they start to speculate on why they are all speculating about the story.  You'll know when we've reached that moment when they start interviewing each other about how other forms of press got the story all wrong.

It's called killing time - enough to keep the viewer/reader's attention held at a time when they are hungry for details, but feeding them junk food journalism along the way.

If you're offended by all this, they figure when the drug test results are made public, all will be forgiven.

My guess is that once this has been released, depending on the findings, the media will quickly move off the story until the next film that has Heath in it readies for release, when the studio will then exploit Ledger for maximum cash potential - "see his final role."  It's all very unpleasant.

So I'd beware of virtually all of the speculation stories, the 15-minutes of famers claiming to have done this or that with Heath, and the wolf packs of pile-on journalism, because as we've seen from the countless media reports I've posted on the video thread, they get the story all wrong quite a lot, and amazingly just pick up where they left off, supposedly guilt-free, when they are proven wrong.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 29, 2008, 07:16:49 pm
Amen, brother.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 29, 2008, 07:47:03 pm
It is curious to watch this all unfold, because rarely have I ever followed a sensational news story about a celebrity death so closely.  I have ignored the news media, particularly television - for over twenty years.

That is what makes it a bit difficult to tell whether people just invent out of whole cloth.  A woman who might have shared drinks and a night together with Heath once, embellishing the tale for a few dollars more, or a reporter encouraging the embellishment to the point of fiction.

The frustrating part of it is - we may never find out the actual truth, and those who know the truth - may never tell us.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 29, 2008, 07:54:48 pm
Very true, good points all.

But maybe a lap dancer who went to grammar school in Brighton (hell of a description, isn't it?) is seeking her 15 minutes of fame. So pathetic...

L


Seriously, that story was just so...far out. I mean, just the s tyle the tabloids use in writing this kind of sleaze, in order to make the "ordinary bloke" readers bond with the girl in question:

Quote
Katie, a former grammar school girl from Birmingham

LOL! That gave me a good laugh.

And the way they write the sex part - as if presenting the rejected script for one of the more explicit romance paperbacks ....  ::)  ::) Although that bra thing lends realism to the whole thing... or not.  ::)

I fully believe that tale is fabricated. There is nothing in that "interview" that you couldn't boil together and dish out after having read the tabloids and seen the news the first couple of days after Heath's death (which easily gave the impression he was a junkie on par with Amy Winehouse)  >:(, and googling him and finding out a bit about Michelle and Matilda etc. and getting hold of the last pics from the "Parnassus" filming the same way. The looks of the Heath she describes seems to fit those images exceedingly well. If I was a sufficiently evil bitch I could have come up with that story based on that same information.

She's probably based the story on some other random guy picking her up. Would make it easier to include sufficient "realism". This lapdancin' gal is totally after some bucks and those 15 minutes of fame. And she made up a tabloid tale to prove it.

No, I'm not so delusional that I think Heath was a saint or anything, though I don't want to speculate on his private life.  If it turns out this woman tells nothing more than the truth I'm not changing my view of Heath one bit. He was human, like the rest of us - that's that. But this whole tale bears too much of a  fabricated-to-fit-the-tabloids mark.  >:(

Sorry folks, I guess I'm just so furious because unfortunately it seems that the first frenzied and totally erroneous media coverage - and this kind of add-on sleaze - stick around in peoples' and certainly journalists' minds as the truth, to be reproduced whenever they mention Heath later on. Just saw a notice in one of the Norwegian papers about the current status - ie. about Heath being buried in Australia.... By way of background intro, the paper saw fit to comment that Heath "was found with pills all around in the flat of M-K Olsen."  ::) ::)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: HerrKaiser on January 29, 2008, 08:44:18 pm
The obscene manner by which the press allows themselves to gather "stories" and then publish the rubbish is part of the misguided use of "free speech". Yes, free speech should mean the ability to say the unpopular and inappropriate, but the movement toward feeling OK with crying fire in a crowded theatre when there is no fire or crying wolf when there is no wolf has become more and more accepted in the last years. Very unfortunate.

Look at the way in which the media fabricates, twists, embellishes, etc, stories about celebs in all walks of life--entertainment, sports, politics, big business, etc. And often, the stories do not need a "shread" of truth. Sadly, these bottom feeders are now sucking the last ounces of news sweat out of Heath's essence before THEY will determine he is no longer a headliner.

It's about money, not truth or important-to-know.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on January 29, 2008, 08:50:45 pm
If he hung out with the likes of Mary Kate Olsen or Helena Christensen....

I had read somewhere -- most likely BetterMost -- that Heath was being considered for the role of the late Michael Hutchence in some upcoming movie.  Interestingly enough, Helena Christensen lived with Hutchence before he hooked up with Paula Yates. Maybe that's what that was all about.

As for MKO, I don't think I'll ever understand the "why" of that one.  :)



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Phillip Dampier on January 29, 2008, 09:49:17 pm
It is curious to watch this all unfold, because rarely have I ever followed a sensational news story about a celebrity death so closely.  I have ignored the news media, particularly television - for over twenty years.

It could have been much, much worse.  Think Britney Spears....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 30, 2008, 10:00:17 am
I had read somewhere -- most likely BetterMost -- that Heath was being considered for the role of the late Michael Hutchence in some upcoming movie.  Interestingly enough, Helena Christensen lived with Hutchence before he hooked up with Paula Yates. Maybe that's what that was all about.

As for MKO, I don't think I'll ever understand the "why" of that one.  :)


I posted that. I think it might be on this thread, actually. It was a commentary from Michael Hutchence's mother talking about reaching out to the Ledger family. She said that Heath was being considered to play her son in an upcoming bioipic.

Edited to add: Here it is: http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,16517.msg325168.html#msg325168

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 30, 2008, 10:04:25 am
It could have been much, much worse.  Think Britney Spears....

Eeeew.  :P
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 30, 2008, 10:25:02 am
This isn't a pleasant thing to be posting.

Us magazine is gearing up to have Heath on their next cover, and if what they've posted online is any indication it's going to be a full-blown hatchet job.

I'm not posting this to upset people but in hopes that a lot of us here will post rebuttals. Some of the comments already posted are of the predictable variety: "Hollywood lifestyle" this and "mess around with drugs & get what you deserve" that but so far most of the reaction has been very negative with more than one person taking Us to task and saying they ought to let Heath rest in peace. I just posted (as "talkstocoyotes", an alternate screen name) that the medical examiner, after a full week, still doesn't know what Heath died of but that doesn't stop the gossipmongers.

For the preview and to comment, see http://www.usmagazine.com/heath_ledger_refused_to_get_out_of_car_to_enter_rehab_in_2006 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on January 30, 2008, 10:43:33 am
To be honest, I had expected this kind of negative articles to come out any time after Heath's death, but I'm not too bothered by them at this stage.  Perhaps because I've been warmed by so many beautiful tributes from so many people in the entertainment business and the columnists.  If Heath was so bad as the article described, I don't think we would have seen so many heartfelt tributes.  Maybe I am naive, but that's how I feel and I don't care.  :)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 30, 2008, 11:00:45 am
Now that's a good, positive attitude, yb. I need to work on that.

That is a vile and disgusting pile of crap, in my opinion. I'm not going to even dignify it by bothering to post a comment on the site.

I remember the pictures and images of Heath in 2006--how vibrant and happy he was, how handsome he looked. I am sorry, that is not the portrait of a man who is battling a dual addiction to heroin and cocaine.

My 2 cents.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on January 30, 2008, 11:06:56 am
In fact, I hadn't read the article yet and I'm not intending to, but I had fully expected this kind of articles will appear given the speculations surrounding Heath's death.  I fully believe that if Heath was such a crappy person, he wouldn't have been loved by so many people who had worked with him and the columnists who had interviewed him before, and I take their words much more than some random people.  That being said, maybe I would be very upset if I had read the article but my heart is not ready for those craps yet, so I'll just give them a pass now.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 30, 2008, 11:14:47 am
Yes, there have been a number of beautiful tributes but this magazine is going to be on just about every checkout stand in the U.S. and most of the tributes aren't going to be. IMO, there needs to be a lot of rebuttal or it's a kind of consent via silence.

At any rate, I've left a comment; and if anyone disapproves of that, too bad; they'll just have to live with it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 30, 2008, 11:14:57 am
I agree Leslie - he's never looked happier, healthier, more at ease and less fidgety than back in those days of the Oscar hoopla - and that despite the fact that the two of them had such a stressful schedule, travelling and promoting, and their small baby to care for, too.

Also even if I wanted to (which I don't) I could never wrap my mind around reconciling the shit this article is serving up about him and Michelle with the man who went down to Australia to film Candy and according to a named source's tribute was still "literally beside himself in his love for M". On that background he's supposed to have been filming a story where heroin addiction gets the better of his character and causes him to hurt and eventually lose the love of his life.... while that was simultaneously going on in RL?

I don't know what Heath got up to in his private life and it makes no difference to me, his films remain for me to cherish. But the sheer idiocy and improbability of these ugly gossip tales still has me up in arms despite myself.

Perhaps the tabloid "sources" happened to watch Candy and thought it was a documentary.  ::) Except I won't credit them with the ability to sit through a whole serious motion picture.

'nuff said.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 30, 2008, 11:17:46 am
I don't know what Heath got up to in his private life and it makes no difference to me, his films remain for me to cherish. But the sheer idiocy and improbability of these ugly gossip tales still has me up in arms despite myself.

The problem with the assumption that truth will just crowd out lies is that for the most part it doesn't.  The positive tributes to Heath are wonderful, but that isn't all that's going to appear in the mass media, and it would be so unfortunate if his fans let this go unchallenged.  That's a major reason why truth doesn't always crowd out lies.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BBM-Cat on January 30, 2008, 11:28:58 am
The problem with the assumption that truth will just crowd out lies is that for the most part it doesn't.  The positive tributes to Heath are wonderful, but that isn't all that's going to appear in the mass media, and it would be so unfortunate if his fans let this go unchallenged.  That's a major reason why truth doesn't always crowd out lies.


You're right Marge, and while terribly sad and outrageus since he is not here to defend these allegations, maybe we can all try to keep a more balanced view of things - certainly trashy articles of this nature are going to surface. There are too many positive and beautiful tributes, as well as our own memories of Heath (as an actor), that outweigh them. Truly, even if there is a grain of truth to some of these circulating rumors, I doubt that many people's perspectives and feelings about Heath would be permanently altered.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 30, 2008, 11:48:14 am
Again, I don't think the positive tributes will outweigh the negative stuff if the latter goes unchallenged on the assumption that it doesn't matter; as the negative stuff is going to get a lot of circulation and tap into the popular appetite for gossip. The opinions of people who already loved Heath won't be changed; but others who had only heard of him but didn't have an opinion previously is another matter.

Or put it this way:

Two nights ago, at work, I was just walking out of the workroom on a break when I heard a guy who gets most of his news from FOX talking to a group of young women in another work group. He was saying somethiing like "yeah, he did kill himself and of course, all those people take a lot of drugs."  One of the women answered with "I never heard of him."

I don't know if they were talking about Heath. But you can bet the farm they'll see that Us article and take it for fact.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 30, 2008, 12:12:05 pm
Well, hopefully the toxicology reports will help squelch the rumors.

My thinking is, Heath may well have used some drugs but if they were seriously interfering with his life then Christopher Nolan wouldn't have cast him. Nolan seems very professional and intent on making good movies, and I don't think he'd hand the fate of his big-budget movie over to a messed-up junkie.

Of course, you're right Marge, the average Joe doesn't even know who Christopher Nolan is, won't see his tribute piece, won't think things through to that extent. But screw the average Joe.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 30, 2008, 12:16:36 pm
Yes, there have been a number of beautiful tributes but this magazine is going to be on just about every checkout stand in the U.S. and most of the tributes aren't going to be. IMO, there needs to be a lot of rebuttal or it's a kind of consent via silence.

How can it be a "consent via silence" if they don't even know I've read it?

My "rebuttal" will be to NOT buy the magazine. I don't buy it anyway but I won't give them a blip in their sales by buying it now.


Quote
At any rate, I've left a comment; and if anyone disapproves of that, too bad; they'll just have to live with it.

I don't disapprove and in fact I think it's fine that you did. I just choose not to.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 12:21:01 pm
Oh, for f**k's sake. I'm sick of these jackals. Even if it IS true... my God, his body's not even in the ground yet. Is it at all possible to show a modicum of respect for not only his memory, but for his loved ones?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 30, 2008, 12:22:44 pm
Jake Is Taking Heath's Death 'Harder Than Most'  (Well, duh.) 
A short and somewhat guilty read.   :(

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174820,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174820,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on January 30, 2008, 12:30:44 pm
If the readers chose to believe those articles instead of taking the time to learn more about Heath the actor and the person, then my feeling is they don't deserve Heath and I won't waste my time trying to change their minds, it's their loss not ours.  In fact, I doubt our rebuttals would change their mind at all.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 30, 2008, 12:32:51 pm
About US and the other tabloids:

Those bottom-feeders didn't get enough scandal from Heath in his life, so now they're feeding off our grief.

May the tabloid writers be rewarded by spending eternity with Fred Phelps.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 30, 2008, 12:41:00 pm
I'm not a big reader even of People except at the dentist's office (when I always make a beeline for it). But my impression is that US is a few rungs down from there.

I read once that Angelina Jolie had refused to give US an interview or something, so US was retailiating by running lots of negative stories about her. I don't know if that's true, but I did notice in the checkout lines that the US covers DID feature a lot of negative stories about Angelina.

So even though its pages are glossy, it seems much more on the level of the National Enquirer or even worse ones than that.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 12:51:11 pm
I can't help but to keep going back to one undeniable truth...

These magazines/websites exist for no other reason than to satisfy Joe Public's insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip that makes them feel superior about their own humdrum lives. These outlets dig mercilessly into people's private lives, snoop with no regard for privacy or decency, and follow them around with cameras in the most inappropriate circumstances. It's what they do.

Now, I ask you... taking all of this into account... how is it possible that none of these "facts" about Heath's personal life ever came out while he was alive? How would he--unlike every other celebrity--have been able to so masterfully avoid it? Especially as he wasn't exactly hard to spot on a daily basis? If you wanted to hear one of Heath Ledger's conversations or witness his personal life, you didn't need to follow or spy on him. You didn't need to get past any velvet rope. You could have just had a cup of coffee or done your grocery shopping in Brooklyn.

So again, I ask you... how is it possible?

Just my two cents.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 30, 2008, 12:58:42 pm
The only people who know for sure what any of these facts are, probably won't be coming out with them, because they are not enticed by the media, who have only money to offer in exchange for information.  Michelle doesn't need their money, neither does Jake or Naomi or any other of his close friends.

So if he struggled with addiction, he did so quietly and relatively privately, and went on with his career.  The rest of what is speculated about or offered by "insiders" may be half-truth, may be one quarter truth, but without putting their names to it, we cannot evaluate the accuracy of what is said.  It isn't news - it's "playing telephone."  I had seen the "driving to rehab" story before and there is one huge flaw in it: they say in Us that she drove him to Promises only weeks after the Oscars.  that would be 2006.  And then ordered him out of the house six months later.  This can't be.  They broke up in September 2007.  There is a year's discrepancy there.  This is a good example of playing telephone- gross confusion of facts adds up to no news at all, simply storytelling.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 30, 2008, 01:02:12 pm
About US and the other tabloids:
Those bottom-feeders didn't get enough scandal from Heath in his life, so now they're feeding off our grief.
May the tabloid writers be rewarded by spending eternity with Fred Phelps.

I love that, Mel.  A much-needed laugh this morning.   :laugh:

~~~~~~~~~

Another thing to remember is that people who will get their information about Heath solely through the tabs are just getting their daily dose of mindfiller.  In other words, they'll move on and forget as the next issues drop (and drop, like poop from pidgeons).  If they take what they read on Heath there seriously at all, they would also seek out the more solid news sources on him.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 01:05:44 pm
I have a friend who's an actor and I read stuff about him all the time that just plain old isn't true, and I can't imagine where such odd stories came from. A lot of times they come from someone speculating, someone else reading that speculation and passing it on, people posting misheard/misread versions of the speculation online, and before you know it, this crap is "fact." And people who are actually in a position to know if it's true are going "WTF?!"
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 30, 2008, 01:25:32 pm
Of course, now this stupid Us story is being reported everywhere as if it was fact, not crap.

Sigh...

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 30, 2008, 01:32:15 pm
I don't know what to make of the comments William Macy and wife Felicity Huffman said of Ledger. It's flattering at first, but then Felicity mentions the dark side...

"If he had done nothing but 'Brokeback Mountain,' he would be remembered for a long time," marveled Macy, who wrote and starred in "The Deal," which premiered yesterday at Sundance. "It was the most stunning performance I'd seen in a long time. My wife [actress Felicity Huffman] is from the West, and she couldn't believe his performance. It's shocking, it's sad. Felicity said it best: 'Sometimes, with talent like that, it comes with a dark side.' And I guess it got the best of him."


By the way, if US is as awful as what I've read on-line, can't wait to see what the National Enquirer is going to say.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 30, 2008, 01:35:32 pm
I wouldn't take that much to heart, KD.  Macy and Huffman were put on the spot outside an event with microphones in their faces -- I think it was either last Tuesday (the day Heath was found) or Wednesday.  And they had no information other than what was in the media at the time ('surrounded by pills', suicide theories, etc.)

With the information we all have now (1 pill bottle on a nightstand, accident, heart problems, etc.) they would have said something different, I'm sure.  At the time, they were uninformed and in shock, like everyone else.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 30, 2008, 01:43:12 pm
Laura, I like the "pigeon poop" analogy.  That's the realm those folks inhabit.  ::)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 30, 2008, 02:14:51 pm
And Heath had been renting a house in North London, not staying in hotels -- per the interview with Sarah Lyall that took place shortly before the release of I'm Not There in November.




Yeah, but if you were going to do this, you might rather do it in an anonymous hotel, not your home.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 30, 2008, 02:23:19 pm
My thinking is, Heath may well have used some drugs but if they were seriously interfering with his life then Christopher Nolan wouldn't have cast him. Nolan seems very professional and intent on making good movies, and I don't think he'd hand the fate of his big-budget movie over to a messed-up junkie.
I was off the net for some time to tend to RL,  :o - but the matter of how improbable these tales of the messed-up junkie are, kept occupying my mind.

Here's Warner and Chris Nolan, trusting Heath to deliver on the role that by all accounts would make or break their blockbuster "The Dark Knight". And going against quite a lot of fans' sentiment to do so. And they must have trusted him just as much after filming was complete, since the whole publicity approach for TDK has so obviously been Joker-skewed, which necessarily would have entailed a lot of limelight and PR for Heath on behalf of the film. Then there's Lasse Hällström, the director of Casanova, who in his comment about Heath's untimely death says he just e-mailed Heath asking if he could send him a script; - he wanted to work with Heath again too. And then there's Terry Gilliam, who directed the brothers Grimm and was now in the middle of directing his new film where Heath played a lead role. Why would these companies and all these people, who knew Heath and had worked with him closely, gamble away their time and artistic efforts - not to mention huge sums of money - on a person so volatile and so dependent on heavy drugs as the one the tabloids seem to describe?

Quote
Of course, you're right Marge, the average Joe doesn't even know who Christopher Nolan is, won't see his tribute piece, won't think things through to that extent. But screw the average Joe.
Yes!!  And No!... I don't want the average Joes to have such an obviously false image of who Heath was. Not if the average Joes think it's OK to discredit everything a person has achieved and everything he meant to anyone in life if he ever did drugs, and to reduce him to nothing more than that one thing and so carelessly dismiss him with a sneer and a shrug.   :-\ :-\ :-\

Darn Tabloids!!


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 30, 2008, 02:32:52 pm

Yeah, but if you were going to do this, you might rather do it in an anonymous hotel, not your home.

And OTOH,  if you were to manufacture a tale about being picked up by a late celeb, and didn't know where he stayed in London since you'd never met him and that info wasn't very easy to google, your tale would likely be about a tryst in a hotel - one where you'd been before so you could give sufficient (false) story details if required.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 30, 2008, 02:35:09 pm
I don't know what to make of the comments William Macy and wife Felicity Huffman said of Ledger. It's flattering at first, but then Felicity mentions the dark side...

"If he had done nothing but 'Brokeback Mountain,' he would be remembered for a long time," marveled Macy, who wrote and starred in "The Deal," which premiered yesterday at Sundance. "It was the most stunning performance I'd seen in a long time. My wife [actress Felicity Huffman] is from the West, and she couldn't believe his performance. It's shocking, it's sad. Felicity said it best: 'Sometimes, with talent like that, it comes with a dark side.' And I guess it got the best of him."

The comment about the dark side notwithstanding, it's nice to read such an appreciation for the performance from two such respected actors as Macy and Huffman.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 30, 2008, 02:50:16 pm
Eric Roberts worked with Heath on the Dark Knight and gave his personal view of the "drugs question" as a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, and said he had no impression that there was anything wrong with Heath:

http://heathledgermemorialblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/beautiful-memorial-of-heath-by-eric.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: chefjudy on January 30, 2008, 02:54:16 pm


 :)  that was so nice and articulate, thanks so much, Eric :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 03:30:50 pm
I saw someone he worked with on "Candy" (I THINK the director...) on TV saying Heath worked very hard trying to learn how to act/think like a drug addict, and that the questions he asked about the character he was playing were not the questions of someone who had personal experience with drug addiction.

There's not many of us who by the age of 28 had not done drugs or gotten drunk to excess, even on a semi-regular basis. But that's very different from being an addict.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 30, 2008, 05:20:00 pm
OK.... Now I'm just horribly depressed. This is so shitty. Some TV program called Entertainment Tonight or The Insider are actually battling with Perez Hilton concerning the legal rights to who will be first to show a video said to be showing Heath doing drugs and saying stupid things back in -06.

Just how low is it possible to sink? Selling that tape to the press... Bringing this forward and fighting over it, legal rights in hand - when he hasn''t even been buried yet and there's a family grieving.  I'm pretty sure Dante wrote of a special circle in hell for these people to enjoy themselves warmly with the Phelps family.  >:(

I don't think I'll venture outside of this Board at all.

(No I didn't go to any of their web sites to find out this - it's spreading even into places dedicated to honouring Heath.  :-\ )
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 30, 2008, 05:49:50 pm
That's awful. And a sobering reminder of what our culture has become.

If I'd been a movie star in my 20s, and if everybody'd had video phones back then, I shudder to think of what would be out there.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on January 30, 2008, 07:10:16 pm
OK.... Now I'm just horribly depressed. This is so shitty. Some TV program called Entertainment Tonight or The Insider are actually battling with Perez Hilton concerning the legal rights to who will be first to show a video said to be showing Heath doing drugs and saying stupid things back in -06.

I don't think I'll venture outside of this Board at all.


And the saddest thing about this silly fight over the video is that whether Heath did drugs doesn't really matter anymore. He's gone and nothing will change that. What matters are the good things he left behind.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 30, 2008, 09:04:09 pm
Entertainment Tonight showed a teaser of that video tonight, promising more tomorrow.  Some Australian TV station, Channel 9, appears to have scored the exclusive on it.  ET had some doctor "expert" saying he'd seen it and it was "heartbreaking" and if even one life was saved by watching it, it was worth it.  ::)  The worst part?  They showed Heath saying something about how his girlfriend would kill him if she knew.  Then he must have been asked about his daughter, because he said "Matilda.  Matilda Rose."  :(  They wound up the piece by saying how that was all 2 years ago, and now he was (cue the shot of the body bag being wheeled out) DEAD.  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 30, 2008, 09:11:31 pm
Entertainment Tonight showed a teaser of that video tonight, promising more tomorrow.  Some Australian TV station, Channel 9, appears to have scored the exclusive on it.  ET had some doctor "expert" saying he'd seen it and it was "heartbreaking" and if even one life was saved by watching it, it was worth it.  ::)  The worst part?  They showed Heath saying something about how his girlfriend would kill him if she knew.  Then he must have been asked about his daughter, because he said "Matilda.  Matilda Rose."  :(  They wound up the piece by saying how that was all 2 years ago, and now he was (cue the shot of the body bag being wheeled out) DEAD.  :-\

Geez, that reporting sounds just dreadful.  :o >:(

I have a horrible feeling we're going to have to endure some ramped-up tabloid-style sensationalized reporting for at least a little while to come.... If People and Us really run with the awful-sounding stories that they apparently have set to come out.
 >:( >:( >:(

It's almost like the tabloid/entertainment media has sort of moved out of a "respectful" mourning phase and are sort of giving each other a green light to start running with sensationalized/ scandal stories.  The whole culture of this type of entertainment reporting makes my stomach turn at the moment.

Poor Heath.  :(





Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 09:28:29 pm
Not sure where this is from, but a girlfriend just passed this on to me... it's from Michelle's people, I believe:

"Much of the tabloid reporting is inaccurate. This fabricated story of Michelle Williams attempting to bring Heath Ledger to rehab is just one lie among many. The speculation is heinous. Let this family grieve privately."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 30, 2008, 09:36:21 pm
Not sure where this is from, but a girlfriend just passed this on to me... it's from Michelle's people, I believe:

"Much of the tabloid reporting is inaccurate. This fabricated story of Michelle Williams attempting to bring Heath Ledger to rehab is just one lie among many. The speculation is heinous. Let this family grieve privately."

Thank you for that.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 30, 2008, 10:49:30 pm
Dan Abrams is REALLY ripping into ET and Insider about even considering running the video... and apparently they've just decided NOT to air it.

Oh, and I missed his name because I was typing the above when they showed it, but an Australian guy (Ben someone) is on saying he knows that Heath hadn't had a drink in a year, and he would freak out if he was in a room that had drugs anywhere in it... he says he was totally clean.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 31, 2008, 12:13:01 am
Dan Abrams is REALLY ripping into ET and Insider about even considering running the video... and apparently they've just decided NOT to air it.

Oh, and I missed his name because I was typing the above when they showed it, but an Australian guy (Ben someone) is on saying he knows that Heath hadn't had a drink in a year, and he would freak out if he was in a room that had drugs anywhere in it... he says he was totally clean.

That's news I like to hear!  Thanks, Verona.  I hope it's all true.  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 31, 2008, 12:23:38 am
Dan Abrams is REALLY ripping into ET and Insider about even considering running the video... and apparently they've just decided NOT to air it.

Oh, and I missed his name because I was typing the above when they showed it, but an Australian guy (Ben someone) is on saying he knows that Heath hadn't had a drink in a year, and he would freak out if he was in a room that had drugs anywhere in it... he says he was totally clean.

Hey Verona!  Well this is certainly very reassuring to hear.  Thank goodness for level-headed folks in the national media/spotlight coming to Heath's defense in light of the really tasteless reporting of some of the entertainment "journalism" out there. 

I really like Dan Abrams.  He along with Keith Olbermann are two of my favorite cable news anchors.  Abrams was great during the whole John Gibson debacle too.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 31, 2008, 12:31:25 am
it was a formal statement released by Heath's publicist, Mara Buxbaum.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4382602a1860.html

What a relief to us that Heath's publicist was allowed to make a statement damping the media frenzy.  This is just too much!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 12:35:41 am
Hey Verona!  Well this is certainly very reassuring to hear.  Thank goodness for level-headed folks in the national media/spotlight coming to Heath's defense in light of the really tasteless reporting of some of the entertainment "journalism" out there. 

I really like Dan Abrams.  He along with Keith Olbermann are two of my favorite cable news anchors.  Abrams was great during the whole John Gibson debacle too.


Hey atz! I know, I'd lose my cottonpicking mind without Olbermann and Abrams (and Stewart and Colbert). Abrams is totally disgusted with the whole thing. He and his guests rightly pointed out that Heath doing drugs two years ago has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject at hand, and reporting it (and planning to show the video) is not in the interests of news, but sheer salaciousness.

The man is not even buried, and these jackals have already picked his bones clean. I hope and pray for a backlash (especially from other celebrities), because all of this has been in such poor taste... it's almost as if they're all taking revenge on him for not giving them enough scandal while he was alive. Now they figure they can just make s**t up because he can't fight back. Well eventually his friends and loved ones will regather their strength, and there will be blood.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 31, 2008, 08:18:46 am

The Sydney newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, have compiled a special Heath tribute thread at their website. There are all sorts of articles (both classy and crass), photo essays, condolence messages and every conceivable aspect of the events of the past couple of weeks, from a uniquely Australian perspective.

Warning - The Daily Telegraph is a tabloid newspaper, so some of their articles tend to veer towards the sensational. However, lots of the articles are also heartfelt and compassionately written. And there are lovely pics of Heath to see and save, some of which I'd not seen before.

Here's the link . . .

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/confidential/indepth/feature/0,22045,5015791,00.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on January 31, 2008, 10:07:12 am
My "rebuttal" will be to NOT buy the magazine. I don't buy it anyway but I won't give them a blip in their sales by buying it now.

I don't intend to buy [the current Us Magazine issue] either, and do understand that saddling up and riding out for a verbal battle isn't everyone's style.

The man is not even buried, and these jackals have already picked his bones clean. I hope and pray for a backlash (especially from other celebrities), because all of this has been in such poor taste... it's almost as if they're all taking revenge on him for not giving them enough scandal while he was alive. Now they figure they can just make s**t up because he can't fight back. Well eventually his friends and loved ones will regather their strength, and there will be blood.

Regardless of whether anyone wants to comment at the Us website or not, I'm sure everyone here will be pleased to know that last time I checked, most of the responses were very critical of the story. More than one took them to task for blatantly second-guessing the medical professionals.

Good to see some high-profile public defenses of Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 31, 2008, 01:08:10 pm
The cat is already out of the bag as it's one of the most read stories on Cnn.com.  We aren't going to run it, but we will let the mainstream media know that the video exists. That's the impression I'm getting.  Do you know how many hits Cnn.com gets a day?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/31/tv.ledger.video.ap/index.html

If this part of the article is true, then good for Hollywood!  I never thought I'd say that...

"The Hollywood community put pressure on the syndicated programs not to air the material. A statement spread through Hollywood by Ledger's public relations firm called the video "shameful exploitation of the lowest kind."



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on January 31, 2008, 01:48:25 pm
Just wondering, what scum of the earth would even make such a video in the first place?  Was their intention blackmail?

This is even more confirmation that we're living in a very sick world.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 31, 2008, 01:54:43 pm
I bet there are videos like that all over the place of lots of celebrities. Anyone with a cell phone can take one. But the tabloids generally are interested in only eight stars (for the record, it's the three "bad girls" -- Britney, Paris and Lindsay -- plus Brangelina, Tomkat and Jessica Simpson).

Heath's death vaulted him into that questionable company (and Britney's sister's pregnancy is "elevating" her up there, too). Until then, the tabloids couldn't have cared less about the Heath video.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 31, 2008, 02:12:06 pm
From Slate:


The Dark Knight Without Heath Ledger

How will Warner Bros. sell a summer blockbuster marked by tragedy?

By Kim Masters
Posted Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, at 12:42 PM ET

Knight's Tale: Despite persistent rumors that Heath Ledger had not finished recording all his lines for the upcoming Batman movie, Warner Bros. insists that director Christopher Nolan got what he needed while filming.

Warner has kept largely mum about how it will manage its big investment in The Dark Knight after Ledger's sad and untimely death. The studio is still figuring out what to do not just with the film but with products like T-shirts and toys. In fact, the studio has set a big meeting for today to discuss those merchandising questions.

Warner plans to release the movie as planned in July. Usually, after filming is completed, actors do looping sessions—that is, they record and perfect their lines in a studio. It would be unusual for Nolan to have all the sound that he wants at this early stage but a producer—not associated with this project—tells us that it's not impossible. "I can't think of a movie where there were no looped lines whatsoever, but I can think of movies where a main character was not looped," he says.

On a big-budget franchise picture like The Dark Knight, he adds, looping would be the norm. "When you are doing a movie like Batman, as opposed to The Savages, you loop," he explains. "You are a perfectionist because you have the money to do it and the studio gives you whatever you want. You go through 17 takes of Heath Ledger saying, `I'm the Joker,' and if it isn't just right, you loop it."

Warner could use a voice artist if needed—and there are rumors that the studio will do that. If so, the studio's denials would be understandable: Warner wouldn't want the public to be listening for variations in the voice when the movie is released. But the producer assures: "With a good voice artist, you would never know the difference."

Indeed, when Spartacus was rereleased in 1991, the studio wanted to insert the deleted seduction "snails and oysters" scene between Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier. The footage was there, but the sound was not. Curtis was available to redo his lines; Olivier's part was seamlessly performed by Anthony Hopkins.

A Warner executive acknowledges that another actor may at least have to provide a Joker voice for such things as a planned theme-park attraction. Some marketing efforts—like an idea that involved calls to fans' cell phones—may be scrapped.

Dozens of licensing agreements have been in place for months, but another studio source says that relatively few involve Ledger's image. Many Batman-associated products are aimed at children aged 5 to 9, so, this executive says, Warner was proceeding with a degree of caution even before Ledger's demise because of the intensity of the Joker's character in the film. For some products, the cartoon image of the Joker was already being used. And Ledger did photo shoots so that his likeness could be used on certain products such as T-shirts.

Now Warner has to figure out what to do with products bearing that likeness. "You don't want people to think you're exploiting his death," the source explains. "But his character is part of the movie, and he was on board with wanting to do this with his character." And if Warner doesn't release the merchandise, "The pirates would come out of the woodwork, and then it's completely out of control."

Meanwhile, Warner is likely to alter some of its marketing campaign, which featured Ledger's image in the early going. A source close to the project says the plan all along was to start with the Joker and then segue to the image of Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face. In the film, Two-Face is in a love triangle with Rachel Dawes, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. It was clever to cast Gyllenhaal in the role vacated by Katie Holmes. Both have similar kewpie-doll faces, so it's not a grating change. And Gyllenhaal brings more weight to the part. That's one less thing to worry about in a blockbuster that's already carrying a lot of weight.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on January 31, 2008, 02:39:51 pm
My coworker told me earlier today of the upcoming story scheduled to appear in People (a reputable if admittedly starstruck and gossipy publication) relating the allegations of Heath's illicit drug use, and that Michelle left him finally because she did not want their child to be exposed to any of that. The allegations arise from apparent friends of Michelle, who emphasized that the actress left Heath as a form of "tough love", hoping that her absence might inspire him to seek help.

I bring this all up not to condone the continuing, sensationalizing inquiries into Heath's alleged substance abuse, but to suggest that even if illicit drugs did not contribute directly to Heath's death, they still might have compromised his health sufficiently up to that point in time to have rendered death more likely. For this reason, I think the subject is pertinent, however distasteful or disrespectful we may find it to be.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on January 31, 2008, 02:44:26 pm
I would think they'd wait to run stories about illegal drug use based on autoposy results. If he's "clean" (no opiates or illegal substances), what's the point? I bought this issue of PPL, but I certainly wouldn't buy the one that MOREMOJO is alluding to.
As is, Heath is not around to defend himself. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on January 31, 2008, 05:10:25 pm
I would think they'd wait to run stories about illegal drug use based on autoposy results. If he's "clean" (no opiates or illegal substances), what's the point? I bought this issue of PPL, but I certainly wouldn't buy the one that MOREMOJO is alluding to.
As is, Heath is not around to defend himself. 

I am speculating that the tabloid news people want you to stick around for the toxicology report next week, and they are willing to dig up and publish almost any crap to trick people into staying tuned. They are afraid that the story will lose momentum if the don't keep it churning.

They are not only exploiting Heath and his family, they are exploiting his fans' grief.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on January 31, 2008, 05:19:46 pm
The tabloid news wants you to stick around for the toxicology report next week, and they are willing to dig up and publish almost any crap to trick people into staying tuned.

They are not only exploiting Heath and his family, they are exploiting his fans' grief.

You have a very good point there Bruce.

At first I felt 'cut off' because of the lack of media interest in Heath over here in Belgium, but now, I'm glad I don't have to stand at the supermarket check out and try to not look at those magazines...

Heath deserved so much better.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on January 31, 2008, 05:27:08 pm
You have a very good point there Bruce.

At first I felt 'cut off' because of the lack of media interest in Heath over here in Belgium, but now, I'm glad I don't have to stand at the supermarket check out and try to not look at those magazines...

Heath deserved so much better.

It's the daily television tabloid news that is most egregious - ET, Inside Edition, etc. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 31, 2008, 05:41:45 pm
I feel fine about looking at magazines about Heath while in the supermarket checkout.  But if I see even one photo in it that looks like it invaded his or Michelle's or Matilda's privacy, I won't buy that magazine.  I will look at those photos and those articles at the store, or on the internet, but I won't give them my money for it.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on January 31, 2008, 05:46:40 pm
I feel fine about looking at magazines about Heath while in the supermarket checkout.  But if I see even one photo in it that looks like it invaded his or Michelle's or Matilda's privacy, I won't buy that magazine.  I will look at those photos and those articles at the store, or on the internet, but I won't give them my money for it.

Good policy. But if you go to the sites on the internet, don't they record the visits and use the numbers to boost their advertising revenue? That's what I was wondering earlier, anyway.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 31, 2008, 05:53:34 pm

It's nobody's business but Heath's  :'(  and Michelle's.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 31, 2008, 05:54:21 pm
Good policy. But if you go to the sites on the internet, don't they record the visits and use the numbers to boost their advertising revenue? That's what I was wondering earlier, anyway.




Hmm.  :(  Dang.  
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 31, 2008, 06:02:54 pm
Sure. They're dependent on the number of hits each story gets, and that is something they follow very closely. It often gets to be a news item in itself, - how many hits one particular juicy online story gets and the increase when major stories break, etc.

One thing this tragedy has made clear to me, is how massive the tabloid/celebrity gossip industry really is. I admit I've followed links to a number of sites I'd never heard of before (and won't revisit, to be sure) and I've seen the front pages of a number of magazines I didn't know about... and it's all bla bla Britney Brangelina Suri Heath bla bla. No wonder there are so many paps. I can't imagine how the stars manage to live with this without going completely bonkers. No wonder Jake Gyllenhaal is keeping out of sight (mostly).

It's obviously a tough game of survival of the sleaziest gossip sites out there.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 31, 2008, 06:06:27 pm
It's nobody's business but Heath's  :'(  and Michelle's.  :'(

YES!

I've been surprised for some time to see that Brokeback fandom seems to have accepted as fact that "she threw him out / she broke it off" or something similar. When neither of them have ever commented on that far as I know, and we don't know what happened at all. Nobody's business but theirs.

Hers, now.  :'(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 06:41:59 pm
Dan Abrams is REALLY ripping into ET and Insider about even considering running the video... and apparently they've just decided NOT to air it.

Oh, and I missed his name because I was typing the above when they showed it, but an Australian guy (Ben someone) is on saying he knows that Heath hadn't had a drink in a year, and he would freak out if he was in a room that had drugs anywhere in it... he says he was totally clean.

OK, well as luck would have it, I was just on my way home on the bus, and the guy in front of me was reading the NY Daily News... I glanced at it and happened to notice--you guessed it--a picture of the Australian guy I saw and quoted last night (above), who apparently has a column in that paper. His name is Ben Widdicombe. And don't laugh at me if he's totally famous, 'cause I honestly don't know my a** from my elbow when it comes to gossip columns, mags, shows etc. 
:P
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 31, 2008, 06:54:37 pm
OK, well as luck would have it, I was just on my way home on the bus, and the guy in front of me was reading the NY Daily News... I glanced at it and happened to notice--you guessed it--a picture of the Australian guy I saw and quoted last night (above), who apparently has a column in that paper. His name is Ben Widdicombe. And don't laugh at me if he's totally famous, 'cause I honestly don't know my a** from my elbow when it comes to gossip columns, mags, shows etc. 
:P

verona - I'm sorry of this is not necessarily the right or perfect place to post this, but can I just say I'm loving your posts - welcome.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 06:55:10 pm
My coworker told me earlier today of the upcoming story scheduled to appear in People (a reputable if admittedly starstruck and gossipy publication) relating the allegations of Heath's illicit drug use, and that Michelle left him finally because she did not want their child to be exposed to any of that. The allegations arise from apparent friends of Michelle, who emphasized that the actress left Heath as a form of "tough love", hoping that her absence might inspire him to seek help.

I bring this all up not to condone the continuing, sensationalizing inquiries into Heath's alleged substance abuse, but to suggest that even if illicit drugs did not contribute directly to Heath's death, they still might have compromised his health sufficiently up to that point in time to have rendered death more likely. For this reason, I think the subject is pertinent, however distasteful or disrespectful we may find it to be.
I think if there was any drug-related damage to or weakening of his organs and whatnot, the autopsy would have picked that up. They also would have picked up track marks if he was using heroin, or damage to his nose that would have been caused by more than occasional use of cocaine or any other "snorted" drugs. From what we're given to understand, nothing like that was found in the autopsy. If he was a drug addict--as opposed to a recreational user--I'd venture to say that would have been reported as a possible cause of death.

My guess? He was ill. He was rundown. He was exhausted. He couldn't sleep, so he took something. Then he took another one, which slowed everything down.  Then his lungs, already compromised by his illness and his smoking, just stopped breathing. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 06:56:05 pm
verona - I'm sorry of this is not necessarily the right or perfect place to post this, but can I just say I'm loving your posts - welcome.
:-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on January 31, 2008, 07:07:50 pm
My coworker told me earlier today of the upcoming story scheduled to appear in People (a reputable if admittedly starstruck and gossipy publication) relating the allegations of Heath's illicit drug use, and that Michelle left him finally because she did not want their child to be exposed to any of that. The allegations arise from apparent friends of Michelle, who emphasized that the actress left Heath as a form of "tough love", hoping that her absence might inspire him to seek help.

I bring this all up not to condone the continuing, sensationalizing inquiries into Heath's alleged substance abuse, but to suggest that even if illicit drugs did not contribute directly to Heath's death, they still might have compromised his health sufficiently up to that point in time to have rendered death more likely. For this reason, I think the subject is pertinent, however distasteful or disrespectful we may find it to be.

I actually bought this (the newest) issue of People because of all the gossip magazines, this is the one I can bear to read if there is a story I am interested in.

The story is pretty much as Scott summarized it. Heath was described as being very happy in his life with Michelle and Matilda in Brooklyn. But she absolutely put her foot down about him doing or using drugs now that there was a baby in the house. The article also said, which I have thought in my own mind, that they didn't fall out of love.

I was also able to get the Entertainment Weekly with Heath on the cover.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 31, 2008, 07:13:04 pm

My guess? He was ill. He was rundown. He was exhausted. He couldn't sleep, so he took something. Then he took another one, which slowed everything down.  Then his lungs, already compromised by his illness and his smoking, just stopped breathing. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 :-\

*nods head*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 31, 2008, 07:46:08 pm
a bright spot of decency:  Hollywood stars band together and protest airing of Marmont video of Heath:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWS1v8unm3cGzlP4wfX3kOe0YPNwD8UH4V4G0

An interesting detail is that someone who viewed the video all the way through mentioned something NOT brought up in the teasers:

But a person who has seen the entire video, who asked not to be identified because of its sensitive nature, said Ledger then points to his tattoo of "M" (for his daughter, Matilda Rose) and says, "this is to remind me never to smoke weed again."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 07:50:08 pm
a bright spot of decency:  Hollywood stars band together and protest airing of Marmont video of Heath:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWS1v8unm3cGzlP4wfX3kOe0YPNwD8UH4V4G0

An interesting detail is that someone who viewed the video all the way through mentioned something NOT brought up in the teasers:

But a person who has seen the entire video, who asked not to be identified because of its sensitive nature, said Ledger then points to his tattoo of "M" (for his daughter, Matilda Rose) and says, "this is to remind me never to smoke weed again."
Oh, YAY!! This is what I posted last night, that I hope and pray for a backlash, hopefully by other celebrities. This is EXACTLY what I wanted to see. YAY HOLLYWOOD!!!

Louise, I just can't read that article enough times. THANK YOU for posting it!! ;D :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 31, 2008, 07:59:51 pm
A more colorful retelling on the story can be found on Defamer, with a little bit more of a slant on the kind of pressure celebrities can bring to bear on the press when the press goes too far:

http://defamer.com/351313/upset-actors-let-etinsider-know-that-running-heath-ledger-video-could-lead-to-immediate-red-carpet-embargos

Like John Gibson, ET might not get over this little gaffe soon.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 08:02:33 pm
A more colorful retelling on the story can be found on Defamer, with a little bit more of a slant on the kind of pressure celebrities can bring to bear on the press when the press goes too far:

http://defamer.com/351313/upset-actors-let-etinsider-know-that-running-heath-ledger-video-could-lead-to-immediate-red-carpet-embargos

Like John Gibson, ET might not get over this little gaffe soon.
Oh gosh, this is better than sex. I feel like lighting a cigarette and spooning my computer. LOL (and I don't even smoke)

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on January 31, 2008, 08:54:19 pm


 ;D
That's my girl, Natalie Portman.  :-* :-*

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 31, 2008, 09:14:12 pm
Bush said the response was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

YES!!  8)

I just finished watching "The Insider" and "Entertainment Tonight," and there wasn't a word about Heath, even though they had promised more video tonight.  However, their big rival, "Access Hollywood," reported the story detailed in the AP article, saying that ET put out a statement that "out of respect" for Heath and his family they had pulled the video.  Bull.  ::)

This is really great.  I'm so glad to see the big response of Heath's friends and colleagues to this.  It just reinforces my feeling that he was very much valued and loved by his peers.  :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 09:27:13 pm
Obviously it's not just his fans who feel like this. Obviously he was much loved and respected by those who knew him--and even those who only knew of him--as an outstandingly decent human being. Hollywood has stood up, formed a very visible protective barrier around his spirit, and said "we have just suffered the devastating loss of a treasured loved one. Back the f**k off, or there will be blood."

This is a beautiful thing. :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 31, 2008, 09:47:43 pm
Hollywood has stood up, formed a very visible protective barrier around his spirit, and said "we have just suffered the devastating loss of a treasured loved one. Back the f**k off, or there will be blood."

 ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 09:57:17 pm
Meryl, all I can say is they had all better pray they don't run into me in a dark alley. There are some things I am more than happy to get arrested for. I was ready to mobilize if Phelps and co. so much as entered NYC.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on January 31, 2008, 10:00:51 pm
Obviously the whole video was put up on some site, I haven't watched it but from those who had watched it, Heath didn't take drugs in it at all.  ET and Insider knew it, it's a shame that they stooped so low as to advertise it as Heath's drug video. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 31, 2008, 10:14:08 pm
Meryl, all I can say is they had all better pray they don't run into me in a dark alley. There are some things I am more than happy to get arrested for. I was ready to mobilize if Phelps and co. so much as entered NYC.

Oh yeah. Bring it on, Freddie!!  To get in shape for that, I'd go to the gym and work out twice a day.  :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on January 31, 2008, 10:15:15 pm
Oh yeah. Bring it on, Freddie!!  To get in shape for that, I'd go to the gym and work out twice a day.  :D
I'll spot ya, pardner...  ;)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on January 31, 2008, 10:32:42 pm
More from The Huffington Post:


Celebs Rally To Pull Heath Ledger Drug Video

AP   |  David Bauder   |   January 31, 2008 06:06 PM

It was a striking example of Hollywood protecting its own: After an aggressive lobby from powerful film industry figures, "Entertainment Tonight" decided against airing a video that shows the late Heath Ledger hanging out at a party where drugs were being taken.

The show said it pulled the story "out of respect for Heath Ledger's family." But don't discount the effect of a lightning-fast campaign launched by a public relations firm that represents many of the stars "Entertainment Tonight" depends upon for stories.

Even some celebrities themselves _ Natalie Portman and Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a couple _ called to urge "ET" to pull the plug.

"Entertainment Tonight" is hardly the lone news organization to broach the topic of potential drug abuse by the star. But the video it acquired, reportedly taken two years ago at a party at the Chateau Marmont Hotel, drew the fiercest attention.

The syndicated magazine's sister show, "The Insider," aired a "preview" of the story that it had planned to run Thursday that actually showed several segments of the video. Following the protest, "The Insider" yanked the segment from the West Coast version of its telecast.

Ledger is seen standing in the doorway of a room where the party was taking place, swigging from a beer bottle. The actor is heard saying that he was "going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend" for being at the party.

The show made clear that there was nothing on the video showing Ledger taking any drug. At one point, however, the then-26-year-old said he "used to smoke five joints a day."

But a person who has seen the entire video, who asked not to be identified because of its sensitive nature, said Ledger then points to his tattoo of "M" (for his daughter, Matilda Rose) and says, "this is to remind me never to smoke weed again." That part of the quote was not used in Wednesday's preview.

Later, with Ledger in the background, an unidentified man, his face blurred, seems to snort cocaine from a table.

After seeing a promotion for the show Wednesday, a publicist at ID, Ledger's public relations firm, called "Entertainment Tonight" and asked that the segment be pulled. The request was refused.

ID then composed a three-paragraph protest letter that it distributed to some 30 other public relations firms around Hollywood, asking them to tell their clients about what was about to happen. The circle included powerhouse publicists like PMK-HBH, 42 West and BWR.

The letter said "ET" had paid a large sum of money for the video to stir up an exploitive story about Ledger.

"For the sake of his grieving family and friends, his child and common decency, we hope to pressure `Entertainment Tonight' and `The Insider' to do the right thing and pull the spot," the letter said. "This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind, to a talented and gentle soul, undeserving of such treatment."

Stars, studio executives and PR firms all called "ET" to register protests, said Kelly Bush, CEO of ID. The star-studded roster of Bush's firm alone includes Robin Williams, Sean Penn, Tobey Maguire, Mike Myers, Jennifer Hudson, Katie Holmes, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ledger's "Brokeback" co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Bush said the response was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"I hope it represents a turning point," she said. "I think we have all heard from members of the media and members of the public that it's too much. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are the top news stories when Darfur should be."

No boycott was threatened, she said. But when a television show that needs celebrities like living things need oxygen hears from so many powerful sources, a threat probably wasn't necessary.

Not a spoken one, anyway.

"We need them as much as they need us," Bush said. She wouldn't speculate on what made "Entertainment Tonight" change its mind, but said "they've probably never gotten this much heat before over anything."

Executives at "Entertainment Tonight" refused to talk publicly about the retreat. There was some bewilderment and anger at the company about why its show was singled out when many other publications and TV outlets were talking about the same thing. The party video is likely to be seen soon in England, and is already available over the Internet.

But "ET" can't complain about getting nothing for its money. Even though it was called a "preview," "The Insider" already aired a significant story with salient portions of the video, while maintaining the appearance of having taken the high road in the end.

Drew Pinsky, star of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," backed "Entertainment Tonight." He saw the video and was quoted by the show, calling it "heartbreaking."

"When a 28-year-old seemingly healthy man, whom we love and respect, dies suddenly, there is a reason," Pinsky said. "His death plays upon our deepest fears. We owe it to the public to try to answer the question why. I am convinced that if this heart-wrenching video had aired, it would have gotten through and had a positive effect on young people in America. Perhaps it could have even saved some lives."

Also unanswered are questions about how much the Hollywood friends who jumped to Ledger's defense this week knew about any drug use while he was alive, and what they had done to help him. Few of the people close to Ledger have come forth with statements since his death, and those who have chose not to broach the topic of any possible drug use.

One notable exception was Lee Daniels, who produced "Monster's Ball," in which Ledger starred.

"The definition of substance abuse is really up to one's perspective," Daniels told The Associated Press last week. "I didn't see him as a drug addict. I saw him as someone who enjoyed life. I know drug addicts; he was not a drug addict."  



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/31/celebs-rally-to-pull-heat_n_84357.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/31/celebs-rally-to-pull-heat_n_84357.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on January 31, 2008, 11:53:12 pm
Um. Let me get this straight. Somebody took a video that showed that Heath was at a Hollywood party at which other people were snorting cocaine, and this was supposed to imply that Heath had a drug habit bad enough for Michelle to throw him out?

So we're down to pictures of Heath smoking cigarettes and drinking beer, and stories that he smoked pot in the past, and this is supposed to imply that drugs were implicated in his death?

Excuse me while I break out an old emoticon:  ::) ::) ::)

Dear ET: I am very glad that the stars gave you a well-deserved smackdown for that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on January 31, 2008, 11:54:17 pm
Give 'em Hell, Harry!!!

Sorry - that just sprang to mind.  So glad to hear that was thwarted and that so many rallied to Heath's defense.  And really, to the defense of common fucking decency.

I mean, Jesus Christ, how low can they go?  I think we just found out.  Thank goodness they didn't get away with it.  And how despicable - to cut the most pertinent part of the video that would essentially exonerate him.  Fucking bastards.

I hope it'll be a turning point, too.  I doubt it will, but I hope it will.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 12:04:12 am
In response to a wildly inaccurate article in 'Perth Now' a commenter who worked with Heath on BBM left the following comment:

I worked with Heath when he was in Alberta on Broke Back Mountain and I found him to be a very gentle soul - always gracious, polite and passionate about his craft. I didn't see a wild drug addict. I saw no evidence of any drug taking, drinking or any other vice. Everyone LOVED working with him, and he was professional to the core. Now leave him alone whether you are press in the US, Canada, Australia et al... Let him rest in peace, his family heal and his daughter grow up untarnished by the crap generated by so called journalists.

(Gypsy of Canada)

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/comments/0,21590,23137533-5012990,00.html

Another, even more intriguing comment was left a little while later:

The tape has likely been closely reviewed in a lab and was found to have been edited and faked, which is why the decision to not air it. The media blitzes to air a story and the only reason why they wouldn't is because it has been edited/staged /a phoney.....and the media knows liable and slander will only follow if they air the fabricated rubbish.

Posted by: Elle of FL,
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 01, 2008, 12:11:37 am
Um. Let me get this straight. Somebody took a video that showed that Heath was at a Hollywood party at which other people were snorting cocaine, and this was supposed to imply that Heath had a drug habit bad enough for Michelle to throw him out?

So we're down to pictures of Heath smoking cigarettes and drinking beer, and stories that he smoked pot in the past, and this is supposed to imply that drugs were implicated in his death?

Excuse me while I break out an old emoticon:  ::) ::) ::)

Dear ET: I am very glad that the stars gave you a well-deserved smackdown for that.
Yep. That's it in a nutshell. He was smoking (which was hardly a secret) and drinking a beer two years ago. And someone else was doing drugs. From that it was reported that he was doing drugs and saying his girlfriend would kill him if she saw him doing those drugs.

Talk about jumping to conclusions.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 01, 2008, 02:55:05 am
More from The Huffington Post:


Celebs Rally To Pull Heath Ledger Drug Video

AP   |  David Bauder   |   January 31, 2008 06:06 PM

It was a striking example of Hollywood protecting its own: After an aggressive lobby from powerful film industry figures, "Entertainment Tonight" decided against airing a video that shows the late Heath Ledger hanging out at a party where drugs were being taken.

The show said it pulled the story "out of respect for Heath Ledger's family." But don't discount the effect of a lightning-fast campaign launched by a public relations firm that represents many of the stars "Entertainment Tonight" depends upon for stories.

Even some celebrities themselves _ Natalie Portman and Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a couple _ called to urge "ET" to pull the plug.

"Entertainment Tonight" is hardly the lone news organization to broach the topic of potential drug abuse by the star. But the video it acquired, reportedly taken two years ago at a party at the Chateau Marmont Hotel, drew the fiercest attention.

The syndicated magazine's sister show, "The Insider," aired a "preview" of the story that it had planned to run Thursday that actually showed several segments of the video. Following the protest, "The Insider" yanked the segment from the West Coast version of its telecast.

Ledger is seen standing in the doorway of a room where the party was taking place, swigging from a beer bottle. The actor is heard saying that he was "going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend" for being at the party.

The show made clear that there was nothing on the video showing Ledger taking any drug. At one point, however, the then-26-year-old said he "used to smoke five joints a day."

But a person who has seen the entire video, who asked not to be identified because of its sensitive nature, said Ledger then points to his tattoo of "M" (for his daughter, Matilda Rose) and says, "this is to remind me never to smoke weed again." That part of the quote was not used in Wednesday's preview.

Later, with Ledger in the background, an unidentified man, his face blurred, seems to snort cocaine from a table.

After seeing a promotion for the show Wednesday, a publicist at ID, Ledger's public relations firm, called "Entertainment Tonight" and asked that the segment be pulled. The request was refused.

ID then composed a three-paragraph protest letter that it distributed to some 30 other public relations firms around Hollywood, asking them to tell their clients about what was about to happen. The circle included powerhouse publicists like PMK-HBH, 42 West and BWR.

The letter said "ET" had paid a large sum of money for the video to stir up an exploitive story about Ledger.

"For the sake of his grieving family and friends, his child and common decency, we hope to pressure `Entertainment Tonight' and `The Insider' to do the right thing and pull the spot," the letter said. "This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind, to a talented and gentle soul, undeserving of such treatment."

Stars, studio executives and PR firms all called "ET" to register protests, said Kelly Bush, CEO of ID. The star-studded roster of Bush's firm alone includes Robin Williams, Sean Penn, Tobey Maguire, Mike Myers, Jennifer Hudson, Katie Holmes, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ledger's "Brokeback" co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Bush said the response was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"I hope it represents a turning point," she said. "I think we have all heard from members of the media and members of the public that it's too much. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are the top news stories when Darfur should be."

No boycott was threatened, she said. But when a television show that needs celebrities like living things need oxygen hears from so many powerful sources, a threat probably wasn't necessary.

Not a spoken one, anyway.

"We need them as much as they need us," Bush said. She wouldn't speculate on what made "Entertainment Tonight" change its mind, but said "they've probably never gotten this much heat before over anything."

Executives at "Entertainment Tonight" refused to talk publicly about the retreat. There was some bewilderment and anger at the company about why its show was singled out when many other publications and TV outlets were talking about the same thing. The party video is likely to be seen soon in England, and is already available over the Internet.

But "ET" can't complain about getting nothing for its money. Even though it was called a "preview," "The Insider" already aired a significant story with salient portions of the video, while maintaining the appearance of having taken the high road in the end.

Drew Pinsky, star of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," backed "Entertainment Tonight." He saw the video and was quoted by the show, calling it "heartbreaking."

"When a 28-year-old seemingly healthy man, whom we love and respect, dies suddenly, there is a reason," Pinsky said. "His death plays upon our deepest fears. We owe it to the public to try to answer the question why. I am convinced that if this heart-wrenching video had aired, it would have gotten through and had a positive effect on young people in America. Perhaps it could have even saved some lives."

Also unanswered are questions about how much the Hollywood friends who jumped to Ledger's defense this week knew about any drug use while he was alive, and what they had done to help him. Few of the people close to Ledger have come forth with statements since his death, and those who have chose not to broach the topic of any possible drug use.

One notable exception was Lee Daniels, who produced "Monster's Ball," in which Ledger starred.

"The definition of substance abuse is really up to one's perspective," Daniels told The Associated Press last week. "I didn't see him as a drug addict. I saw him as someone who enjoyed life. I know drug addicts; he was not a drug addict."  



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/31/celebs-rally-to-pull-heat_n_84357.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/31/celebs-rally-to-pull-heat_n_84357.html)

Thank you for posting this. I feel much better now.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 01, 2008, 02:56:19 am
Oh gosh, this is better than sex. I feel like lighting a cigarette and spooning my computer. LOL (and I don't even smoke)

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!!

 ;D  ;D  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 01, 2008, 03:41:15 am
I just read these comments from Billy Bush from Access Hollywood:

http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8213/and#039;Outrageous-Tonightand%23039;/

Quote
'Outrageous Tonight'
Jan 31, 2008
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Jan 31, 2008 00:47 AM
I don't often comment on our competition, but because we have so much of it in the "entertainment show" genre these days, we are often lumped in a group together. The fact is, we're very different, and that stems mostly from the difference in scruples of the respective Executive Producers.

”Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider” ran a promo tonight for their Heath Ledger drug use video, which they "reportedly" (love that lawyer enforced word) bought for a couple hundred thousand dollars. A still frame of this video which shows Heath apparently doing cocaine ran on the east coast feed of “ET,” but on the west coast feed, the tasteless still shot was replaced with a shot of someone's feet (Heath’s, I guess). The voice over by Mary Hart had not changed, however. She still spoke of the incriminating scene and still promo'd the full video tomorrow.

Yes, the still shot was just a taste. Tomorrow is Day 1 of the sweeps ratings period.

Gross. Totally gross.
And add to that some predictability:

”ET” and “The Insider” higher ups released this tonight:

"Out of respect for HEATH LEDGER's family, ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘The Insider’ have decided not to run the Heath Ledger video which has been circulating in the world media,"

"Out of respect" — Oh my. How about, "in response to a letter of outrage, written by Heath's publicist, circulating the industry hotter and faster than nude Brangelina photos could, we have decided to duck and run here.” That would be refreshingly honest.

Here's an excerpt of that aforementioned letter by Heath's publicity firm and clearly in defense of those loved ones of Heath's still reeling from the loss:

”Tonight Entertainment Tonight/The Insider are previewing an extremely distasteful segment regarding Heath Ledger. The segment centers around a two-year old video ET purchased for a large sum of money in the hopes of stirring up a salacious and exploitive story about Heath, which would win them big ratings on the first day of sweeps. The two outlets did not even have the courtesy to wait until after Heath’s burial to broadcast this segment. They intend to air the full segment tomorrow.”

For the sake of his grieving family and friends, his child, and common decency, we hope to pressure “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider” to do the right thing and pull the spot. This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind, to a talented and gentle soul, undeserving of such treatment.

Wow. I don't always leap to the side of publicists, because objectivity is sometimes an afterthought. They are hired to shape an image, but --

Heath Ledger's family has not even had the chance to bury their son. We know he had problems, but this kind of salacious opportunism is poisonous.

I struggle with every type of borderline exploitive material. I'm a constant pain to our Executive Producer as I worry too much that things go too far. Ask him.

I am shocked that Mary Hart would read this crap. I know her and she is a very nice lady, but its clear to me she's "checked out" of that place, basically taking whatever they put in her hand and reading it with the same excitable veneer you'd expect to hear at a 50's sock hop.

Mary gets paid a lot of money. She must have the clout to say 'no.' Their Executive producer used to run “Hard Copy.” She doesn't hit the brakes for anything. But Mary, you are the June Cleaver of entertainment news; this cannot be OK.

Let's see how long the outrage lasts.

Tabloid people never call each other out like that. 

(Billy Bush is a cousin of some sort to the White House Bushes.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 01, 2008, 03:45:28 am
Quote
Tabloid people never call each other out like that.

WOW.  What an interesting read.  Thanks Bruce!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 01, 2008, 06:12:20 am
Wow. Just wow.

Coming back online today to find pages upon interesting pages here, and basically - that video boils down to Heath being at some wild party Michelle would not be pleased about, he's drinking beer, - BEER !! - saying he used to smoke joints but won't do so any more for the sake of Matilda, - and some other folks are snorting cokaine in the background?!?

My, oh my. That's.... just testament to him possessing human frailty, but caring deeply about his nearest and dearest, and making an effort to do right by them even while under huge stress....

WTF. I bet there isn't a soul with a toe nail inside the Entertainment industry who hasn't been there, done that and much more that that.

Of course, I'm with the rest of you in being totally delighted at the stars protecting their own. Yay!


And this is the first day of sweeps?  >:( Well, now I know how low it's possible to sink. My God, it's despicable.

I saw somewhere that the video was out on the net on some gossip site. It gave me a thrill to give it a miss, thinking to myself, "that's one click you're not going to get, bastards."

It's been refreshing too, to see the ordinary user comments to the stories about the vid in a couple of gossip sites. There's a near unanimous uproar reaction of "Quit this, leave him alone, let him rest in peace, this is totally tasteless, etc. etc."
 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 06:29:22 am
Well eventually his friends and loved ones will regather their strength, and there will be blood.

Oh yes there will.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 01, 2008, 06:31:22 am
I did watch the so-called "Heath drug video."  And what I saw was a man (Heath, I mean) trying to be courteous and find common conversational ground with some dull, shallow people he had never met before: two men snorting coke, and a woman who was trying to strut her stuff in front of Heath, whose eyes didn't even turn her way.  While someone else skulked outside and took a video of it through the window.  It is a big nothing.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on February 01, 2008, 06:35:57 am
Coming back online today to find pages upon interesting pages here, and basically - that video boils down to Heath being at some wild party Michelle would not be pleased about, he's drinking beer, - BEER !! - saying he used to smoke joints but won't do so any more for the sake of Matilda, - and some other folks are snorting cokaine in the background?!?


I haven't seen the video, but if it shows Heath simply drinking beer and talking about how he won't smoke joints anymore because of his daughter, then I am actually pleased it has come out.  To me, it goes against what every tabloid journo is talking about!  I did not believe that he was into drugs and this video simply proves that-had he been into drugs, I would have thought he would have been getting into them at the party.  
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 06:39:07 am



There's no way to describe how I feel when I talk to somebody about Heath's death and they say "Oh well, he was addicted to drugs, wasn't he?" I want to kick and scream, I want to yell at those goddamn assholes in the media for mocking Heath by deliberately and maliciously making him look like a drug addict. I want to yell at all those stupid people for believing it.

Angry, frustrated and so sad.

While I was reading this thread, a song by Madonna came on my iPod (it's on shuffle, so I never know what's coming up next). Somehow this song reminded me of what Heath went through...

How High - Madonna

How high are the stakes
How much fortune can you make
[repeat]

It's funny
I spent my whole life wanting to be talked about
I did it
Just about everything
To see my name in lights

Was it all worth it
And how did I earn it
Nobody's perfect
I guess I deserve it

[Chorus]
How high are the stakes
How much fortune can you make
Does this get any better
Should I carry on
Will it matter when I'm gone
Will any of this matter

It's funny
How everybody mentions my name
But they're never really nice

I took it
Just about everything
Except my own advice

Was it all worth it
And how did I earn it
Nobody's perfect
I guess I deserve it

[Chorus]

(nothing lasts forever)
(doesn't make a difference)

How high
Doesn't make a difference
Nothing lasts forever
Should I
Will it matter when I'm gone
Will any of this matter

How high are the stakes
How much fortune can you make
Should I carry on
Will it matter when I'm gone
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 01, 2008, 06:45:53 am
Yes, I saw the video too....It's absolutely a big nothing.....I don't think it was of courtesy t the Ledger family they -ET - cancelled the viewing, they probably understood that they would look like big fools if they showed it......
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 06:55:26 am

At first I felt 'cut off' because of the lack of media interest in Heath over here in Belgium, but now, I'm glad I don't have to stand at the supermarket check out and try to not look at those magazines...


I agree, I'm so glad the media in Holland is hardly paying attention to this.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 07:07:23 am
a bright spot of decency:  Hollywood stars band together and protest airing of Marmont video of Heath:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWS1v8unm3cGzlP4wfX3kOe0YPNwD8UH4V4G0

An interesting detail is that someone who viewed the video all the way through mentioned something NOT brought up in the teasers:

But a person who has seen the entire video, who asked not to be identified because of its sensitive nature, said Ledger then points to his tattoo of "M" (for his daughter, Matilda Rose) and says, "this is to remind me never to smoke weed again."

OK, so if he was really into hard drugs then wouldn't he have said drugs instead of weed? As a woman from the Netherlands where weed is legal, I don't see what the fuss is about when we're talking about weed. At least, as long as it's now and then and not used every day.

And, Heath doesn't have a tattoo of "M", it's Matilda written on his chest, isn't it? I doubt he would have shown that to somebody, you know, lifting his shirt and pointing to it.

Weird crap. I hate all this. Can't wait for those damn toxicology reports.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 07:28:02 am
Obviously the whole video was put up on some site, I haven't watched it but from those who had watched it, Heath didn't take drugs in it at all.  ET and Insider knew it, it's a shame that they stooped so low as to advertise it as Heath's drug video. 

I will never in my life watch that video.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 07:28:48 am
Meryl, all I can say is they had all better pray they don't run into me in a dark alley. There are some things I am more than happy to get arrested for. I was ready to mobilize if Phelps and co. so much as entered NYC.

 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 01, 2008, 09:30:56 am
I will never in my life watch that video.

Nor will I, Melissa.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 01, 2008, 10:13:20 am
Well, Kerry and Melissa, you ain't missing anything. That video isn't showing anything, it's just pathetic....ET put 200 000$ down the drain, wonder who made that deal, has he still got his job.....ET had looked like a**hol*s if they had showed it.

My respect for Heath hasn't anything to do with him being a drug addict or not. He was a brilliant actor. How he lived his life isn't any of my buisness. He probably made good and bad decisions like the rest of us. Life is not a Hollywood movie with a happy ending....sad but thats the way it is......

What more can I say? I wish he would be alive and well and making movies. It is the way it is......

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 01, 2008, 10:17:47 am

And, Heath doesn't have a tattoo of "M", it's Matilda written on his chest, isn't it? I doubt he would have shown that to somebody, you know, lifting his shirt and pointing to it.


From what I have read, you are correct, Mel. And he didn't get Matilda tattooed on his chest til sometime this past fall (2007) so it wouldn't have been there to show anyone in the spring of 2006.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 01, 2008, 10:18:39 am
I will never in my life watch that video.

Neither will I. Good grief poor Heath isn,t even burried yet, and the tabloids continue to pour out garbage. ffs have they no respect for him? Is he nothing more than just another story to them? Bastards.  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 01, 2008, 11:52:17 am
I guess this means I have to like Sarah Jessica Parker now (or should I still hate her for what she said about not watching BBM?? I guess it's a tossup). I was already pleasantly disposed toward Natalie Portman. And Billy Bush, whom I always kind of liked against my own will, I can now like WITH my will, despite his evil third cousin or whatever.

But I agree with those who've said that video sounds like a whole bunch of nothin. If anything, it suggests he WASN'T a hard drug user. Unless he meant that for the sake of Matilda he's going to quit smoking weed from now on and just stick with cocaine and heroin.

BTW, Charlie Wilson's War opens with a scene in which Tom Hanks, as Charlie, is sitting naked in a hot tub with naked people doing coke. And he's the hero. (Of course, CWW was written by Aaron Sorkin, who was busted for cocaine in an airport and reportedly overcame a coke addiction. Wonder who's got a video of him?)






Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 12:11:21 pm
A gossip site reported that Heath's funeral would be held next week in Perth, and that it was restricted to family and close friends.  Reportedly Helena Christensen and Michelle are going to be heading to Perth next week for the funeral.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 01, 2008, 01:13:20 pm
Apparently the innocuousness of that video was the reason it was kicking around for two years without much interest being shown in it.  When you consider Heath's passing the way he did, add in a few rumors and testimonies from "sources," and the start of sweeps season, it must have seemed like a cool idea to somebody at ET.  I mean, you could make a toddler's birthday party seem like a coke bash with the right voiceover.  ::)

Note to self:  The next time you hear someone bashed on one of those shows, remember Heath.  Then turn it OFF.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 02:28:34 pm
A statement from Michelle, both heartbreaking and hopeful:

http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN0143463020080201

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken," Williams said in a statement released on Friday by Ledger's spokeswoman.

"I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father," Williams continued in her statement.

"All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him," Williams' statement concluded.


This sounds like either Heath's family is still in New York, or that Michelle is in Australia.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 01, 2008, 02:34:04 pm
A statement from Michelle, both heartbreaking and hopeful:

http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN0143463020080201

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken," Williams said in a statement released on Friday by Ledger's spokeswoman.

"I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father," Williams continued in her statement.

"All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him," Williams' statement concluded.


Thanks for posting this Louise. It really shows that Mathilda was the best thing that ever happened to them.

for some reason or another, I couldn't quote your post here, so I copied it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on February 01, 2008, 02:37:34 pm
A statement from Michelle, both heartbreaking and hopeful:

http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN0143463020080201

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken," Williams said in a statement released on Friday by Ledger's spokeswoman.

"I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father," Williams continued in her statement.

"All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him," Williams' statement concluded.

Oh my.  What a beautiful statement.  And incredibly moving. 

Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 01, 2008, 02:45:32 pm
I really don't know how to find the words after that statement, but wow, Michelle continues to show class and dignity, doesn't she. As well as much heart, here.

And Matilda is the spitting image of her father, sure enough.

I've come to realize that some of the images of Heath I like best to look at just now, are the pictures from the 2006 awards season (Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Oscars, that baseball game the day after the Oscars that the article Louise linked to has an image from). It's heartbreaking of course, but it's also still good to see how intensely happy he and Michelle were and how very much in love they obviously were. There's virtually a glow from those pics that isn't much diminished by what happened later. And certainly not diminished by this current statement of Michelle's.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 01, 2008, 02:48:50 pm
Sad to think she would have to ask to be allowed to grieve privately...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 01, 2008, 02:57:43 pm
Michelle has clearly grown into a woman of great dignity and poise. I think Matilda is blessed to have her as a mother.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 01, 2008, 03:01:41 pm
That was a beautiful, touching statement. Dignified but not terse, succinct but full of character.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 03:16:57 pm
Australian news reveals source of "Drug video"

Not surprisingly, this video was part of a paparazzi "sting" which Ledger discovered during filming and which, if it had been released, could have allowed Heath to sue for millions, according to the article.  The photographers and paps had lured him to the party and offered him the drugs, then pumped him with questions about his drug history.  It never came to light during his life because he could have a slam dunk case of entrapment.

Is anyone surprised?

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23146239-5007132,00.html

Looking at the timing of this video, this goes a long way toward explaining Heath and Michelle's hostility toward paparazzi intrusions into their life in 2006.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 03:22:44 pm
Oh my.  What a beautiful statement.  And incredibly moving. 

Marie

I agree, my heart goes out to her. God, what a nightmare this must be for her.

Quote
My heart is broken,

Oh My God, poor, poor girl...

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 01, 2008, 03:48:20 pm
Note to self:  The next time you hear someone bashed on one of those shows, remember Heath.  Then turn it OFF.  >:(

Oh My God, Meryl, this is exactly what I told my boyfriend only a few minutes ago...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on February 01, 2008, 04:12:18 pm
My response to Michelle's statement ->  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

I'm so sorry that she had to make that statement. Sorry for her loss, and sorry for the *&%^$ media hounding her about it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 01, 2008, 04:19:59 pm
I'm so sorry that she had to make that statement.

Me too, but I love the way she made it.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 01, 2008, 04:46:08 pm
Not surprisingly, this video was part of a paparazzi "sting" which Ledger discovered during filming and which, if it had been released, could have allowed Heath to sue for millions, according to the article.  The photographers and paps had lured him to the party and offered him the drugs, then pumped him with questions about his drug history.  It never came to light during his life because he could have a slam dunk case of entrapment.

Is anyone surprised?
A little, for the simple fact that the video purportedly shows one man actually snorting cocaine (or something that is meant to be seen as cocaine). Couldn't this man potentially face criminal charges, and couldn't the photogs and paps who were setting the whole thing up potentially be held criminally liable too, assuming that the cocaine was real?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 01, 2008, 04:57:50 pm
Michelle is a class act.  Period.  I hope that only good things happen to her and Matilda from here on out.

You know, it's too bad that Heath's family can't sue the people who made that video.  Heath apparently thought he was amongst friends.  It's sickening the way he was set up.  Whoever received that $200,000 should be ordered to donate that money to a charity designated by Heath's family.  The paparazzi should in no way benefit from such outrageous behavior.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 01, 2008, 05:00:26 pm
A little, for the simple fact that the video purportedly shows one man actually snorting cocaine (or something that is meant to be seen as cocaine). Couldn't this man potentially face criminal charges, and couldn't the photogs and paps who were setting the whole thing up potentially be held criminally liable too, assuming that the cocaine was real?

Scott, it didn't even have to be real cocaine.  All they needed was to get him on camera snorting whatever it was, and they would have achieved their goal.  All they needed was his willingness to do it and, of course, whatever self-incriminating comments he would make in the process.

I'm disgusted that people would stoop this low for money.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 05:23:46 pm
The fact that he was lured into a stage situation and photographed there completely discredits whatever "news" value this might have had, and shows tabloid media at its most despicable. It also explains why, in this particular case, the Hollywood actors banded together to quash it.  it isn't news - it's was a photographed stunt.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 01, 2008, 05:27:31 pm
Gotta love their logic, though. I mean, I used to like me a beer or two (or three...) in my youth, but haven't touched a drop of anything in over 20 years.

So get me in a room with other people drinking and doing drugs, and get me to make the above statement... and suddenly I'm an alcoholic? And possibly a drug addict? All because I said I used to drink, and strangers around me are getting up to no good?

I think my head just exploded.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 05:30:09 pm
Brooklyn Neighbors Comment on the Paparazzi:

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=18&id=18234

"Former Boerum Hill resident Heath Ledger was mourned during the ceremony, and several actors demanded that the media allow Ledger’s family and the mother of his child, Michelle Williams, to grieve in private. Photographers and reporters have camped out in front of William’s Boerum Hill home since last Tuesday, when Ledger was discovered unconscious in his Soho apartment and pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbors seem to agree with the actors. “Having people stand on your street, clearly trying to spy on your neighbors doesn’t happen in Brooklyn. And it is, frankly, unnerving,” wrote Huffington Post’s Theresa Rebeck."

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 01, 2008, 05:32:40 pm
Michelle's statement is heart breaking and powerful and classy. It makes me respect her even more than I did before.....

As for that video - I have also watched it - and in some ways I wish they would show it in full on the TV - to prove how they manipulated the film to get those sensational quotes. And to also explain the whole pap trying to create a ting that didn't work angle. Do you think that many people will in the end here that he in fact was up to nothing - or just hear about the video.

Michelle has clearly grown into a woman of great dignity and poise. I think Matilda is blessed to have her as a mother.

*nods head*

a bright spot of decency:  Hollywood stars band together and protest airing of Marmont video of Heath:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWS1v8unm3cGzlP4wfX3kOe0YPNwD8UH4V4G0


again we see what respect he commanded

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 05:40:02 pm
what would be even better is if they had filmed Heath discovering he had been lured into a room prepared to seduce him into making incriminating statements to show that he was being set up.  What a trial the press has put this family through!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 01, 2008, 05:45:10 pm
It's so outrageous. Part of me almost wishes they WOULD show the video because it's not incriminating to anyone but the paparazzi.

I keep hoping that some good will come out of all this in the form of a public backlash against scummy tabs and paps. But then I remember that paparazzi literally drove the beloved Princess Diana to her death, and even THAT didn't make a difference.

Sleazy as the tab reporters and paps are, it's the public appetite for this sort of thing that keeps them in business.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 01, 2008, 05:50:17 pm
Brooklyn Neighbors Comment on the Paparazzi:

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=18&id=18234

"Former Boerum Hill resident Heath Ledger was mourned during the ceremony, and several actors demanded that the media allow Ledger’s family and the mother of his child, Michelle Williams, to grieve in private. Photographers and reporters have camped out in front of William’s Boerum Hill home since last Tuesday, when Ledger was discovered unconscious in his Soho apartment and pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbors seem to agree with the actors. “Having people stand on your street, clearly trying to spy on your neighbors doesn’t happen in Brooklyn. And it is, frankly, unnerving,” wrote Huffington Post’s Theresa Rebeck."



I wouldn't be surprised at all if she just put the place up for sale and never went back. First, it has to be filled with memories (not all of them good), and second, she won't get a moment's peace--nor will Matilda as she's growing up--if she stays there. If it were me, I'd cut my losses and go.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 01, 2008, 06:04:45 pm
Concerning paps....

One of the local papers here recently posted a series of 5 pics of some pap-type photographer sneaking up on Jessica Alba and taking pictures; zooming in as follows:

http://www.kjendis.no/2008/01/22/524607.html?i=4

 ::) ::) ::)


Which kind of begs the question; how far would Michelle have to travel -where could she stay, -that paps would not follow her?

I hope she doesn't make any rash decisions due to pressure from paps on her doorstep at least. I'd imagine she needs time and space - which is what she's asking for in her statement.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 01, 2008, 06:07:29 pm
Concerning paps....

One of the local papers here recently posted a series of 5 pics of some pap-type photographer sneaking up on Jessica Alba and taking pictures; zooming in as follows:

http://www.kjendis.no/2008/01/22/524607.html?i=4

 ::) ::) ::)


Which kind of begs the question; how far would Michelle have to travel -where could she stay, -that paps would not follow her?

I hope she doesn't make any rash decisions due to pressure from paps on her doorstep at least. I'd imagine she needs time and space - which is what she's asking for in her statement.

Dear GOD - does he have no ounce of respect?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 01, 2008, 06:13:05 pm
I don't think it matters where Michelle lives, she will always have the papz there. As long as they can sell their pics they will be there.....  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 01, 2008, 06:15:05 pm
Apparently not. The site who has the 5 pics showing him creeping up at her, has termed the item "The stupidest photographer of all time". There's something in it.  ::)

Here's another current article on the pap craziness - they've become so aggressive that LA is planning to pass laws to keep them at a distance from celebs and keep them from endangering public safety. This has to do with the Britney Spears hullaballoo, but coming on the tail end of this week after Heath died,and the way paps and celeb-voracious media have been operating it seems to me it's interesting to see it in light of that as well....

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-britney2feb02,0,6648183.story
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 01, 2008, 06:21:31 pm
It's sad and strange that we have to keep learning our lessons over and over again. In the wake of the death of Diana Princess of Wales,  there was supposedly a lot of soul-searching within not only the ranks of the gossip-rag trade but also the larger public regarding the perils of celebrity worship, and yet Heath's death proves that the impulses and motives to trade in this commodity have not changed a bit.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 01, 2008, 06:31:11 pm
I keep hoping that some good will come out of all this in the form of a public backlash against scummy tabs and paps. But then I remember that paparazzi literally drove the beloved Princess Diana to her death, and even THAT didn't make a difference.
I see that you essentially made the same point earlier, Katherine.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 06:41:32 pm
I have been following news breaks pretty closely (I guess that is what remains of my grief) and in the last handful of days several celebrities have checked themselves into rehab or psychiatric treatment:

Amy Winehouse
Britney Spears
Eva Mendes
Justin Chambers

is it possible that a few Hollywooders are getting scared straight?

I thought there was a fifth one but I am still searching.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 01, 2008, 06:58:01 pm
I would think they'd wait to run stories about illegal drug use based on autoposy results. If he's "clean" (no opiates or illegal substances), what's the point? I bought this issue of PPL, but I certainly wouldn't buy the one that MOREMOJO is alluding to.
As is, Heath is not around to defend himself. 

I did buy the People magazine -- for that kind of rag, IMO it really wasn't too bad; and some very nice pictures. They were rather cautious not to make too many definite statements about either drugs or the cause of death. Don't have it in front of me, but I think they mentioned Heath's "partying" as a factor in the breakup.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 01, 2008, 07:24:08 pm
I'm a bit surprised George Clooney has not made a statement yet. He's always been very outspoken about the paps, and confronts them at every turn... he thinks they're criminals who are a danger to society. Surely he must have something to say.

One of my favorite quotes of his:

"They're not trying to catch me doing something stupid; they're trying to create me doing something stupid. You don't get to break all these laws and then say, 'I'm just doing my job.' The guys that commit all these crimes are rewarded for it. It creates bounty hunters in a way."

George... you're one of my heroes for your bravery and candor, the way you speak up for those who can't. Where are you when I really need you?

 :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 01, 2008, 10:05:07 pm
Cute gossip of the day:

Eric Roberts, who worked with Heath on 'The Dark Knight' described him as "A real sweetie pie."

Who knew?  Sounds like Roberts was quite taken with our boy!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on February 01, 2008, 10:09:51 pm
Cute gossip of the day:

Eric Roberts, who worked with Heath on 'The Dark Knight' described him as "A real sweetie pie."

Who knew?  Sounds like Roberts was quite taken with our boy!

I've watched the clip of his interview.  It is obvious he likes Heath very much, in fact, he has 'sweetie pie' many times.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 02, 2008, 02:25:50 am
http://heathledgermemorialblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/michelle-williams-says-heart-broken.html

This story has already been posted, but this photo of Heath is a new one for me.  It's beautiful.  If you click on it, it gets even larger.  (The photo wasn't cooperating with Photobucket.)  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on February 02, 2008, 09:13:50 am
There's no way to describe how I feel when I talk to somebody about Heath's death and they say "Oh well, he was addicted to drugs, wasn't he?" I want to kick and scream, I want to yell at those goddamn assholes in the media for mocking Heath by deliberately and maliciously making him look like a drug addict. I want to yell at all those stupid people for believing it.

Me too- even if he was a drug addict, does that make his death any less tragic?

I for one don't believe that he was into hard drugs.  I wish they would show the full, unedited video showing EVERYONE that he didn't do hard drugs, and his reasons for that.  I know weed is legal in the Netherlands, and I must say that although there is a lot of chat about declassification in the UK, not many people care.  I have never been to a party where weed was not being smoked!

My main point however is that the police say there were NO illegal drugs around his apartment.  If he was a habitual drug user, would there not have been some drugs somewhere?  Maybe not near him, but surely there would have been drugs somewhere in his apartment?  If he was a regular drug user, I find it incredibly difficult to believe that he only bought enough drugs to use on the day and would go back over and over again when he wanted more.  That just doesn't wash with me.  Even if there were no drugs, there must have been some sort of indication showing recent drug use.  There wasn't. 

Regarding the painkillers, apparently there were three different kinds of prescription painkillers that had been prescribed in the UK.  I don't know how it works with celebrities, however I can tell you that very strong (addictive) drugs are only prescribed (to people like us) in the most extreme circumstances.  If there was doubt over the prescription, I would have thought the UK press would have been all over the story and the doctor named and questioned. This leads me to believe that the painkillers found in his apartment have not been the opiates that people are assuming were found.  Of course, I can only give my opinion and have no evidence to back it up, just my experience of reading the UK press. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 02, 2008, 09:57:51 am
Sandy, that's what I was saying a few days ago. If he were a "drug addict," there would have been illegal drugs in his apartment because you can't just turn that on and off, and unless he committed suicide (which he did not) he couldn't have planned a nice drug-free scene to be found in.  And the autopsy would have found track marks, nasal damage, organ damage etc. and other signs of chronic drug use, which probably would have been reported as a possible cause of death.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 02, 2008, 10:18:41 am
Sandy, that's what I was saying a few days ago. If he were a "drug addict," there would have been illegal drugs in his apartment because you can't just turn that on and off, and unless he committed suicide (which he did not) he couldn't have planned a nice drug-free scene to be found in.  And the autopsy would have found track marks, nasal damage, organ damage etc. and other signs of chronic drug use, which probably would have been reported as a possible cause of death.

It's also a fact that forensic experts don't just look for a needle, a bag of pot or a little stash of coke -- they look for residue, which a habitual drug user wouldn't be able to remove just by throwing stuff away.

One of the first things reported was a "rolled-up $20 bill" found in the apartment. It was all over the news that they were testing it for drug residue; but the follow-up that reported that they found nothing -- I only saw that in one mention on CNN.  Same creative approach to news reporting we can come to expect.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 02, 2008, 10:51:49 am
One of the first things reported was a "rolled-up $20 bill" found in the apartment. It was all over the news that they were testing it for drug residue; but the follow-up that reported that they found nothing -- I only saw that in one mention on CNN.  Same creative approach to news reporting we can come to expect.

Exactly what makes me so sick about the media.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 02, 2008, 10:52:05 am
Here are some more thoughts from when I watched that video of Heath in that hotel room.  The version I saw had captioning at key points, because the audio was kind of hard to hear.

One caption was something like "I used to smoke 5 joints a day for twenty years."  When I read that, I thought "HUNH??"  He would have had to start that habit when he was 6 years old and ended it the day before he said it for that math to be true.  So I replayed it a few times, listening as intently as I could, and decided that I think he said "two years" not "twenty."  How come I haven't seen anyone writing about that?  How can they keep saying 20?  Makes no sense.

The other thing I want to emphasize is that my interpretation is that Heath felt wary and uncomfortable.  He seemed to want to accept these people with good will, but wasn't finding it easy.  I felt like the woman was prancing for the camera, and her push up bra I found incredibly annoying.  I would say that clearly, from the portion of the video that got shown, the only mistake Heath made was walking into that room.  He didn't make any mistakes on the tape.  
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 02, 2008, 10:58:05 am
Here are some more thoughts from when I watched that video of Heath in that hotel room.  The version I saw had captioning at key points, because the audio was kind of hard to hear.

One caption was something like "I used to smoke 5 joints a day for twenty years."  When I read that, I thought "HUNH??"  He would have had to start that habit when he was 6 years old and ended it the day before he said it for that math to be true.  So I replayed it a few times, listening as intently as I could, and decided that I think he said "two years" not "twenty."  How come I haven't seen anyone writing about that?  How can they keep saying 20?  Makes no sense.

The other thing I want to emphasize is that my interpretation is that Heath felt wary and uncomfortable.  He seemed to want to accept these people with good will, but wasn't finding it easy.  I felt like the woman was prancing for the camera, and her push up bra I found incredibly annoying.  I would say that clearly, from the portion of the video that got shown, the only mistake Heath made was walking into that room.  He didn't make any mistakes on the tape. 

OMG! YOU ARE SO RIGHT!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 02, 2008, 12:50:22 pm
Did you folks catch the followup link I made to the Daily Telegraph story that the video was made as a sting?  The paps were putting on the party and chatted him up and brought him to it, lying in wait with a camera and then pumping him with questions about doing drugs.  It was scripted, and he found out in the midst of it that someone had a camera on the balcony and got upset and left.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 02, 2008, 01:29:19 pm
Did you folks catch the followup link I made to the Daily Telegraph story that the video was made as a sting?  The paps were putting on the party and chatted him up and brought him to it, lying in wait with a camera and then pumping him with questions about doing drugs.  It was scripted, and he found out in the midst of it that someone had a camera on the balcony and got upset and left.

Too bad he didn't think to get the tape or make them erase it... but maybe he didn't feel it was necessary because he had only  been sitting there before he realized he was being set up.

As a side comment, I've often wondered why it seems that celebrities tend to only date/marry other celebrities.  Heath's setup kind of answers that question for me.  Who else can they really trust?  How can they let their guard down enough to get close to someone not in the business?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on February 02, 2008, 01:41:36 pm
As a side comment, I've often wondered why it seems that celebrities tend to only date/marry other celebrities.

I think that it is incredibly difficult for a non-celebrity to get close enough to a celebrity for a connection to be made.  I would have loved to have met Heath, and would love to meet Jake, but when would I ever have the chance? Even if there was going to be an attraction, there would be less than a moment for it to be realised.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 02, 2008, 01:43:29 pm
Nick Cage, didn't he marry a waitress or something......
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 02, 2008, 01:45:01 pm
Hmmm, why in the world would Heath attend a party thrown by the very people he moved to the other side of the planet to avoid? - the paparazzi?

I'm not sure I buy that Daily Telegraph addendum.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 02, 2008, 01:55:44 pm
Hmmm, why in the world would Heath attend a party thrown by the very people he moved to the other side of the planet to avoid? - the paparazzi?

I'm not sure I buy that Daily Telegraph addendum.

I'm thinking he didn't realize that.  It could have been little Hollywood nobodies working with the paparazzi or paparazzi pretending to be other people.  He was mislead into thinking that these people were "friends."  At one point, Heath even said something like, "Where are you guys from?"  He was trying to be friendly.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 02, 2008, 01:58:59 pm
As a side comment, I've often wondered why it seems that celebrities tend to only date/marry other celebrities.  Heath's setup kind of answers that question for me.  Who else can they really trust?  How can they let their guard down enough to get close to someone not in the business?

Several years back, I did features regularly for a weekly newspaper that functioned as Atlanta's city magazine. Mind you, I wasn't anything within shouting distance of being a "celebrity", even a local one -- just a local writer whose byline appeared regularly.  And people started driving me nuts.  Former schoolmates whom I'd had little contact with previously became my new best friends -- especially when there was a concert in town they hoped to get freebies for -- and I regularly went out on dates with guys who "just happened" to have a band or a new business they wanted written up. (That was always put to me as giving me a "hot tip for a story", LOL....)  And I remember thinking OMG, now I understand why celebrities are so parannoid about everybody wanting a piece of them: I'd only taken a few small nibbles out of a huge buffet and those nibbles were already giving me food poisoning, so to speak.

But actors marrying other actors can be a mistake.  I have a former classmate who's had a very successful career as a film costume designer, and she married a guy who's a superintendent in the Los Angeles Public Works department.  "Always marry outside The Business," she says.   8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 02, 2008, 02:15:31 pm

Quote
As a side comment, I've often wondered why it seems that celebrities tend to only date/marry other celebrities.

It's easier.  You date men/women you work with/go to school with/live near, don't you?

I can't imagine dating a celebrity.

Hey, I just met and am now dating actor X.

I live in (for sake of this example) an L.A. suburb.  I work 40-50 week job.  I only have weekends and my evenings off.

He's shooting a movie in town.  He works until 10 pm almost every night.  Can I see him during the week?  Not likely, not if I want to still be able to get up in the morning to get to my job.  I can't talk to him during the day on my phone because my job limits my personal calls.  He doesn't take lunch when I do.  We can only leave messages for each other.

I can see him during the weekends - maybe - that is if he doesn't have reshoots or other such things to do.

Then he's either off for several months, well, after he does the publicity for his movie.  Then we will have more time to date, but not if he wants to keep working.

Now he's off to his next movie - in a faraway country for 3-6 months.  Can I go to that country?  Yeah, if he will pay for it.  I certainly can't afford it.  Can I stay for weeks?  No, only for a weekend before I need to get back to work.

So we can only call/text - he's in a different time zone from me, he has publicity jaunts to do  - blah blah blah

I'm actually shocked when movie star celebrities date people outside the business.  It would be extremely difficult - unless of course, you're like Nic Cage's girlfriend or Clooney's last - someone working a waitressing job in an L.A. restaurant or casino.  A job easy to replace.  Then they just seem to quit their jobs, living off their celebrity boyfriends until the relationship ends or they get pregnant/married, then move on.

 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on February 02, 2008, 02:38:08 pm


            Del I love your sig photo beautiful.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 02, 2008, 02:43:40 pm
Sandra Bullock married a guy who, I think, sells or fixes motorcycles. If I remember the story correctly, she was with her nephew, who loves motorcycles, so they stopped into this shop to look around. The owner was smitten with Sandra and started calling and/or emailing her. She rejected him repeatedly, but he was so persistent that eventually she gave in and they have lived happily ever after ... so far.

What I thought when I read that story was, wow, what amazing chutzpah and confidence that guy has -- he not only asks a big movie star out in the first place, but then keeps on doing it even after being rejected! Who but a creepy stalker would do that? Yet eventually Sandra fell in love.

You probably need that much chutzpah and confidence to marry a celebrity if you're not one. Because not only would you have the scheduling conflicts that Del mentioned, not only would you have to see your loved one constantly hit on by other people, but you'd have to see your own photo splashed all over the tabs under the headline (or at least the implication) "Why would he go out with her???"

I can think of a number of celebrity/non-celebrity matches. But in most cases, the non-celebrity is either really rich and successful but just not famous, or works in the entertainment industry in some capacity (producer, agent, key grip, whatever).

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 02, 2008, 03:14:11 pm


I can't imagine dating a celebrity.

Hey, I just met and am now dating actor X.

I live in (for sake of this example) an L.A. suburb.  I work 40-50 week job.  I only have weekends and my evenings off.

He's shooting a movie in town.  He works until 10 pm almost every night.  Can I see him during the week?  Not likely, not if I want to still be able to get up in the morning to get to my job.  I can't talk to him during the day on my phone because my job limits my personal calls.  He doesn't take lunch when I do.  We can only leave messages for each other.

I can see him during the weekends - maybe - that is if he doesn't have reshoots or other such things to do.

Then he's either off for several months, well, after he does the publicity for his movie.  Then we will have more time to date, but not if he wants to keep working.

Now he's off to his next movie - in a faraway country for 3-6 months.  Can I go to that country?  Yeah, if he will pay for it.  I certainly can't afford it.  Can I stay for weeks?  No, only for a weekend before I need to get back to work.

So we can only call/text - he's in a different time zone from me, he has publicity jaunts to do  - blah blah blah

Del, I'm afraid you just shattered a lot of dreams.   ;)

Seriously, though, you're right.  Maintaining such a relationship would be extremely difficult even if one was lucky enough to spark an attraction in the first place.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 02, 2008, 03:34:22 pm
It's easier.  You date men/women you work with/go to school with/live near, don't you?

I can't imagine dating a celebrity.

Hey, I just met and am now dating actor X.

I live in (for sake of this example) an L.A. suburb.  I work 40-50 week job.  I only have weekends and my evenings off.

He's shooting a movie in town.  He works until 10 pm almost every night.  Can I see him during the week?  Not likely, not if I want to still be able to get up in the morning to get to my job.  I can't talk to him during the day on my phone because my job limits my personal calls.  He doesn't take lunch when I do.  We can only leave messages for each other.

I can see him during the weekends - maybe - that is if he doesn't have reshoots or other such things to do.

Then he's either off for several months, well, after he does the publicity for his movie.  Then we will have more time to date, but not if he wants to keep working.

Now he's off to his next movie - in a faraway country for 3-6 months.  Can I go to that country?  Yeah, if he will pay for it.  I certainly can't afford it.  Can I stay for weeks?  No, only for a weekend before I need to get back to work.

So we can only call/text - he's in a different time zone from me, he has publicity jaunts to do  - blah blah blah

I'm actually shocked when movie star celebrities date people outside the business.  It would be extremely difficult - unless of course, you're like Nic Cage's girlfriend or Clooney's last - someone working a waitressing job in an L.A. restaurant or casino.  A job easy to replace.  Then they just seem to quit their jobs, living off their celebrity boyfriends until the relationship ends or they get pregnant/married, then move on.

 

Mantaining any relationship is difficult. Period. It doesn't matter if you partner is a famous person. I don't think I would ever date a celebrity simply because I am not in the entertainment industry and it makes it harder for me to meet an actor. As Del says people usually meet other people at work or at places where you hang out the most. Certainly there are cases in which one meets another randomly, but that is usually rare.

However, If do happen to meet someone who's famous and like him (just because he is famous doesn't mean I have to like him), I'd give it a shot. Why not? I'm not personally worried about schedule issues because I know they can be worked out. Hell, journalists tend to have an awful schedule, sometimes worse than an actor would. So do doctors, nurses, some lawyers, cops etc. Not everybody works 9 to 5.

PS. Sorry for going OT here, I couldn't help myself. Back to the original topic.  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 02, 2008, 03:51:09 pm
However, If do happen to meet someone who's famous and like him (just because he is famous doesn't mean I have to like him), I'd give it a shot. Why not? I'm not personally worried about schedule issues because I know they can be worked out. Hell, journalists tend to have an awful schedule, sometimes worse than an actor would. So do doctors, nurses, some lawyers, cops etc. Not everybody works 9 to 5.

I guess you're right. OK, now I'm open to dating a celebrity, too. Are you listening, Christian Bale???  ;D

(Unfortunately, though, Christian Bale is currently married. I may have to settle for George Clooney.)



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 02, 2008, 04:47:50 pm
Sandra Bullock married a guy who, I think, sells or fixes motorcycles. If I remember the story correctly, she was with her nephew, who loves motorcycles, so they stopped into this shop to look around. The owner was smitten with Sandra and started calling and/or emailing her. She rejected him repeatedly, but he was so persistent that eventually she gave in and they have lived happily ever after ... so far.

What I thought when I read that story was, wow, what amazing chutzpah and confidence that guy has -- he not only asks a big movie star out in the first place, but then keeps on doing it even after being rejected! Who but a creepy stalker would do that? Yet eventually Sandra fell in love.

You probably need that much chutzpah and confidence to marry a celebrity if you're not one. Because not only would you have the scheduling conflicts that Del mentioned, not only would you have to see your loved one constantly hit on by other people, but you'd have to see your own photo splashed all over the tabs under the headline (or at least the implication) "Why would he go out with her???"

I can think of a number of celebrity/non-celebrity matches. But in most cases, the non-celebrity is either really rich and successful but just not famous, or works in the entertainment industry in some capacity (producer, agent, key grip, whatever).



See below.  Her husband wasn't just a grease monkey working in a garage.

Sandra Bullock's New Hubby Is A Reality Star

Ok...I admit that the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage isn't really my kind of reality TV (Machinery? mechanics? Not that interested!). But I think I'll be tuning in next week just to see Sandra Bullock's new husband Jesse James. James is the popular host of this show and he is apparently quite the catch if he was able to win over one of Hollywood's hottest bachelorettes.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 02, 2008, 04:49:28 pm

            Del I love your sig photo beautiful.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 02, 2008, 04:50:57 pm
Del, I'm afraid you just shattered a lot of dreams.   ;)

 :laugh: :laugh:

You notice I gave it a lot of thought, though.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 02, 2008, 06:23:54 pm
Hmmm, why in the world would Heath attend a party thrown by the very people he moved to the other side of the planet to avoid? - the paparazzi?

I'm not sure I buy that Daily Telegraph addendum.

It was confirmed by the source, Splash News, that it was their party and their paps giving it.  And he moved to the other side of the planet after this happened.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 02, 2008, 06:57:31 pm
It was confirmed by the source, Splash News, that it was their party and their paps giving it.  And he moved to the other side of the planet after this happened.

More like, country, as in Brooklyn.

He and Michelle lived in Australia for the first 6 months of 2005, while he was filming "Candy" and she was pregnant with Matilda. At that point, their plan was to divide their time equally between the US and Australia. However, after the Australian premiere of Brokeback Mountain, when he was squirted with squirt guns, he immediately put his Australian home on the market and it sold in four days. He said at that time he had no intention of ever living or working in Australia again for an extended period of time--unless the paparrazzi situation changed significantly. In fact, I think I read somewhere that Heath was on the Baz Luhrman's short list for the lead in "Australia" and when he heard Heath say this, he crossed him off, knowing that the filming would be months-long (it ended up taking 9 months in all) in Australia.

The Australian premiere of BBM was January 10, 2006 in Melbourne. I think it premiered in other cities, too.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 02, 2008, 07:44:30 pm
A Way to Pay Tribute to Heath's Memory:

Heathbaby.com - the oldest fansite still running, is setting up a memorial fund for Guildford Grammar School, an institution that Heath supported in his life and to whom the male Ledgers have long attended.  If you are seeking to make a more permanent tribute to Heath this may be the way to go:

http://heathbaby.com/
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 02, 2008, 07:50:33 pm
Guess you're right. Sounds like Sandra wasn't exactly the first celebrity he'd ever met. From Wikipedia:

Quote
Jesse Gregory James (born April 19, 1969) in Lynwood, CA to Larry and Carol James is the youngest of two children. He is an American and CEO of West Coast Choppers, a manufacturer of custom-made motorcycles, and the host of Motorcycle Mania and the former series Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel. His roots from his father's side, great-great-grandfather was a cousin of Jesse James, the legendary American outlaw.

Biography

Jesse G. James was born in Lynwood, California and states he grew up in Long Beach, California, however he did not spend his entire childhood there. James parents divorced while he was still in grade school in South Gate, CA and he and sister Julie moved to Riverside with their father, Larry James and attended La Sierra High School, Riverside Community College. James has two children - a daughter, Chandler, and a son, Jesse James, Jr. - by his first wife, Karla. He also has a daughter, Sunny, by his second wife, Janine Lindemulder, an adult film star/producer, and a former Penthouse model, however he had no participation in her life until early 2007, Sunny was born January 2004. On July 16, 2005 James married actress Sandra Bullock; they met when Bullock arranged for her eight-year-old godson, who was a fan, to tour the set of Monster Garage. But not until they had to wait for James' to divorce to be final from his then pregnant wife Janine Lindemulder.

James' latest venture is the "Cisco Burger" restaurant, which opened on April 28, 2006, just down the street from West Coast Choppers. The '50s-style burger stand - named after his beloved pit bull - features Kobe beef burgers, low-fat burritos, organic veggies, and biodegradable wrappings. Other branches of the "West Coast Family" include the Chopperdogs fan club and Jesse's Girl clothing line. Pay Up Sucker Productions is a production company started in late 2006. James also publishes Garage Magazine.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 02, 2008, 08:03:28 pm
A Way to Pay Tribute to Heath's Memory:

Heathbaby.com - the oldest fansite still running, is setting up a memorial fund for Guildford Grammar School, an institution that Heath supported in his life and to whom the male Ledgers have long attended.  If you are seeking to make a more permanent tribute to Heath this may be the way to go:

http://heathbaby.com/

Louise, this is interesting. Can you cross post over on the charitable causes thread?

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on February 02, 2008, 08:43:50 pm
Sandra Bullock married a guy who, I think, sells or fixes motorcycles. If I remember the story correctly, she was with her nephew, who loves motorcycles, so they stopped into this shop to look around. The owner was smitten with Sandra and started calling and/or emailing her. She rejected him repeatedly, but he was so persistent that eventually she gave in and they have lived happily ever after ... so far.

What I thought when I read that story was, wow, what amazing chutzpah and confidence that guy has -- he not only asks a big movie star out in the first place, but then keeps on doing it even after being rejected! Who but a creepy stalker would do that? Yet eventually Sandra fell in love.

You probably need that much chutzpah and confidence to marry a celebrity if you're not one. Because not only would you have the scheduling conflicts that Del mentioned, not only would you have to see your loved one constantly hit on by other people, but you'd have to see your own photo splashed all over the tabs under the headline (or at least the implication) "Why would he go out with her???"

I can think of a number of celebrity/non-celebrity matches. But in most cases, the non-celebrity is either really rich and successful but just not famous, or works in the entertainment industry in some capacity (producer, agent, key grip, whatever).



That guy had or still has a television show.   He and his father make those 50 thousand dollar custom motorcycles, and
re make cars vans and what ever, into a one of a kind show thing......  So its not like he was someone
she just picked up in the local radiator shop......sorry someone else posted that before mine posted
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 03, 2008, 12:35:44 am
UGH.   Was listening to one those evening entertainment shows tonight.   They are already dragging Heath thru the mud.    Michelle now separated to protect the baby from Heaths daily drug habit and nightly partying.   

Was this by any chance, E!News Weekend that you saw?  They ran a story this weekend with just this very content.  Awful.  And, it did sound like they were reporting on reporting on recycled-rumor on reporting.  It's like they were trying to make a story based on no new actual news to report on this subject.  I guess, this is a really good example of Phillip's comments about the "black hole" period in a drawn-out entertainment story during a phase when there's no new real info.

 >:( >:( >:(

The way this story is being treated now, really makes me worry for the day when the toxicology report finally comes in... or they start reporting on the funeral or something. 

All of this is really making me realize (more so than ever) how horrible celebrity reporting can be.
 :-\



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 03, 2008, 12:49:33 am
All of this is really making me realize (more so than ever) how horrible celebrity reporting can be.

For me, it's really been an eye-opener about how horrible being a celebrity can be. Geez, at one point I even felt sorry for Jack Nicholson!  8)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 03, 2008, 05:48:18 am
I hope it makes people realise that if the media lies to us in the cases of celebrities, then it's not so difficult to believe that they lie to us on all fronts. ALL of them.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 03, 2008, 05:57:26 am
With all due respect for Katherine  :-*, I've always found that if the papers ever write an article or even a feature about something I myself have in-depth knowledge of, there are invariably errors, omissions and over-simplifications that lead to the total story presenting its subject matter more or less incorrectly, sometimes even glaringly so.  I suppose it's the name of the deadline and punchline game.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on February 03, 2008, 06:15:04 am
UGH.   Was listening to one those evening entertainment shows tonight.   They are already dragging Heath thru the mud.    Michelle now separated to protect the baby from Heaths daily drug habit and nightly partying.   


Disgusting.  If that were the case, then there is no way Michelle would allow Heath to go out on his own with Matilda.  I wish they would just leave him alone. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 03, 2008, 07:27:23 am
Friends Mourn Heath Ledger in Second L.A. Service
By Alexis Chiu

Friends and celebrity colleagues – including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Sienna Miller, Ellen DeGeneres and director Todd Haynes – gathered on the Sony lot in Los Angeles to remember Heath Ledger on Saturday, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The gathering included industry luminaries and those connected to CAA (the agency that represented Ledger), including Cruise and Holmes, who costarred with Michelle Williams on Dawson's Creek. It comes a week after relatives and close friends – including ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts – paid tribute to the 28-year-old actor at a smaller service at an L.A. cemetery.

Saturday's service began around noon on the lot, which is closed to the public. Attendees included Miller, Ledger's Casanova costar, and Shannyn Sossamon, who starred with Ledger in A Knight's Tale. Speakers included Haynes, who directed him in last year's Bob Dylan film I'm Not There.


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175796,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175796,00.html)

When I first read this news I wondered what was Tom Cruise doing there, but then I remembered (the article also says it) that Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams worked together at Dawson's Creek. I can't  believe I forgot about it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 03, 2008, 07:35:00 am

Disgusting.  If that were the case, then there is no way Michelle would allow Heath to go out on his own with Matilda.  I wish they would just leave him alone. 

Yes me too Sandy. Bloody paparazi are like vultures. No wonder Heath hated them. Bastards. >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 03, 2008, 07:45:38 am

I wish they would just leave him alone. 

Me too, but unfortunately that's not going to happen anytime soon. At least not until the autopsy results are out.  :-\

I suggest not visiting those media websites. The more hits they get on the stories about Heath, the more they think people are interested in reading anything about him. Also try not to tune in their TV program either. Not sure if it will work but it worth giving it a shot.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 03, 2008, 03:12:37 pm
With all due respect for Katherine  :-*, I've always found that if the papers ever write an article or even a feature about something I myself have in-depth knowledge of, there are invariably errors, omissions and over-simplifications that lead to the total story presenting its subject matter more or less incorrectly, sometimes even glaringly so.  I suppose it's the name of the deadline and punchline game.


After working in the public sector for 20 years, I've had the exact same experience!

Pete
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 03, 2008, 03:43:03 pm
a news site in Australia reports on the latest: Heath's family will be holding a private funeral, and Jake is 'expected to attend.'

http://hawkesbury.yourguide.com.au/news/breaking/general/ledgers-family-to-hold-private-funeral/1174890.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 03, 2008, 04:35:35 pm
I hope it makes people realise that if the media lies to us in the cases of celebrities, then it's not so difficult to believe that they lie to us on all fronts. ALL of them.

With all due respect for Katherine  :-*, I've always found that if the papers ever write an article or even a feature about something I myself have in-depth knowledge of, there are invariably errors, omissions and over-simplifications that lead to the total story presenting its subject matter more or less incorrectly, sometimes even glaringly so.  I suppose it's the name of the deadline and punchline game.

I've had the same experience myself. But I think it's important to remember that errors, omissions and oversimplifications are not the same as lies. They're mistakes, perhaps even careless ones, but NOT deliberate attempts to mislead.

Vulturous tabloids aside, I truly believe the mainstream media make mistakes all the time but almost never outright lie. What would be the point? Where would that get them? What would be their motivation? Their objective is, at the lowest, to make money, and at highest, to help society. The vast majority of journalists I have known are genuinely interested in doing the latter, even if they don't always succeed. They get their kicks from having access to power and winning awards, which are usually given out on the basis of good results like exposing corruption or injustice.

Lying to readers/viewers really accomplishes nothing, To lie, you have to have an interest in concealing or misleading, and very few journalists feel that kind of motivation. Few are particularly loyal to governments, businesses or whoever else they might lie on behalf of. On the rare occasions when journalists DO lie, it's usually to further their own careers. But deliberate lies, as we have seen in cases like that of former New Republic reporter Stephen Glass and former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, are often discovered and can ruin a journalist's career.

Of course, I'm talking about legitimate mainstream media, not tabloids and paparazzi. Obviously in those arenas lies are routine.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 03, 2008, 05:29:03 pm
a news site in Australia reports on the latest: Heath's family will be holding a private funeral, and Jake is 'expected to attend.'

http://hawkesbury.yourguide.com.au/news/breaking/general/ledgers-family-to-hold-private-funeral/1174890.html

Thanks for this Louise.  I'm very glad to know that Jake is going to the funeral.   :(   :'(


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 05:46:28 pm

Monday morning's Daily Telegraph (Sydney newspaper):

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 05:52:23 pm
Gallery honouring Heath's career from the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5025684-5010141,00.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 06:01:41 pm

This gallery is presently appearing on the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph webpage under the heading "Heath Ledger's Supporters":

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5029344-5010141,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 03, 2008, 06:03:14 pm
Monday morning's Daily Telegraph (Sydney newspaper):

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph

In several places, they characterize Michelle as saying "he broke my heart." No, HIS PASSING broke her heart! There's a HUUUUUUGE difference between saying "you broke my heart" and "my heart is broken by your death."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 03, 2008, 08:48:21 pm
Monday morning's Daily Telegraph (Sydney newspaper):

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph


WTF was Lindsey Lohan doing there?   Did they work together at some point?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 03, 2008, 08:54:50 pm
 
This memorial was held at the Sony studios and involved a large number of actors, studio folks and those affiliated with one or more of the actors, films, or agencies related to Heath or Michelle, and two of the news reports said there were a thousand people in attendance.  I think Lindsay might have dated Heath, one of many women in Hollywood who have.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 03, 2008, 09:01:58 pm
WTF was Lindsey Lohan doing there?   Did they work together at some point?

They had a one night stand over the Thanksgiving holiday.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 10:31:36 pm

From Monday's Sydney Morning Herald. The wording "family plot" will be particularly poignant for all Brokies:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/private-ceremony-in-perth-for-ledger--a-hrefhttpwwwsmhcomauentertainmentheathledgerindexhtmlbheath-filesba/2008/02/04/1201973779211.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 10:35:35 pm

Karrakatta Cemetery website:

http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/OurCemeteries/Karrakatta.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on February 03, 2008, 11:37:40 pm
This is what findagrave.com is also listing for him now.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 03, 2008, 11:55:18 pm
This is the PDF brochure for Karrakatta Cemetery. You will need Adobe (free) to view. It looks very pretty.  :'(

http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/OurCemeteries/Karrakatta/Karrakatta_brochure.pdf
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 03, 2008, 11:58:01 pm
From Monday's Sydney Morning Herald. The wording "family plot" will be particularly poignant for all Brokies:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/private-ceremony-in-perth-for-ledger--a-hrefhttpwwwsmhcomauentertainmentheathledgerindexhtmlbheath-filesba/2008/02/04/1201973779211.html


Oh geez, Kerry.   

You're absolutely right about the use of the phrase "family plot" towards the beginning of that article.  Man, reading that was like being thunderstruck a bit for me.

:'( :'( :'( :'( 







Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 04, 2008, 06:05:52 am

Oh geez, Kerry.   

You're absolutely right about the use of the phrase "family plot" towards the beginning of that article.  Man, reading that was like being thunderstruck a bit for me.

:'( :'( :'( :'( 


I read it at work early this morning, Amanda, and I was pretty much of a mess for the remainder of the day after that.  Couldn't concentrate on anything but the Ledger family plot on the grieving plain.  :'(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on February 04, 2008, 11:44:55 am
At least Heath's family loves him, and he loved them. The family plot is still sad, because Heath is gone. But it's appropriate, in this case.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 04, 2008, 12:23:57 pm
One thing I am really hoping is that they DO find a cause of death.  Because just about any cause of death is going to be better than not knowing what killed him.  That would just be one parallel too many for me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 04, 2008, 12:32:05 pm
One thing I am really hoping is that they DO find a cause of death.  Because just about any cause of death is going to be better than not knowing what killed him.  That would just be one parallel too many for me.

Yes me too Louise. I,m chewing my fingernails to the quick, waiting for the autopsy report. Poor Heath.  :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 04, 2008, 12:35:38 pm
At least Heath's family loves him, and he loved them. The family plot is still sad, because Heath is gone. But it's appropriate, in this case.

I agree. At least this 'family plot' means that he will be laid to rest where he was happy and where his home was.

But seeing those words, send a chill down my spine too...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 04, 2008, 12:53:39 pm
The family plot ....
 :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 04, 2008, 12:55:18 pm
The family plot ....
 :'(

I know, it,s awful isn,t it, when you read that. Poor Heath. This is just so bloody awful.  :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 04, 2008, 01:57:08 pm
One thing I am really hoping is that they DO find a cause of death.  Because just about any cause of death is going to be better than not knowing what killed him.  That would just be one parallel too many for me.

That, plus "nobody to turn him over . . . "    :-\   :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on February 04, 2008, 02:21:17 pm
I keep reading that it is 'expected' he will be flown home this week.  Am I right in thinking that his body hasn't been released to the family yet?  It doesn't look like it, because I would have thought they would have taken him home by now.  Maybe they don't want to release him without the official cause of death being known.

The poor poor poor family, this is all just heartbreaking.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 04, 2008, 02:23:20 pm
Heath's body was released to the family prior to the first memorial the Friday after his death, then flown to L.A., and if the Australian news is to be believed, was sent home when the Ledger family returned to Australia from L.A. - last night.  His funeral is expected to be this week in private in Perth.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on February 04, 2008, 04:09:15 pm
I saw that awful copy of PPL MAGAZINE at the newstands today about Ledger's drug abuse.  I guess they couldn't wait. How awful..
=================================================
Nice story on CNN.com just posted

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/04/heathledger.perths.pride.ap/index.html

Ledger's hometown mourns its biggest star


PERTH, Australia (AP) -- Heath Ledger's hometown prepared Monday for the arrival of his remains, while locals expressed dismay at speculation in the media that the actor had used drugs.


Heath Ledger was "probably the highest-profile star who's ever come out of Perth," says a local film critic.

more photos »  Details of funeral arrangements for the late co-star of "Brokeback Mountain" have not been announced, but Ledger's family is expected to bring his body back to Perth this week. Family members have reportedly already attended two memorial services in Los Angeles.

The Australian newspaper reported Monday that Ledger will be buried next to two of his grandparents in a family plot in Perth. Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Ledger died in his New York City apartment January 22 at age 28. Authorities suspect a drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the apartment where the actor's body was found.

Residents of this idyllic city located on the western Australia coast expressed sadness at his sudden death -- and outrage over rumors that he was a drug user.

"If a person dies, let him go in peace. All this rubbish they bring up about drugs and everything else, I think it's a lot of rubbish," said Margaret Byrne, a 58-year-old catering supervisor at Royal Perth Hospital.  Watch some of the unanswered questions regarding Ledger's death »

Much of that speculation was fueled by video footage showing Ledger at a Hollywood hotel party where drugs were being taken two years ago. "Entertainment Tonight" decided against airing the footage after a Hollywood publicity firm that represented Ledger mounted a protest that included several A-list stars.

"He was a great star for us. We don't have many stars from here," she said.

"I think it's disgusting how the media has played it out," said Justin Kestel, a 28-year-old travel agency manager who said he played field hockey against Ledger when they attended opposing secondary school teams.

Another Perth resident, Ian Bennett, said he was indifferent about Ledger's death and believed allegations of his drug use. "It's part of the scene," the food services attendant at Royal Perth Hospital said.

Perth journalists who covered Ledger said he was a huge source of pride.

"It's probably the biggest news we've had in Perth in a long time ... He's probably the highest-profile star who's ever come out of Perth and probably our greatest success story," said Shannon Harvey, film critic at The Sunday Times.

Harvey said Ledger returned to Perth to promote some of his earlier movies, but he tried to keep a low profile when returning to visit his family. Not that he seemed to be a natural at handling the press.

"He was not easy to interview," Harvey said. "It appeared he was uncomfortable with doing interviews and feature stories and having media and complete strangers prying into his personal life."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 04, 2008, 08:56:30 pm
I just watched "Entertainment Tonight," and they had footage of some stars arriving and departing from Heath's memorial that was held on Saturday at Sony Studios.  They said that it was attended by around 1,000 people and lasted 90 minutes.  They showed clips of Heath's performances in many films, too.  Presumably, the family was there, since they were said to have left for Australia on Sunday.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 04, 2008, 10:01:22 pm
Yes, 15 family members were there.  Michelle and Matilda were not.

Jake was not mentioned in any of the media accounts of that memorial.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 04, 2008, 10:15:09 pm
Yes, 15 family members were there.  Michelle and Matilda were not.

Jake was not mentioned in any of the media accounts of that memorial.

I would suspect/hope that they are benefitting from more private memorials/services.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 04, 2008, 10:35:59 pm

From today's (Sydney) Daily Telegraph re the return of the family to Australia:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23158508-5001021,00.html


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 05, 2008, 01:27:30 am
Thanks, Kerry.  I thought I'd print the article here in case the link disappears at some point.


Heath Ledger's family fly home

Article from: The Daily Telegraph

By Peta Hellard at LA Airport

February 04, 2008 12:00am

HEATH Ledger's family have begun their final journey back to Australia to bury the actor in his hometown of Perth. They are on a plane to Melbourne.
Ledger's father Kim, mother Sally and older sister Kate were among a family group of about 15 people who flew out of Los Angeles last night bound for Tullamarine Airport.

Their departure was conducted in a military-style operation overseen by the Australian Consulate, with police and private security staff jostling with a small group of waiting media.

A representative from the Australian Consulate oversaw the delivery and check-in of the group's luggage, two hours before the family arrived at LAX in luxury 4WDs.

Ledger's parents appeared exhausted and sombre as the family was quickly ushered straight through a security check-point.

Private minders shoved a photographer, smashing his camera against a wall.

The family's departure came a day after a large memorial service was held at a Hollywood studio.

Among those to join Ledger's family at the ceremony were his ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts and his A-list friends including supermodels Gemma Ward and Lily Cole, musician Ben Harper and screen stars Sean Penn, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Portia De Rossi and Sienna Miller.

The family had been staying at the opulent Beverly Hills Hotel for more than a week after flying to the US following Ledger's death on January 22.

During the family's stay in Los Angeles - and Kim Ledger's visit to the New York apartment where the 28-year-old died - the group had constantly been surrounded by a fleet of private security staff.

Ledger's family are understood to be holding a private funeral for the Brokeback Mountain star and he will be laid to rest in the family plot shared by two of his grandparents at Perth's Karrakatta Cemetery.

His parents have chosen not to take up an offer from his old school Guildford Grammar for a funeral in its chapel in Perth's east.

It is unclear whether his former partner Michelle Williams and their two-year-old daughter Matilda will be flying to Perth for his funeral.

They both did not attend Ledger's memorial service two days ago.

The New York Medical Examiner's Office, responsible for conducting Ledger's autopsy, said the cause of death was likely to be released early this week - possibly as early as tomorrow.

The office is awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 05, 2008, 01:29:58 am
Apparently they didn'T land in Melbourne at all but instead went to Brisbane.  Why Brisbane - I have no idea.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 09:55:41 am
Apparently they didn'T land in Melbourne at all but instead went to Brisbane.  Why Brisbane - I have no idea.

Probably to throw off the paps and get some privacy. All the vultures were waiting in vain in Melbourne. hahahaha
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 05, 2008, 10:05:52 am
from the AP by way of the New York Times:

February 5, 2008

Ledger's Family Returns Home to Perth


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:29 a.m. ET

PERTH, Australia (AP) -- Heath Ledger's family arrived back in Australia on Tuesday on the final leg of the Oscar-nominated star's long journey home following his premature death last month in New York.

The actor's father, Kim, and other relatives who touched down in the family's home city of Perth on Tuesday afternoon were ushered immediately from the plane and into an elevator by private security guards and at least one police officer.

Local media reported that the late star's father, mother, sister and others were then driven across the tarmac and out of the airport.

There was no immediate indication that the actor's remains were also aboard the flight.

Ledger died in his New York City apartment Jan. 22. He was 28. Authorities suspect a drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the apartment where his body was found.

Details of funeral arrangements for the ''Brokeback Mountain'' co-star have not been announced, and the mother of his 2-year-old daughter Matilda, actress Michelle Williams, has requested privacy for those in mourning.

The family will reportedly hold a private ceremony, and either bury his remains or have them cremated and interred at the family's plot at a cemetery in Perth, where his two grandparents lie.

Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.

As Ledger's hometown prepared for his funeral, residents of this idyllic and isolated city in the southwest corner of Australia expressed sadness at his sudden death -- and outrage at rumors that he was a drug user.

''If a person dies, let him go in peace. All this rubbish they bring up about drugs and everything else, I think it's a lot of rubbish,'' said Margaret Byrne, a 58-year-old catering supervisor at Royal Perth Hospital.

Much of that speculation was fueled by video footage showing Ledger at a Hollywood hotel party where drugs were being taken two years ago.

Ledger was a big source of pride for Perth -- a metropolis of some 1.3 million people that lies one on the edge of Australia's vast Outback and is thousands of miles from the nearest major city.

''It's probably the biggest news we've had in Perth in a long time,'' said Shannon Harvey, film critic at The Sunday Times. ''He's probably the highest-profile star who's ever come out of Perth.''

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Heath-Ledger.html?scp=3&sq=heath+ledger&st=nyt
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 05, 2008, 10:12:53 am
from the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia:

Ledger family arrives home in private to bury very public son


February 6, 2008


HEATH LEDGER'S family flew home to Perth yesterday for the film star's private funeral in the city where he grew up.

Flanked by police, Ledger's father, Kim, his mother, Sally Ledger Bell, and his sister Kate were among about 15 family members whisked out of Perth's domestic airport through a back entrance after an overnight flight from Los Angeles via Brisbane.

Ledger's relatives have spent the past week in the United States attending private memorial services after going to America to collect his body.

Details of Ledger's funeral remain secret and there was no immediate confirmation that the actor's body returned to Perth yesterday with his family.

But the family is expected this week to privately bury the 28-year-old actor in the family plot, near his grandparents, at Perth's Karrakatta Cemetery.

A passenger on the Brisbane to Perth flight yesterday said the Ledgers were diverted away from the airport's public entrance.

"They literally had police around them," the man said.

"They walked out of the plane, into the lounge and straight into the lift. That was it."

A convoy of three or four white cars left the back of the Perth terminal, drove onto the tarmac and away from the airport.

Soon after, one of the white cars arrived at Sally Ledger Bell's home in the Perth suburb of Applecross and was driven into a garage.

On the family's way out of the US, they had been escorted into the terminal at Los Angeles international airport by police, private security staff and Australian consular staff.

A photographer was pushed against the wall by a private minder as the family entered the crowded terminal.

Ledger was found dead in his rented Manhattan apartment on January 22. The cause of Ledger's death remains unknown, amid speculation he may have died from an accidental overdose of the prescription medicines found near his body.

The New York Chief Medical Examiner's office, responsible for Ledger's autopsy and deciphering the tests undertaken on his blood and tissue, is close to announcing the cause of death.

Other questions, such as the official estimated time Ledger died, will not not be made public.

There has been speculation since Ledger's body was discovered that he may have been saved if medical help was called earlier. Police found six different types of prescription drugs in the apartment, including pills to treat anxiety and insomnia.

AAP

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/05/1202090419896.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 05, 2008, 10:16:42 am
from The Age, Australia:

Ledgers encounter frenzy as Heath prepared for rest


Chris Johnston, Perth
February 6, 2008

FIFTEEN days ago, the biggest news story on the planet — rightly or wrongly — was the grim death of 28-year-old Australian actor Heath Ledger, naked and alone and surrounded by prescription pills in his New York apartment.

Yesterday, in his home town of Perth, his grieving family returned to lay him to rest, probably this weekend and probably at Karakatta cemetery in the family plot. It is believed his body arrived in Perth in secret several days ago.

These things are unknowns. The family has attended two movie industry memorials in America, where his extraordinary Oscar-nominated work in the film Brokeback Mountain was acknowledged. Yet they have not disclosed what will become of their dead son in Australia. What is known is that there was a full-scale media frenzy in New York when he died. And so it was yesterday in the rather more mundane surroundings of Perth airport's domestic terminal.

There were around 50 photographers and camera crews there, some from paparazzi agencies. When the plane approached — many of these crews had waited two weeks for this moment — a succession of rumours and Chinese whispers swept through the pack, rumours and Chinese whispers being the very touchstone of tabloid celebrity coverage.

Some vanished outside and into the wilds of the airport after hearing word of white limousines on the tarmac. Others concealed small digital cameras and went through security to the arrival lounges with a view of runways and first dibs on those walking in.

"They're getting close," one paparazzi photographer from Sydney said to me as the tension and adrenaline rose. "They're getting so close I can smell 'em."

A large contingent waited downstairs in the public area assuming the grieving Ledger party of 15 — parents Kim and Sally and sister Kate, step-parents (his father and mother have divorced), uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews — would walk through like normal travellers to wait at the baggage carousel.

Except these were not normal travellers. The whole nature of how the handsome, talented actor's death turned into an unprecedented media event came to an uneasy climax yesterday in Perth.

The Ledger family got off the flight from Los Angeles. They were escorted through the arrival lounge by airport security and federal Protective Services policemen into a lift and down into a carpark where vehicles took them away.

The security guards and police had tried to eject media, many of whom were incognito. Three print journalists were escorted away. Only the Seven Network got footage of the family in the airport, shot by a besuited reporter with a digital camera. Ledger's sister Kate, a publicist, shielded her face as he approached. He was called a "vulture" by police as they blocked his path to the lift.

The cause of Heath Ledger's death remains unknown, but there is speculation he may have died from an accidental overdose of prescription medicines found near his body.

A toxicology report is expected this week.

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/05/1202090421848.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 05, 2008, 10:32:35 am
Quote
"They're getting so close I can smell 'em."

For God's sake, can they get any creepier than this? Those people are really, really sick.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 05, 2008, 10:39:53 am
For God's sake, can they get any creepier than this? Those people are really, really sick.

I know. Sigh...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 05, 2008, 10:42:35 am
They should be ashamed of themselves and ashamed of a profession that turns them into blood sucking vultures.......SHAME SHAME SHAME
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: chefjudy on February 05, 2008, 10:45:31 am


 >:( I was silly enough to believe they would never go to Australia to do their nefarious deeds because
of the distance involved - boy do I feel like a dunce ::)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 11:27:23 am
This is exactly why Heath never wanted to be a celebrity. He must be swearing a blue streak right now, UP THERE IN HEAVEN.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 05, 2008, 11:36:03 am
This is exactly why Heath never wanted to be a celebrity. He must be swearing a blue streak right now, UP THERE IN HEAVEN.

I'd prefer to think Heath and Bobby Fisher are enjoying a quiet game of chess.

(With Ingmar Bergman looking on...)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 05, 2008, 11:38:35 am
I'd prefer to think Heath and Bobby Fisher are enjoying a quiet game of chess.

Now that thought makes me feel better...

 :)  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 05, 2008, 11:47:26 am
TOoP/Bruce

Did you think of a special movie of Bergman or.....

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 05, 2008, 11:54:09 am
isnt it the film "The Seventh Seal" that has Death playing chess with the protagonist ?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 05, 2008, 11:55:33 am
isnt it the film "The Seventh Seal" that has Death playing chess with the protagonist ?

Yup!

Here's a great Dutch parody of that scene....

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ur9upcJpfo[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 05, 2008, 11:57:31 am
In the Seventh Seal, a Knight plays a game of chess against Death for his life.

Ang Lee was a fan of Bergman and provided commentary for the Criterion release of "The Virgin Spring."

Heath starred in "A Knight's Tale," and in his personal life (by what I've read) enjoyed playing chess daily.  His father mentioned his love for chess when speaking with the press. 

Heath was preparing for his directorial debut with "The Queen's Gambit."

Bobby Fisher recently passed away.

Ingmar Bergman passed away a few months ago.

Heath once said there were several directors he would like to work with, but that some of them were dead.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 11:58:39 am
I think of him looking down and telling those vultures "for f**k's sake, get a f**king life and leave my loved ones the f**k alone!" That's my Heath!

 ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 12:00:20 pm
Oh, and there were several hilarious parodies of that scene in "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey." They played everything from Twister to Battleship.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 05, 2008, 12:01:11 pm
Great....Wonderful.... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

AndI love Dutch....I spent a lot of time in Rotterdam when I was young.... ;D....fun memories.....

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 05, 2008, 12:04:32 pm
Great....Wonderful.... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

AndI love Dutch....I spent a lot of time in Rotterdam when I was young.... ;D....fun memories.....

Berit

Isn't that a great parody? I call that language Swedified Dutch.  ;D

You lived in Holland? How did you like it in our wonderful country?  :D
 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 05, 2008, 12:33:00 pm
No, I didn't live in Holland, I worked in the Swedish merchant navy for some years when I was young. I loved being in Holland, nice and gentle and fun people, allways helpfull and nice to be with. I also love Genever.... :D....and cheese.....and tulips.......

I would really like to see more of this beautiful country!

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 05, 2008, 06:18:57 pm

There was no immediate indication that the actor's remains were also aboard the flight.


Oh, Leslie, that makes me so sad. I do so hope he was  on that flight with his family. I simply can't bear to think of him making that long, lonely flight, all alone.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 05, 2008, 06:35:35 pm
Oh, Leslie, that makes me so sad. I do so hope he was  on that flight with his family. I simply can't bear to think of him making that long, lonely flight, all alone.  :'(


I know. It makes me sad, too. But I had a suspicion all along that they might not have wanted to move his body from the US until the final autopsy report was issued (or something was communicated privately with the family). I have nothing to back this up, just a general feeling from knowing how things operate when there is an unusual or suspicious death.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 06:48:38 pm

I know. It makes me sad, too. But I had a suspicion all along that they might not have wanted to move his body from the US until the final autopsy report was issued (or something was communicated privately with the family). I have nothing to back this up, just a general feeling from knowing how things operate when there is an unusual or suspicious death.

L

It's been two weeks! Enough is enough! JUST TELL US!!!  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 05, 2008, 07:18:19 pm
I think we are all feeling about the same way.  The Australian news sites have updated because the news day has just begun there, and they all say "Autopsy results expected today", of course they mean tomorow in New York!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 05, 2008, 07:26:48 pm
My coworker was reflecting earlier today on how the cause of death has not yet been revealed for Brad Renfro, who died on January 15th, and apparently it hasn't been due to lack of effort on the part of those conducting the autopsy. I don't know how likely or common it is, but it seems that some causes of death may remain inconclusive, despite all the tools offered by modern forensics. I don't know if this will be the case with either Renfro or Heath, but it seems like a possibility we might have to come to terms with.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 05, 2008, 07:36:34 pm
 
News on the autopsy results will not be released until tomorrow.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23168241-1702,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 05, 2008, 08:07:59 pm

This report says the funeral will be held on Saturday:

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23165887-5015787,00.html?from=mostpop


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 05, 2008, 09:34:34 pm
...that makes me so sad. I do so hope he was  on that flight with his family. I simply can't bear to think of him making that long, lonely flight, all alone.  :'(

You know, reading all the threads and talking to others makes me realize what incredibly diverse feelings and beliefs we have about death.

I mean, some believe one's soul moves on to an afterlife; some believe dying means an absolute end to existence.

I don't know.  I don't mean any disrespect to anybody's beliefs, because anyone's guess is as good as mine.  But personally, the thought wouldn't occur to me that Heath is still conscious in his body, thinking "Crikey, this is a lonely flight without me rellies . . . "
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 05, 2008, 09:58:24 pm
You know, reading all the threads and talking to others makes me realize what incredibly diverse feelings and beliefs we have about death.

I mean, some believe one's soul moves on to an afterlife; some believe dying means an absolute end to existence.

I don't know.  I don't mean any disrespect to anybody's beliefs, because anyone's guess is as good as mine.  But personally, the thought wouldn't occur to me that Heath is still conscious in his body, thinking "Crikey, this is a lonely flight without me rellies . . . "

You're not alone, Laura, that was my first thought too, when I read that post.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 05, 2008, 10:18:58 pm
You know, reading all the threads and talking to others makes me realize what incredibly diverse feelings and beliefs we have about death.

I mean, some believe one's soul moves on to an afterlife; some believe dying means an absolute end to existence.

I don't know.  I don't mean any disrespect to anybody's beliefs, because anyone's guess is as good as mine.  But personally, the thought wouldn't occur to me that Heath is still conscious in his body, thinking "Crikey, this is a lonely flight without me rellies . . . "

I can't speak for Kerry, but I think he meant the idea of Heath's body traveling alone is more about our feelings than Heath's.  It's just terribly sad to think of his mortal remains going all that way without someone who loved him watching over him.  Yes, his soul has gone on.  But we loved his body, too, and while it's still there to protect and love, we want to be there for him.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 05, 2008, 10:46:47 pm
I can't speak for Kerry, but I think he meant the idea of Heath's body traveling alone is more about our feelings than Heath's.  It's just terribly sad to think of his mortal remains going all that way without someone who loved him watching over him.  Yes, his soul has gone on.  But we loved his body, too, and while it's still there to protect and love, we want to be there for him.  :(

Thank you for your lovely words, Meryl. You have gently and kindly succeeded in explaining exactly what I meant by my earlier, emotional "blurt."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 11:07:50 pm
Thank you for your lovely words, Meryl. You have gently and kindly succeeded in explaining exactly what I meant by my earlier, emotional "blurt."

It's sort of like burying someone you love, and thinking "he/she is so cold and alone down there..." You know your loved one is not truly in that coffin. But you still connect your loved one to the body in that coffin, and you want to lay down on the grave to keep them warm and safe. You feel like you're watching over them.

It's a complex and confusing feeling. I think of Heath as being up there in heaven. But I also think of him as being in that coffin.  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 05, 2008, 11:40:35 pm
Those are indeed lovely and sweet thoughts, Meryl and Verona.   :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 05, 2008, 11:52:47 pm
I posted this in another thread, but I saw him referred to as "the deceased Hollywood actor Heath Ledger" today, and my heart sank like a stone. Just seeing that word--the word that broke Ennis' heart--applied to Heath... I thought I might pass out from the pain.

If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 06, 2008, 12:07:27 am
I posted this in another thread, but I saw him referred to as "the deceased Hollywood actor Heath Ledger" today, and my heart sank like a stone. Just seeing that word--the word that broke Ennis' heart--applied to Heath... I thought I might pass out from the pain.

If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it.  :'(

Awww... Verona, I completely understand.  It's like all the references to the "family plot" lately.  :'(

Really hard to take.

I'll add, last night when I was cruising around imdb pages (which I haven't done for a long time)... I clicked on Heath's main stats/bio page and, boy, was it hard to take to see the date January 22, 2008 listed there in the "deceased" area of the info sheet.
 :'(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 06, 2008, 04:13:24 am
I can't speak for Kerry, but I think he meant the idea of Heath's body traveling alone is more about our feelings than Heath's.  It's just terribly sad to think of his mortal remains going all that way without someone who loved him watching over him.  Yes, his soul has gone on.  But we loved his body, too, and while it's still there to protect and love, we want to be there for him.  :(

I've had this feeling since I saw the coffin leave the New York funeral directors place. All those camera's, no family in sight (of course the cameras made that impossible, I know that). It was though to watch those pictures.

And your post reminded me of Mouk's post about the live flowers that were 'folding' over the tulips she had laid in the snow on Camp Site nr. 2. The live flowers covering and protecting the tulips.

 :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 06, 2008, 05:25:19 am
Guess today is the day of the tox reports, huh?

 :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 06, 2008, 05:56:15 am
Guess today is the day of the tox reports, huh?

 :'(

I know it is Mel. I,m dreading it. I mean we all want to know and of course Heaths family must be desperate for answers as to why they lost their seemingly perfectly healthy young son, in the prime of his life. I,m just dreading it.  :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 06, 2008, 06:09:54 am
Guess today is the day of the tox reports, huh?

 :'(


I just don't get used to those words applied to Heath.
Yes, seems it will be today.
 :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 06, 2008, 06:19:24 am

I just don't get used to those words applied to Heath.
Yes, seems it will be today.
 :'( :'( :'(

Me neither, those headlines with Heath and Dead in them still cause shock in my body...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 06, 2008, 07:07:26 am
According to reports, Michelle and Matilda have arrived in Perth.


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176409,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176409,00.html)

I'm so glad that the paparazzi apparantly haven't been able to take a pic. Yeeeeeh for airport security at Perth airport.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 06, 2008, 08:45:29 am
Quote
From that article:

Williams, wearing a black dress and black sunglasses, held the striped-dress-clad Matilda in her arms as they exited the plane under heavy security.

Oh God!!!  :'( :'(  Striped dress....  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 06, 2008, 08:48:26 am
I saw that awful copy of PPL MAGAZINE at the newstands today about Ledger's drug abuse.  I guess they couldn't wait. How awful..

Oddly, there were two versions of People out with lead stories about Heath. The first cover had the title "Heath Ledger's Tragic Death" and wasn't really too bad a story; a few suggestions about drugs and partying but basically positive. But then they came out with that second issue with other photos in a sidebar on the cover, and that was just as bad as all those tabloids I have to see every time I go to the supermarket.

Thanks or the CNN story - I'm glad that Heath is a source of pride back home.  When reading the words "family plot," the first thing I thought of was, Ennis' family being so scattered, there probably wasn't one for him; or if there was, it was in a ghost town.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 06, 2008, 08:56:51 am
I'd like to think that Ennis eventually was the first laid to rest in a newly established family plot, somewhere close to Junior and Francine and their families. That Ennis's final resting place would be together with *his* own dad is too horrible to even contemplate!

But of course, Ennis isn't that old, he may possibly still be living.  :-\  He's younger than both my parents, both of whom are alive and doing well.... (They never smoked the way he did, though.)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 06, 2008, 09:05:34 am
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/02/06/2008-02-06_a_sicko_scam_by_heath_ledger_con_man.html

A sicko scam by Heath Ledger con man
BY ALISON GENDAR   
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF
Wednesday, February 6th 2008, 4:00 AM
Lee/AP


Cops are investigating whether a con artist who pretended to be a pro wrestler to scam children in England is the man who impersonated Heath Ledger's father, sources told the Daily News.

Wayne Scott, 35, of Scarborough, England, will be in Scarborough Magistrates' Court Wednesday to face charges of fraud by false representation and conveying an indecent message, police sources said yesterday. Two of the charges stem from Scott pretending to be a pro wrestler and calling sick kids, some of whom were terminally ill, in their hospital beds, sources said.

The con man is accused of promising to visit the sick kids and give them World Wrestling Entertainment tickets and paraphernalia. He also reached out to U.S. and British organizations that grant the wishes of dying children by pretending to be a pro wrestler, sources said.

NYPD detectives believe Scott may be the con man who impersonated Ledger's father, Kim, after the 28-year-old was found dead in his SoHo loft Jan. 22.

Investigators traced the calls made by the impostor to the seaside town of Scarborough in northeastern England where Scott lives, the sources said.

After Ledger's body was found by his masseuse and housekeeper in Heath's Broome St. apartment, the imposter called the city medical examiner and pressed the doctor who performed the autopsy for toxicology results. He also asked for grisly descriptions of the Oscar-nominated star's corpse, the sources said.

The con man somehow managed to get Tom Cruise's private phone number, calling the "Mission Impossible" star to commiserate after Ledger's death.

The fake dad apparently asked John Travolta to send him money so he could buy a ticket to fly from New York to Australia, where Ledger's family lives and his body will be laid to rest.

The con man also contacted actors Mel Gibson, Halle Berry and Christian Bale, the sources said. The impostor's lies were so convincing that he even got the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home to book him a suite at the posh Carlyle Hotel New York.

The Madison Ave. funeral home received Ledger's body from the medical examiner and sent it to L.A. for a memorial service. Sources said the medical examiner's office will brief Ledger's family today on the cause of his death and then release the results to the public.

Six anti-anxiety and sleeping prescription drugs were found near the "Brokeback Mountain" star's body. Police said no illegal drugs were discovered in the $24,000-a-month rental.

An initial postmortem examination failed to determine the cause of death.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 06, 2008, 09:07:57 am
I'd like to think that Ennis eventually was the first laid to rest in a newly established family plot, somewhere close to Junior and Francine and their families. That Ennis's final resting place would be together with *his* own dad is too horrible to even contemplate!

More than a bit OT here, but I'm glad to see someone shares my views about Ennis' dad.   >:(  Of course, where a person's physical remains are taken is the concern of people still living, but in terms of what it would symbolize, Ennis would be better off in a potter's field than in his father's clutches for eternity, so to speak.

Back on-topic, the mentions that Michelle and Matilda might not be attending were a bummer, so was glad to see that story. I'd love to think the striped dress was intentional. And for some reason, the details about who was there and the flowers and food being brought by the house was rather comforting.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 06, 2008, 09:19:39 am
I can't begin to understand how poor Michelle is managing to hold it together. Just the stress of travelling from  Sweden to NYC, on to LA(?) and then to Australia - the jet lag must be dreadful and disorienting coming on top of all her grief and emotional distress.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 06, 2008, 09:49:32 am
I can't begin to understand how poor Michelle is managing to hold it together. Just the stress of travelling from  Sweden to NYC, on to LA(?) and then to Australia - the jet lag must be dreadful and disorienting coming on top of all her grief and emotional distress.

True, but I like to think she has good, supportive people around her to help her. The reports said that her mother and best friend were at her home in NY when she flew home from Sweden. Now, in Australia, she is with Heath's mom. I like to believe that she has a good relationship with his family. She and Heath lived in Australia for about 6 months while he was filming Candy and she was pregnant. It comforts me to think that she got to know his family during that time and they continue to be supportive of each other.

I have nothing to base this on except my own personal feelings and observations. But it seems like Heath was very close to his family so I imagine that they (Heath and Michelle) spent time with them while they were in Australia for that extended period. There were also the reports that she and Heath went to his father's wedding back in 2006. More evidence of family closeness.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 06, 2008, 11:06:22 am
Anymore reports surfacing anywhere about whether Jake is expected to attend?  I know there were earlier reports that said he was planning to be there... bu have not heard much about this recently.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 06, 2008, 11:21:04 am
True, but I like to think she has good, supportive people around her to help her. The reports said that her mother and best friend were at her home in NY when she flew home from Sweden. Now, in Australia, she is with Heath's mom. I like to believe that she has a good relationship with his family. She and Heath lived in Australia for about 6 months while he was filming Candy and she was pregnant. It comforts me to think that she got to know his family during that time and they continue to be supportive of each other.

I have nothing to base this on except my own personal feelings and observations. But it seems like Heath was very close to his family so I imagine that they (Heath and Michelle) spent time with them while they were in Australia for that extended period. There were also the reports that she and Heath went to his father's wedding back in 2006. More evidence of family closeness.

L

Assuming Michelle didn't have a good relationship with Heath's family while he was alive, I'm pretty sure now they'll be close and supportive of each other for Matilda's sake. It is possible that when they were together, Michelle got a long with Heath's family. But I wonder if after they separated that relationship remained in good terms. Break ups tend to alienate relatives. People begin taking sides and such.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 06, 2008, 11:25:20 am
Toxicology report says accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Story is breaking now...

cnn.com
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: moremojo on February 06, 2008, 11:28:59 am
Yes, I went to their site and the banner is up. So sad...but hopefully we as a society can learn from this tragedy and other lives may be saved.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Verona on February 06, 2008, 11:32:13 am
Finally.

RIP, friend.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 06, 2008, 11:52:12 am
Having any answer at all is better than the ambiguous waiting game that's been going on for two weeks.

Poor Heath. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 06, 2008, 12:19:58 pm
I think Kim Ledger's statement is remarkable.  Heath truly comes from a wonderful, classy family. 

-------------------
From the NYT:

The actor’s father, Kim Ledger, who lives in Australia, released the following statement this morning through Mara Buxbaum, Heath Ledger’s publicist:

   "We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today’s results put an end to speculation, but our son’s beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

    While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

    Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.

    We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.

    At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 06, 2008, 12:30:00 pm
I think Kim Ledger's statement is remarkable.  Heath truly comes from a wonderful, classy family. 



So true, what a moving statement.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 06, 2008, 04:45:10 pm
Report: Feds to Probe Heath Ledger's Drug Supply

With the autopsy results for Heath Ledger now a matter of public record, the federal government is reportedly stepping in to determine how the actor was able to obtain so many prescription drugs, according to TV Guide.com.

New York City's Chief Medical Examiner on Wednesday announced that the 28-year-old actor's Jan. 22 death was accidentally caused by "the combined effects of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine."

The Drug Enforcement Administration will now probe how Ledger obtained the various drugs. Oxycodone is a painkiller, Hydrocodone is also known as Vicodin, Diazepam is commonly called Valium, Temazepam treats anxiety or sleeplessness, Alprazolam is known as Xanax, and Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine often used as a sleep aid.
– Kathy Ehrich Dowd and Stephen M. Silverman


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176543,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176543,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 06, 2008, 04:58:26 pm
Report: Feds to Probe Heath Ledger's Drug Supply

With the autopsy results for Heath Ledger now a matter of public record, the federal government is reportedly stepping in to determine how the actor was able to obtain so many prescription drugs, according to TV Guide.com.

New York City's Chief Medical Examiner on Wednesday announced that the 28-year-old actor's Jan. 22 death was accidentally caused by "the combined effects of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine."

The Drug Enforcement Administration will now probe how Ledger obtained the various drugs. Oxycodone is a painkiller, Hydrocodone is also known as Vicodin, Diazepam is commonly called Valium, Temazepam treats anxiety or sleeplessness, Alprazolam is known as Xanax, and Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine often used as a sleep aid.
– Kathy Ehrich Dowd and Stephen M. Silverman


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176543,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176543,00.html)

Yeah right. I think you could go into any American house and empty the medicine cabinet and find those pills there. How hypocritical. They should do something about all these people dying of accidental overdoses.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 06, 2008, 05:33:32 pm
Yeah right. I think you could go into any American house and empty the medicine cabinet and find those pills there. How hypocritical. They should do something about all these people dying of accidental overdoses.

If you came into my house you wouldn't find them, because I'd have already taken them all recreationally. So I say this without being judgmental: that still is a lot of pills to take all at once.

Recently I had terrible back pain and was prescribed both Vicodin and Valium simultaneously. Paradise! I love both of those. But when I think of also adding Oxycodone, Xanax, and a couple of other things into the mix ... well, it seems like a lot.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 07, 2008, 08:20:25 pm
Australian News Website says funeral 'Today', Gemma Ward to attend:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23173473-5012990,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 07, 2008, 11:08:13 pm
Australian News Website says funeral 'Today', Gemma Ward to attend:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23173473-5012990,00.html

Louise, the link you posted doesn't say "today." Rather, it says this:

"It is expected that Ledger's body will be buried on Saturday at Perth's Karrakatta Cemetery, where his grandparents are buried."  
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 12:32:01 am
I should have copied the text in - they have updated this article more than once since I read it, including adding the phrase about Jake attending.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 08, 2008, 02:54:26 am
I think that this is a pretty good newspaper report on the reason for Heath's death.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true)

I may not be the most objective person, considering who wrote it.  I got up this morning and looked in the San Francisco Chronicle to see if there was an item about Heath.  As it turns out, they didn't write an article, but just printed an article from the LA Times.  I was amazed to see it was written by Paul Lieberman, who is my sister-in-law's first cousin and who I know!  He is the LA Times entertainment reporter who is based in NYC, so this all makes sense.  (I had E-mailed him last spring, suggesting that he might want to write an article about the various BBM message boards, but "it never come to pass".)  The version on the LA Times web site has been updated and expended compared to what was printed in the SF Chronicle.

The article does not refer to Heath's nude body.  It mentions BBM and calls Ennis a repressed gay cowboy (first I've seen that word added)!  It also includes the entire first two paragraphs from Health's father's statement and part of Michelle's statement.  The reporter actually cites data from the centers for disease Control on prescription drug misuse and contacted the University of California - Los Angeles associate director of its Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.  He is quoted as saying, "In this case, someone had legitimate prescriptions and simply made an error in dosing himself, a tragic error."  And it talks about Heath's stress, hectic life, exhaustion and how he challenged himself in his roles.

---------------------------------------------------------

Heath Ledger's death ruled accidental overdose
Toxicology reports show that the actor died after combining various prescription drugs including oxycodone, officials say.
By Paul Lieberman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 7, 2008

NEW YORK -- Heath Ledger died of an accidental "abuse of prescription medications," the New York City medical examiner's office said Wednesday in releasing the results of toxicology tests performed on tissue taken from the actor's body two weeks ago.

Some type of overdose had been the expected cause of death since a masseuse found the 28-year-old Australian star's unconscious body in his Soho loft Jan. 22, with sleeping pills near his bed and other prescription drugs around the apartment.

The lab tests were conducted after an autopsy the next day proved inconclusive.

"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxica- tion by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," the medi- cal examiner's spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove, said in a written statement. "We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications."

The list of generic names refer to drugs more commonly known as the painkillers OxyContin and Vicodin, the antianxiety medications Valium and Xanax, and the sleeping pill Restoril, while Unisom is an antihistamine commonly used as a sleeping aid.

New York police reported at the time of his death that Ledger was found to be unresponsive after he failed to answer knocks on his door and cellphone calls from the masseuse, Diana Wolozin. A spokesman said that, though the sleeping pills and other prescription drugs were found at the scene, there was no sign of foul play and the actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of a repressed gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," left no note.

Ledger had rented the luxury loft following his split last September from actress Michelle Williams, with whom he had lived in Brooklyn along with their infant daughter.

Though a call to 911 was delayed while the panicked masseuse tried to revive Ledger herself and used the actor's phone to call actress Mary-Kate Olsen in California, authorities have said they do not believe he could have been saved had an emergency crew immediately appeared.

Ledger's father, Kim, issued an emotional statement urging others to use prescription drugs with caution and appealing again for privacy for the actor's family.

"We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child," said the statement. "Few can understand the hollow, wrenching and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

"While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."

Medical experts also warned of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs. "All the medications listed are narcotic painkillers or are used as tranquilizers, antianxiety drugs or sleeping medications. Those medications can have a synergistic effect and can reduce the breathing rate to bring on death," said Richard A. Rawson, a UCLA professor of psychiatry and associate director of its Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.

"For someone taking medication for sleep and pain on a regular basis, it is possible to take them and to become intoxicated," he said in a telephone interview.

"Those drugs are very widely used, prescribed and considered to have a relatively good safety profile. But if you take enough of them, taken in combination with opiates, you can get an overdose death. In this case, someone had legitimate prescriptions and simply made an error in dosing himself, a tragic error."

About 850,000 people annually misuse sedatives, including sleep aids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All totaled, 14 million people misuse prescription drugs, including pain relievers, tranquilizers and stimulants, the CDC estimates.

Other sleep drugs, even those sold over the counter, as well as prescription tranquilizers, pain medications and alcohol, are especially dangerous in combination with prescription sleeping pills, doctors say.

Ledger had made no secret of his use of prescription drugs to help him manage a life that was stressful and hectic, for all his fame.

He had just gotten back from London, where he was filming Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," and recently finished his work on "The Dark Knight," the new Batman film opening July 18, which has him following in the on-screen footsteps of Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

It was a difficult and physical role for Ledger, who told the New York Times in November that he was having trouble sleeping as he was finishing the shoot: "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said at the time. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He also described taking two Ambien sleeping pills and falling into a stupor, then waking up an hour later.

That same month, in a videotaped interview with The Envelope, the Los Angeles Times' award show website, Ledger was clearly slurring and unfocused as he discussed his role in "I'm Not There," a film in which a series of actors portray Bob Dylan personas.

In a 2005 Times interview, Ledger noted that his art came from a place of discomfort: "I like to do something I fear. I like to set up obstacles and defeat them. I like to be afraid of the project. I always am. When I get cast in something, I always believe I shouldn't have been cast. I fooled them again. I can't do it. I don't know how to do it."

Since Ledger's death, memorial services have been held for him in New York and Los Angeles.

His body was flown to his hometown of Perth, Australia, for burial in a family plot.

Williams issued her first public comment on the death last Friday, saying that part of Ledger's legacy would be their 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, "the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl, who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day," Williams said in a statement.

Meanwhile, officials of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington said they were conducting a "routine" investigation, as they would in any prescription overdose case, into how Ledger got the drugs that killed him.

[email protected]

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: dot-matrix on February 08, 2008, 08:08:17 am
This posted today on IMDb from World Entertainment News Network

Ledger Wake To Be Held On His Favorite Beach


 A wake for Heath Ledger will be held at the actor's favorite beach on Saturday. His parents Kim and Sally Ledger want to follow a somber ceremony with a celebration on Cottesloe Beach in their native Perth, Australia. Childhood friend Paul Mullert tells The Australian Times newspaper Ledger was "the quintessential Australian, who loved nothing more (than) slipping on a pair of boardies and his (flip-flops) and heading to Cottesloe Beach." The star's friends and family members have begun arriving in Perth for the funeral, including ex-fiancee Michelle Williams and their two-year-old daughter Matilda, and model Gemma Ward - his last love interest, reports PageSix.com. Ledger was found dead at his New York apartment on January 22, aged just 28. Toxicology results released on Wednesday revealed he was killed by an accidental overdose of prescribed medication.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aussie Chris on February 08, 2008, 08:13:45 am
This posted today on IMDb from World Entertainment News Network

Ledger Wake To Be Held On His Favorite Beach
A wake for Heath Ledger will be held at the actor's favorite beach on Saturday...

Yay!  That sounds like fun! ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 08, 2008, 09:19:53 am
I'm kind of proud ( ::)) to say that my letter to the editor was printed in the Metro free newspaper today!

I was on a mission: mission accomplished. Metro in Holland is the most read free newspaper and the letter to the editor section is very popular... Here's a pic, I will try to translate what it says soon, but I think you know what I am saying here about the tabloids and about the inaccurate articles printed about Heath.

(http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o60/Snuitjeboe/metrobrief0001-1.jpg)


(The quote next to it refers to a letter in which somebody wonders why this one Christian political party in Holland objected against the screening on Dutch TV of the porn / soft-sex movie Deep Throat).

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 08, 2008, 09:42:55 am
Mel, dat heb je goed gedaan!

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 08, 2008, 10:27:19 am
Mel, dat heb je goed gedaan!

Dank je Fabienne!  ;D  :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 08, 2008, 02:04:13 pm
Melissa, I only have a vague idea of what your letter says, but I'm proud of you already!!   :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 08, 2008, 02:46:14 pm
Melissa, I only have a vague idea of what your letter says, but I'm proud of you already!!   :D

Mel, dat IS prima!

(Lucky my one Dutch phrase is so positive!)  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on February 08, 2008, 03:07:06 pm
(((Mel))))  Way to go - you should be proud of yourself.  I know I'm proud of you and that's just from figuring out the headline above your letter!   

 :-*
Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 08, 2008, 03:11:18 pm
Well done Mel. You go girl  :).
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 08, 2008, 03:16:29 pm
As the funeral draws near and the family has managed to keep the details from becoming public knowledge, Perth's Sunday Times reports that there's a virtual "Media Stakeout" at the family homes. Police have had to guard and block the street where Heath's mom lives. There is round-the-clock media barrage there.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23181140-5012990,00.html

Says one photographer: ""We'd like to respect their privacy, but we have a job to do.''

*sigh*

Heath would have hated it so - they stalk him and his family all the way to the grave.  :-\


I feel uncomfortable knowing this is going on and disliking it intensely, it's horrible - and at the same time I can't pretend that I wouldn't want some little bit of non-intrusive information concerning the funeral once  it has taken place.  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 08, 2008, 03:41:53 pm
As the funeral draws near and the family has managed to keep the details from becoming public knowledge, Perth's Sunday Times reports that there's a virtual "Media Stakeout" at the family homes. Police have had to guard and block the street where Heath's mom lives. There is round-the-clock media barrage there.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23181140-5012990,00.html

Says one photographer: ""We'd like to respect their privacy, but we have a job to do.''

*sigh*

Heath would have hated it so - they stalk him and his family all the way to the grave.  :-\


I feel uncomfortable knowing this is going on and disliking it intensely, it's horrible - and at the same time I can't pretend that I wouldn't want some little bit of non-intrusive information concerning the funeral once  it has taken place.  :-\

Do you remember when he said he and Michelle felt so caged in their own house in Australia they decided to sell it after living there only for ten or twelve days?

And now this.  >:( :(

I had so hoped that exactly this would not happen. I had hoped the paps would respect the family's and Michelle's outspoken wish for privacy.
The parallels to the situation two years ago are so obvious. Yes, Heath would hate it. And his family sure hates it. Poor Heath, and his poor family.
I've already seen pictures I never wanted to see the last weeks. Although Heath is very little in the media in Germany, you can bet when there is something, there'll also be pics you don't want to see. I really have no need to read anything about the funeral, let alone see pics. It's nobody's business but theirs.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on February 08, 2008, 03:43:18 pm


        Pete thank you for that article.  It is the most straightforward, kind and informative
one that i have seen or read since this whole thing happened.  thanks again.

        Mel thank you for making that effort on behalf of all his millions of fans around the
world.  Bad things happen to good people, when good people do nothing.  I have to admit
i have not made such an effort.  I too am guilty.

        I understand those folks have a job to do as do all people.  Its not so much what they
do, but how they go about it. 

        I think that we are part of it as well when we clamor for every bit and parcel of information in order to learn of the details.  Secondly on that regard, I think in order to
stave off that tide of reporters, I think a brief list of attendees for the funeral, and
who the speakers would or would not be.  Would be in order.  Simply say to the media
that they are giving that information in the firm hope that it would make them be able
to have privacy.  The report to be released upon the completion of the ceremony.

          Hopefully that would suffice.  People like us who care would be informed.  And
need for the hounding would be abated.  JMO
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on February 08, 2008, 03:53:16 pm
Congratulations Melissa!!!  :D

I am soooooo PROUD of you!!! That must be very exciting. I'm excited too and I didn't even write it!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 03:54:04 pm
Daniel Day Lewis condemns "media circus" that increases the grief of the family dealing with Heath's death:

http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Celebrities/0,,2-1225-2108_2267283,00.html

"His family, for instance, at this moment, are trying to suffer the unimaginable grief in the full scrutiny of a fucking circus and anything that I say is going probably to just contribute even more to that because it keeps the story running and running and running and running."

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 08, 2008, 04:07:30 pm
Thanks guys! I didn't even see the paper until my friend sent me a text message "I saw your letter in the paper. You go girl!" it said. I then ran downstairs to the hallway of our office and picked up the paper and then ran back to my colleagues and they were so happy for me. It's a paper that is read by almost 2 million readers each day so I really feel that I have reached an audience.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 08, 2008, 04:40:57 pm
post in english when you get the chance!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 08, 2008, 04:48:58 pm
Oh I so much would like to put a link here from Rolling Stone, some guy Travis....it is a beatiful tribut to Heath Ledger on a video.....someone who can....? I found it on IMDb, Heath board, called watch this......

Can someone help me??

I just read it, here  is the link to the article:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/18355273/heath_ledger_1979_8211_2008

He arrived onscreen looking windy and fresh, as if he'd just blown in from someplace else. His face just missed being pretty; there was the tiny, precise mouth, but also the mulish neck and shoulders and then the rich tobacco roll of the voice. He became a locus of passionate admiration, the senior you hoped to be as a freshman.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 08, 2008, 04:59:26 pm
Oh I so much would like to put a link here from Rolling Stone, some guy Travis....it is a beatiful tribut to Heath Ledger on a video.....someone who can....? I found it on IMDb, Heath board, called watch this......

Can someone help me??


If it's a youtube video, you can embed it here by clicking the small youtube logo above the smileys. Or type (without the spaces):

[youtube=425,350 ]insert url of the video here[/youtube ]


If it's not on youtube, you can post a link by clicking the little globe icon above the smileys or by typing (again without spaces):

[url ]insert url of the page you want to link here[/url ]

Hope that helps. If not, don't be shy to ask again.  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 05:12:50 pm
Here is an anecdote I had not read before from an interesting article from Heath's last press interview in New York with the other actors and director of "I'm Not There", Todd Haynes.

http://www.newsok.com/article/3201996/?pg=1

Toward the end of the news conference, one journalist asked the assembled actors if there were other musicians they would like to play one day after taking on Dylan. Bruce Greenwood said he would play any blues singer, while 14-year-old Marcus Carl Franklin expressed an interest in Jimi Hendrix.

Ledger left everyone that day with a big, warm laugh. One worth remembering.

"Tina Turner,” he said while grabbing director Haynes' arm. "But not unless this one was making it.”

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 08, 2008, 05:15:32 pm
Sorry but I'm to dumb.....the video has a url that is sooooo long......when the hubby gets home....he is better on thiese things....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 08, 2008, 05:27:25 pm
Berit, I'm PMing you.
And no, you're not dumb. When I was new I had to ask, too.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 06:08:24 pm
Family and Friends gather for impending funeral, with some photos of Heath's dad and family:

http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/heath-ledgers-family-gathers-for-funeral-203231/
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 08, 2008, 06:21:00 pm
I just discovered that BBM was shown in Boston Monday at the Cooledge Theater, where some of us got together to see it in the screening room last year.

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2008/02/still_wish_we_c.html (http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2008/02/still_wish_we_c.html)

----------------

Still wish we could quit you
Email|Link Posted by Wesley Morris February 4, 2008 08:30 AM


Because it just needs to happen, the Coolidge is showing "Brokeback Mountain" tonight at 7pm. The layers of tragedy will, over time, accumulate around this imperfect movie and its great, deep performance -- and its greatish, deepish ones, too -- until everything about them assumes the impression of wisdom. We'll search this movie and Ennis Del Mar the way we might someone else's soul. We leave a little more devastated, a little more lost than we did the first time. You'll watch Heath Ledger and think the ache in his heart and in his bones seems realer, more contagious. Bad news has a way of doing that to an already iconic piece of acting. Have you seen "Rebel Without a Cause" lately? Of course, the Coolidge could just as easily have shown "Casanova" to remind us that the world has lost this happy, horny dude, too.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 08, 2008, 06:47:44 pm
I just got an e-mail from my sister-in-law’s cousin, Paul Lieberman, who is the LA Times entertainment reporter in NYC, in response to my e-mail to him about the article he wrote yesterday about Heath.

He mentioned that he wrote a piece for the LA Times last fall on Ang Lee and told me that during their interview, he mentioned to Ang what his film had meant to groups like our message board!    :)  :)  (I had told Paul about my involvement with Bettermost and about the other forums when we had lunch in NYC last spring.)  That article is mostly about "Lust, Caution," but also talks about BBM several times.

http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/env-anglee-lust-23sep23,0,1784382.story  (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/env-anglee-lust-23sep23,0,1784382.story)


On the negative side, Paul said in his e-mail that he’s gotten a couple of “shockingly homophobic” e-mails in response to his LA Times article

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true)

about Heath yesterday, that he referred to as “fury directed at someone merely for playing a part.”   >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 08, 2008, 06:54:34 pm
http://www.rollingstone.com/flashplayer?feature=rtmp://flashplay.rbn.com/a41/d1/rstone/rstone/download/flash/travers/heathledger.flv&title=Peter%20Travers%20Video%20Review&desc=Heath%20Ledger%27s%20Best%20Film%20Performances (http://www.rollingstone.com/flashplayer?feature=rtmp://flashplay.rbn.com/a41/d1/rstone/rstone/download/flash/travers/heathledger.flv&title=Peter%20Travers%20Video%20Review&desc=Heath%20Ledger%27s%20Best%20Film%20Performances)

If this works Chrissie, it's all thanks to you.

It is a wonderful video :)

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on February 08, 2008, 06:55:33 pm
And it worked....you are quite something Chrissie.... :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 08, 2008, 07:12:34 pm
And it worked....you are quite something Chrissie.... :-*

Aww, thanks. You're welcome.


Whoo-eee! You made it Berit!  :D

And it's so worth it. Love the video clip. You're right, it's a wonderful tribute. Thanks for posting it  :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 08, 2008, 07:20:39 pm
I just discovered that BBM was shown in Boston Monday at the Cooledge Theater, where some of us got together to see it in the screening room last year.

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2008/02/still_wish_we_c.html (http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2008/02/still_wish_we_c.html)

----------------

Still wish we could quit you
Email|Link Posted by Wesley Morris February 4, 2008 08:30 AM


Because it just needs to happen, the Coolidge is showing "Brokeback Mountain" tonight at 7pm. The layers of tragedy will, over time, accumulate around this imperfect movie and its great, deep performance -- and its greatish, deepish ones, too -- until everything about them assumes the impression of wisdom. We'll search this movie and Ennis Del Mar the way we might someone else's soul. We leave a little more devastated, a little more lost than we did the first time. You'll watch Heath Ledger and think the ache in his heart and in his bones seems realer, more contagious. Bad news has a way of doing that to an already iconic piece of acting. Have you seen "Rebel Without a Cause" lately? Of course, the Coolidge could just as easily have shown "Casanova" to remind us that the world has lost this happy, horny dude, too.


What a brilliant description of how most of us felt while we watched BBM again since we lost Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 07:48:56 pm

From Saturday's (Sydney) Daily Telegraph, Feb 9, "Angry Ledger Fans Bombard US Website":

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23184699-5001021,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 07:50:57 pm

Also from Saturday's (Sydney) Daily Telegraph, Feb 9, "Writer's Sick Attack on Heath Ledger":

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23179970-5001021,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 07:55:37 pm

From Saturday's (Sydney) Daily Telegraph, Feb 9, "Heath Ledger Family's Private Memorial Service":

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23183537-5005941,00.html


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 08:00:37 pm

From Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald, Feb 9, "Aussies Enter Ledger 'Selfish' Debate":

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/aussies-vent-ledger-anger/2008/02/09/1202234206768.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 08, 2008, 08:48:29 pm
I think that this is a pretty good newspaper report on the reason for Heath's death.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ledger7feb07,1,3885175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true)


Williams issued her first public comment on the death last Friday, saying that part of Ledger's legacy would be their 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, "the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl, who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day," Williams said in a statement.

Meanwhile, officials of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington said they were conducting a "routine" investigation, as they would in any prescription overdose case, into how Ledger got the drugs that killed him.

[email protected]



Matilda, "the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl, who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day," Williams said in a statement.

I haven't actually read that part of her statement before.  It is a good, strong, statement.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 10:00:19 pm

From Saturday's West Australian newspaper, Feb 9 @ 10.45am Western Australian time, "Ledger Funeral Under Way Soon":

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57786
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 08, 2008, 10:03:29 pm

Heath's tribute page in Heath's home-town newspaper, The West Australian:

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=55939
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 10:56:41 pm
From Saturday's West Australian newspaper, Feb 9 @ 10.45am Western Australian time, "Ledger Funeral Under Way Soon":

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57786


wow, another big memorial!  So which one is the actual 'funeral' I wonder?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on February 08, 2008, 11:04:38 pm
Kim Ledger addresses the media before the funeral:

Thanks for world support: Ledger family
9th February 2008, 11:15 WST



Kim Ledger, wearing dark glasses and a black suit, arrived briefly at his ex-wife Sally's Applecross home just before 10.30am accompanied by family friend Alison Carroll-Jung.
 
Mr Ledger addressed the waiting media, and Ms Carroll-Jung gave details of the memorial service which will be held at Penhros College in Como at midday.
 
Mr Ledger spoke without the aid of a statement. He said:
 
"I know that a lot of you have travelled from all around the world to take footage, as much as you can, of our ceremony for Heath.
 
"What we've done is we've organised, in conjunction with the police and where it is being held, for you all to have an area where you can take unfettered photos of people arriving and for that matter, mourners leaving the ceremony.
 
"Other than that I would just ask you if you wouldn't mind just to respect our privacy.
 
"The funeral will be very, very private.
 
"There will only be ten people there, which is my immediate family and nobody else.
 
"That's all I really have to say. I'm sorry that, you know, we really haven't had a chance to expose ourselves for you guys but, ah, it's a pretty sad time and we're finding it difficult to cope by ourselves let alone cope with everybody around the world.
 
"Having said that, we do really appreciate the outpouring of and the emotional support, from all over the globe which, suffice to say, we are luckier than most families.......most families that are in our position, in our grieving position, don't receive that kind of support.
 
"So thankyou all very much."



http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57851
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on February 08, 2008, 11:07:25 pm
Well, the article mentioned something about a wake. I don't know if the Australian meaning is the same as it is here. We don't use that word too often, at least not here in the Midwest. But a "wake" is not a funeral. Over here a wake is the visitation or the viewing. So we really don't know about the funeral. Which is good, because if those fools from WBC found out, they'd try to wreck it.  >:(  :'(



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on February 08, 2008, 11:09:38 pm
From what I understand, the wake, if there would be, will be held on Heath's favourite beach, after the funeral.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 08, 2008, 11:11:00 pm
Wakes are always held prior to a funeral and burial.  Who knows what is really going on, we might not know until it is all over!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 08, 2008, 11:42:33 pm
Kim Ledger addresses the media before the funeral:

Thanks for world support: Ledger family
9th February 2008, 11:15 WST



Kim Ledger, wearing dark glasses and a black suit, arrived briefly at his ex-wife Sally's Applecross home just before 10.30am accompanied by family friend Alison Carroll-Jung.
 
Mr Ledger addressed the waiting media, and Ms Carroll-Jung gave details of the memorial service which will be held at Penhros College in Como at midday.
 
Mr Ledger spoke without the aid of a statement. He said:
 
"I know that a lot of you have travelled from all around the world to take footage, as much as you can, of our ceremony for Heath.
 
"What we've done is we've organised, in conjunction with the police and where it is being held, for you all to have an area where you can take unfettered photos of people arriving and for that matter, mourners leaving the ceremony.
 
"Other than that I would just ask you if you wouldn't mind just to respect our privacy.
 
"The funeral will be very, very private.
 
"There will only be ten people there, which is my immediate family and nobody else.
 
"That's all I really have to say. I'm sorry that, you know, we really haven't had a chance to expose ourselves for you guys but, ah, it's a pretty sad time and we're finding it difficult to cope by ourselves let alone cope with everybody around the world.
 
"Having said that, we do really appreciate the outpouring of and the emotional support, from all over the globe which, suffice to say, we are luckier than most families.......most families that are in our position, in our grieving position, don't receive that kind of support.
 
"So thankyou all very much."



http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57851

WOW!  What a statement!  He is amazing man to be able to be so eloquent and to the point in front of media, without notes - especially at this sad time.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 08, 2008, 11:53:32 pm
Kim Ledger addresses the media before the funeral:

Thanks for world support: Ledger family
9th February 2008, 11:15 WST



Kim Ledger, wearing dark glasses and a black suit, arrived briefly at his ex-wife Sally's Applecross home just before 10.30am accompanied by family friend Alison Carroll-Jung.
 
Mr Ledger addressed the waiting media, and Ms Carroll-Jung gave details of the memorial service which will be held at Penhros College in Como at midday.
 
Mr Ledger spoke without the aid of a statement. He said:
 
"I know that a lot of you have travelled from all around the world to take footage, as much as you can, of our ceremony for Heath.
 
"What we've done is we've organised, in conjunction with the police and where it is being held, for you all to have an area where you can take unfettered photos of people arriving and for that matter, mourners leaving the ceremony.
 
"Other than that I would just ask you if you wouldn't mind just to respect our privacy.
 
"The funeral will be very, very private.
 
"There will only be ten people there, which is my immediate family and nobody else.
 
"That's all I really have to say. I'm sorry that, you know, we really haven't had a chance to expose ourselves for you guys but, ah, it's a pretty sad time and we're finding it difficult to cope by ourselves let alone cope with everybody around the world.
 
"Having said that, we do really appreciate the outpouring of and the emotional support, from all over the globe which, suffice to say, we are luckier than most families.......most families that are in our position, in our grieving position, don't receive that kind of support.
 
"So thankyou all very much."



http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57851

OMG......what a wonderful man he is.....considerate and dignified......I am overwhelmed.......may he find some peace and privacy.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 09, 2008, 12:51:06 am
500 mourners attended a service at Penrhos girl's school amid tight security.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/09/1202234216831.html

" Australian model Gemma Ward, actors Bryan Brown, Cate Blanchett and Noni Hazelhurst and footballer Ben Cousins were among the celebrities who arrived to farewell Ledger."

Jake was not mentioned.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 09, 2008, 01:25:08 am

In Australia, a viewing is held prior to the funeral. It is exactly what it implies, the viewing of the deceased in the coffin, prior to interment.

After the funeral/interment of the coffin, comes the wake. The wake can take many forms from formal and dignified to highly alcoholic and out of control. It all depends on the tradition within each individual family. So-called "Irish" wakes are loud, boozy and out of control.

My family tradition is not to have a viewing (we don't have open coffins in my family tradition). After the funeral, there is a wake at the home of the next of kin of the deceased, consisting of tea, coffee, sandwiches, cake, scones, etc. It's always very dignified and respectful.

Those who hold "Irish" wakes maintain they like to send off their loved ones with a joyous party. Unfortunately, they often become so boozy that fights sometimes ensue.  :-\

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 09, 2008, 01:30:12 am
wow... that is exactly the opposite of the tradition in my particular slice of English culture - wakes are always held the day or evening before a funeral, if at all, and in the last century no wake has been carried out on anyone in my family, to my knowledge.  Thanks for filling that in, Kerry!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 09, 2008, 01:36:50 am

From Saturday's West Australian newspaper, Feb 9, "Big Crowds Gather for Ledger Memorial":

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=22&ContentID=57786
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on February 09, 2008, 01:49:45 am
In Australia, a viewing is held prior to the funeral. It is exactly what it implies, the viewing of the deceased in the coffin, prior to interment.

After the funeral/interment of the coffin, comes the wake. The wake can take many forms from formal and dignified to highly alcoholic and out of control. It all depends on the tradition within each individual family. So-called "Irish" wakes are loud, boozy and out of control.

My family tradition is not to have a viewing (we don't have open coffins in my family tradition). After the funeral, there is a wake at the home of the next of kin of the deceased, consisting of tea, coffee, sandwiches, cake, scones, etc. It's always very dignified and respectful.

Those who hold "Irish" wakes maintain they like to send off their loved ones with a joyous party. Unfortunately, they often become so boozy that fights sometimes ensue.  :-\



The word "wake" here in the US (or in my part anyway) is used synonymously with "visitation", "calling" or "viewing", which means the viewing of the deceased person in a casket. In the Midwest we usually call it "Visitation" although I hear many older people around here still refer to it as a wake.

Thanks so much for providing us with all these links and reports from Australia. We appreciate it!!

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 09, 2008, 01:55:45 am
Wiki says that wakes in the English tradition are held prior to a funeral and in modern times are synonymous with 'visitation' or 'visiting hours', but in Northern England, Australia, and New Zealand wakes are held after the funeral as a celebration of the deceased's life and are 'wet' events, i.e involve drinking.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 02:09:19 am

I always thought the reason it was called a 'wake' was because the mourners held watch around a body in a coffin, waiting, in case the person 'woke up', which means it would have to take place prior to the internment.

Unless I'm mistaken?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 09, 2008, 02:21:44 am
More details:

The family has left the memorial service and there will be a cremation later today in Fremantle, then a wake tonight.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/friends-mourn-heath/2008/02/09/1202234216831.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 02:38:15 am

Is it just me?  That I think it strange that the family - including Michelle - aren't wearing black to a funeral?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 09, 2008, 03:17:55 am
Is it just me?  That I think it strange that the family - including Michelle - aren't wearing black to a funeral?

I was thinking about that.  The outfits we've seen so far do have some black in them, and no actual color.  It's hot out, it's summer.  Sounds like they are also going to the beach.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 03:23:23 am
I was thinking about that.  The outfits we've seen so far do have some black in them, and no actual color.  It's hot out, it's summer.  Sounds like they are also going to the beach.

Maybe the outfit means something.  I remember being aghast at Princess Diana's funeral when Prince Charles wore a blue suit.  Turned out later that that was her favorite suit and she liked it on him.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on February 09, 2008, 03:30:14 am
Wiki says that wakes in the English tradition are held prior to a funeral and in modern times are synonymous with 'visitation' or 'visiting hours', but in Northern England, Australia, and New Zealand wakes are held after the funeral as a celebration of the deceased's life and are 'wet' events, i.e involve drinking.

That's what I meant when I said maybe it means something different in Australia.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 09, 2008, 03:33:48 am
From Wundeground (weather):  Right now it's 4:30pm Perth time and it's 82°F / 28°C.  I wouldn't want to be wearing black if I didn't have to.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 03:38:12 am
From Wundeground (weather):  Right now it's 4:30pm Perth time and it's 82°F / 28°C.  I wouldn't want to be wearing black if I didn't have to.


Heh.  In Texas 82 F is a lovely day.  I'd have no problem wearing a full black suit, complete with hat.  It's when it's 95F that things start getting hot.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: David In Indy on February 09, 2008, 03:39:56 am
I read in Elle a while back (I think it was Elle) that it really isn't necessary to wear black to a funeral these days, especially during the summer, and it IS summer in Australia now. Any toned down color is appropriate - pastels, earth tones, beige, egg shell, gray, and black. Combining too many colors should be avoided. Keep it simple and respectful.

Red is definitely a color you want to avoid wearing to a funeral. Other bright colors should be avoided too.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 09, 2008, 04:24:09 am
Just to enlighten you about what we wear here in Austraia to a funeral......most people DONT wear black anymore.....it seems that any clothing is suitable and obviously as long as its tasteful.

In a lot of cases where it is a funeral for young people, a lot of the mourners are also young and a lot of the young blokes wear jeans and a nice shirt.

And it is summer here so casual clothing is obviously more comfortable....

The colour of ones clothing, is not considered a matter of importance at all.

And the wake, is a gathering of the mourners, usually after the funeral.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 09, 2008, 06:30:59 am
wow... that is exactly the opposite of the tradition in my particular slice of English culture - wakes are always held the day or evening before a funeral, if at all, and in the last century no wake has been carried out on anyone in my family, to my knowledge.  Thanks for filling that in, Kerry!
Wiki says that wakes in the English tradition are held prior to a funeral and in modern times are synonymous with 'visitation' or 'visiting hours', but in Northern England, Australia, and New Zealand wakes are held after the funeral as a celebration of the deceased's life and are 'wet' events, i.e involve drinking.

Well any wake I have ever been to has always been AFTER the funeral - like Kerry said its about thanking people for being there, celebrating a life, and catching up with people.

I wonder if Michelle will attend the 10 person funeral?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on February 09, 2008, 06:57:13 am

I wonder if Michelle will attend the 10 person funeral?

I would think Michelle was one of the 10 persons.  At first when there was report that Jake had arrived in Australia, I thought he might be one of them since he's the godfather of Matilda, but since he was not seen at all, I don't think he is one of them.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 09, 2008, 08:15:01 am
I would think Michelle was one of the 10 persons.  At first when there was report that Jake had arrived in Australia, I thought he might be one of them since he's the godfather of Matilda, but since he was not seen at all, I don't think he is one of them.


I watched several television news broadcasts in Sydney tonight (Saturday) and most led with the story of Heath's funeral.

I didn't see Jake in any of them.

I read a report somewhere that said Jake had flown to Perth for the funeral.

Does anyone have an update on whether Jake was there or not?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 09, 2008, 10:39:08 am
I read in Elle a while back (I think it was Elle) that it really isn't necessary to wear black to a funeral these days, especially during the summer, and it IS summer in Australia now. Any toned down color is appropriate - pastels, earth tones, beige, egg shell, gray, and black. Combining too many colors should be avoided. Keep it simple and respectful.

Red is definitely a color you want to avoid wearing to a funeral. Other bright colors should be avoided too.





knowing Heath's sartorial inclinations, I'm not sure he would mind very much what folks were wearing...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 09, 2008, 10:43:27 am
knowing Heath's sartorial inclinations, I'm not sure he would mind very much what folks were wearing...

To lift a turn of phrase from Batman Returns:  Heath was oft inclined to show "contempt for the czars of fashion."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 09, 2008, 10:48:00 am
knowing Heath's sartorial inclinations, I'm not sure he would mind very much what folks were wearing...

I agree.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 10:55:58 am
from the New York Daily News:

Honoring Heath Ledger Celebs, family remember fallen star at service


BY DAVID COHEN in Perth, Australia, and LEO STANDORA in New York
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Saturday, February 9th 2008, 4:00 AM


A star-studded funeral was held for actor Heath Ledger Saturday in the Australian hometown he left nearly 10 years ago to become a Hollywood heartthrob.

More than 700 people - many from Hollywood and others from the Australian sports, business, arts and entertainment worlds - gathered at the exclusive Penrhos College in Perth for a service before his body was laid to rest.

A hush descended on knots of people waiting outside shortly after noon as Ledger's parents and his ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams arrived in a gleaming black BMWs.

Williams, wearing a stylish but subdued cream knee-length dress with black edging, supported Ledger's sister, Kate, who was in tears and trembling as she walked in.

Matilda Rose, the 2-year-old daughter of Williams and Ledger, did not appear.

Heads also turned when model Gemma Ward, an ex-Ledger girlfriend, arrived with her sister, Sophie.

Gemma Ward looked like she had stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine in a knee-length black dress.

Others attending were actors Bryan Brown, Cate Blanchett and Joel Edgerton and movie directors Phillip Noyce and Neil Armfield.

Jake Gyllenhaal, who co-starred with Ledger in his most famous film, "Brokeback Mountain," arrived in Australia Friday but wasn't seen at the college.


A local musician said he opened the service by playing an ancient Aboriginal dirge on a didgeridoo. Music played a large role in the ceremony, which ended with the Beatles' "Come Together."

Ledger, 28, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his SoHo apartment Jan 22.

After the service, 10 family members left to bury Ledger's remains at a Perth cemetery.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/02/09/2008-02-09_honoring_heath_ledger_celebs_family_reme-1.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 09, 2008, 10:56:26 am
This seems very nice. Side note: I wonder if People has a mole in the funeral. How do they get this information? I doubt it is made up.

Michelle Williams Takes Ocean Plunge to Honor Heath
By Brenda Rodriguez

What started out as a subdued wake after Heath Ledger's funeral ended in an emotional goodbye by mourners including Michelle Williams, who all took a plunge into the ocean as the sun began to set.

"It's exactly what Heath would have wanted," one mourner told PEOPLE, dripping wet in his underwear as he made his way out of the water.

An unidentified man led Williams by the hand, followed by several guests, who walked down the stairs behind the Indiana Tea House on Cottesloe Beach, the site of the wake and one of Ledger's favorite spots.

At least 50 people attending the wake ran onto the beach and many began to take off their clothes. While some women took the plunge in their black dresses, other men and women stripped down to just their underwear and jumped into the ocean.

Williams, still wearing her cream-colored sundress and black sunglasses, was briefly dragged into the water as everyone cheered. She was then quickly surrounded by a group of mourners, creating a protective circle around the actress.

Those in the water laughed and cheered as Michelle watched from the shore. Ledger's sister Kate also took a dive into the water and was surrounded by pals splashing around her while her father Kim Ledger watched from the restaurant's balcony and shouted, "Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!" giving two thumbs up in the air.

As the sun began to set, the swimmers came on shore and stood in a line on both sides of Williams and linked arms. In the last five minutes, as the sun moved toward the horizon, the mourners stood in silence, watching and embracing.

Williams hugged Kate Ledger and smiled as she watched the sunset at 8:15 p.m., local time.

Two mourners in the group summoned up the moment as they stood behind Williams.

"The sun goes down on our love," they said. "But it will never go down on Heathy."


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 09, 2008, 10:59:20 am
from the New York Daily News:

Honoring Heath Ledger Celebs, family remember fallen star at service


BY DAVID COHEN in Perth, Australia, and LEO STANDORA in New York
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Saturday, February 9th 2008, 4:00 AM


A star-studded funeral was held for actor Heath Ledger Saturday in the Australian hometown he left nearly 10 years ago to become a Hollywood heartthrob.

More than 700 people - many from Hollywood and others from the Australian sports, business, arts and entertainment worlds - gathered at the exclusive Penrhos College in Perth for a service before his body was laid to rest.

A hush descended on knots of people waiting outside shortly after noon as Ledger's parents and his ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams arrived in a gleaming black BMWs.

Williams, wearing a stylish but subdued cream knee-length dress with black edging, supported Ledger's sister, Kate, who was in tears and trembling as she walked in.

Matilda Rose, the 2-year-old daughter of Williams and Ledger, did not appear.

Heads also turned when model Gemma Ward, an ex-Ledger girlfriend, arrived with her sister, Sophie.

Gemma Ward looked like she had stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine in a knee-length black dress.

Others attending were actors Bryan Brown, Cate Blanchett and Joel Edgerton and movie directors Phillip Noyce and Neil Armfield.

Jake Gyllenhaal, who co-starred with Ledger in his most famous film, "Brokeback Mountain," arrived in Australia Friday but wasn't seen at the college.


A local musician said he opened the service by playing an ancient Aboriginal dirge on a didgeridoo. Music played a large role in the ceremony, which ended with the Beatles' "Come Together."

Ledger, 28, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his SoHo apartment Jan 22.

After the service, 10 family members left to bury Ledger's remains at a Perth cemetery.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/02/09/2008-02-09_honoring_heath_ledger_celebs_family_reme-1.html

maybe Jake didn't go because the media were there?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 09, 2008, 11:01:41 am
This seems very nice. Side note: I wonder if People has a mole in the funeral. How do they get this information? I doubt it is made up.

Michelle Williams Takes Ocean Plunge to Honor Heath
By Brenda Rodriguez

What started out as a subdued wake after Heath Ledger's funeral ended in an emotional goodbye by mourners including Michelle Williams, who all took a plunge into the ocean as the sun began to set.

"It's exactly what Heath would have wanted," one mourner told PEOPLE, dripping wet in his underwear as he made his way out of the water.

An unidentified man led Williams by the hand, followed by several guests, who walked down the stairs behind the Indiana Tea House on Cottesloe Beach, the site of the wake and one of Ledger's favorite spots.

At least 50 people attending the wake ran onto the beach and many began to take off their clothes. While some women took the plunge in their black dresses, other men and women stripped down to just their underwear and jumped into the ocean.

Williams, still wearing her cream-colored sundress and black sunglasses, was briefly dragged into the water as everyone cheered. She was then quickly surrounded by a group of mourners, creating a protective circle around the actress.

Those in the water laughed and cheered as Michelle watched from the shore. Ledger's sister Kate also took a dive into the water and was surrounded by pals splashing around her while her father Kim Ledger watched from the restaurant's balcony and shouted, "Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!" giving two thumbs up in the air.

As the sun began to set, the swimmers came on shore and stood in a line on both sides of Williams and linked arms. In the last five minutes, as the sun moved toward the horizon, the mourners stood in silence, watching and embracing.

Williams hugged Kate Ledger and smiled as she watched the sunset at 8:15 p.m., local time.

Two mourners in the group summoned up the moment as they stood behind Williams.

"The sun goes down on our love," they said. "But it will never go down on Heathy."


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html)

wow, that makes me cry.  sounds very, very special.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:04:36 am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/gallery/0,22010,5029493-5006020-1,00.html

This photo gallery has pictures of people in the water at the beach, and a very nice picture of Michelle, smiling.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 09, 2008, 11:07:39 am
maybe Jake didn't go because the media were there?

I know this is unlikely but maybe he stayed with Matilda. She wasn't seen there either.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:08:48 am
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/williams_narrowweb__300x5022.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:09:44 am
I know this is unlikely but maybe he stayed with Matilda. She wasn't seen there either.

Yes...being a godfather, perhaps?

Although, I have to say, if I flew all that way, I'd be devastated to not be able to go to the actual service!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:12:04 am
from the Sydney Morning Herald:

A beautiful life ... order of service


Opening music: These Days (Powderfinger), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd), Superstition (Stevie Wonder), The Times They Are A Changin' (Bob Dylan), Seven Nation Army (White Stripes), The Past And Pending (the Shins)

Words: Kate Ledger

Family montage: To Here Comes The Sun by the Beatles

Paul Summers: Speaks on behalf of Ledger's American agent Steve Alexander

Matilda's montage: To Happy Everafter In Your Eyes written for Matilda by Ben Harper

Words: Neil Armfield

Off-screen footage

Words: Cate Blanchett

On-screen footage

Words: Kane Manera, Paul Mullvert

Friends' montage: To 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins

Words: Kim Ledger, Sally Bell

Family montage: To Old Man by Neil Young

End of service: To Come Together by the Beatles

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/heaths-goodbye-is-a-celebration-of-life/2008/02/09/1202234225490.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:14:18 am
from the Sydney Morning Herald:


Heath's goodbye is a celebration of life

Melissa Kent in Perth
February 10, 2008


IT WAS the day Hollywood came to suburban Perth on a mournful mission to farewell one of their own.

The late actor's former fiancee Michelle Williams and sister Kate Ledger - their arms entwined - were among 600 invitation-only guests who filed into Penrhos College in Como to say goodbye to the brooding actor.

The A-list mourners included Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, model Gemma Ward, Candy director Neil Armfield, director Philip Noyce, actors Rose Byrne, Bryan Brown and Shane Jacobson (aka "Kenny"), actor brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton, Perth rock band Eskimo Joe, West Coast Eagle David Wirrpanda and disgraced former Eagle Ben Cousins.

Williams - the mother of Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda, who did not attend - stayed close to his sister.

Ledger's father Kim and his wife, Emma Brown, arrived in one of four police-escorted black BMWs, sharing the sad ride with Ledger's mother, Sally Ledger Bell, and her husband, Roger Bell.

The ceremony was held in the theatre of the private girls' college where, as a child, Ledger often sat in the front row watching his sister perform in school plays.

Ms Ledger spoke of her love for her brother, who, after death, will be seen as The Joker in the latest Batman film The Dark Knight.

WA Opposition Minister for Arts Barbara Scott said: "Kate spoke of the unique bond [they] shared . . . how he would ring her three or four times a day and how he never forgot his friends, even at the height of his fame."

Blanchett, pregnant with her third child, delivered a tribute that one mourner said was "a funny and moving eulogy about their times spent together".

The order of service read: "This room is filled with the love we all felt for a great friend ... We want to thank those of you who took care of him and participated in his beautiful life."

Mourners were reduced to tears by Happy Ever After, a song written for Matilda by musician Ben Harper.

Perth-born Ward, who dated Ledger during his last Christmas holiday in Perth, left the service distressed.

Ledger, an Oscar nominee for his role in Brokeback Mountain, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on January 22 of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/heaths-goodbye-is-a-celebration-of-life/2008/02/09/1202234225490.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 09, 2008, 11:15:57 am
Yes...being a godfather, perhaps?

Although, I have to say, if I flew all that way, I'd be devastated to not be able to go to the actual service!

For some people attending wakes and funeral can be an excruciating experience. I have a friend who did not attend her father's funeral because she could not deal with it. So, if it is true that Jake actually flew to Perth, maybe he just wanted to be near the family. It is also possible that he wasn't in Perth at all. Who knows.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:16:55 am
Another picture from the beach:

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/0588225600.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on February 09, 2008, 11:38:22 am
In Australia, a viewing is held prior to the funeral. It is exactly what it implies, the viewing of the deceased in the coffin, prior to interment.

After the funeral/interment of the coffin, comes the wake. The wake can take many forms from formal and dignified to highly alcoholic and out of control. It all depends on the tradition within each individual family. So-called "Irish" wakes are loud, boozy and out of control.

This is more or less the way things are done among my people in Central Pennsylvania, except that nobody calls the gathering after the burial a wake. Burials usually take place in the late morning, and afterwards lunch is typically provided for those who attended. Nobody calls the lunch anything but lunch. I always understood a wake to be an event that takes place before the burial. At the risk of seeming irreverent, the idea of providing lunch after the funeral always reminds me of the line from A Christmas Carol, where the businessmen are discussing Scrooge's funeral, and one says, "I'll go if lunch is provided."  :)

I also see very little black at funerals, but in the case of my family, anyway, I think that may mainly be a concession to economics. Most of my relatives are lower middle to working class, and if the menfolk own a suit at all it's apt to be dark blue or dark gray. We don't need lots of "dressy" clothes, so a black suit that got trotted out and worn only for funerals would be impractical and a waste of money. I don't have to "dress" for work, and I wore dark gray to my mother's funeral. She died in December, and the dark gray was my "winter" suit for going to church. Mother always said that she didn't want a viewing, so we didn't have one.

A long time ago, when I was younger and thinner and more clothes-conscious, I did own a black suit. When I wore it to a funeral, I got told to my face that I looked like the undertaker/funeral director.

I saw film of the funeral procession, and of Michelle with Heath's sister, on the news this morning.

I agree with Leslie re: Jake: If I'd gone all the way to Australia, I'd want to attend the service, hang the media. Obviously, the service wasn't limited to family.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 11:41:57 am
I have seen various news reports about the number of people at the funeral, ranging from 100, to 300, to 600.

Kim Ledger's wife has been named Mary in one report, and Ines is another.

So much for getting the facts right!

But no source has mentioned Jake and he is not in any picture I have seen.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 11:42:07 am
Just to enlighten you about what we wear here in Austraia to a funeral......most people DONT wear black anymore.....it seems that any clothing is suitable and obviously as long as its tasteful.

In a lot of cases where it is a funeral for young people, a lot of the mourners are also young and a lot of the young blokes wear jeans and a nice shirt.

And it is summer here so casual clothing is obviously more comfortable....

The colour of ones clothing, is not considered a matter of importance at all.

And the wake, is a gathering of the mourners, usually after the funeral.

Ah, the new generation.  My mother would be appalled.  It's not a matter of being comfortable, it's a matter of showing respect.  My mother's generation believed - and she taught me - that wearing jeans or other casual clothes to something like a funeral demonstated you couldn't be bothered to dress up and you were thinking more about yourself and your comfort than the seriousness of the event you were going to.

Now for Heath, the guy never did stand on ceremony and wasn't much of a fashion maven - unfortunately - so I can definitely understand the casual aspect. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 11:45:10 am
I read in Elle a while back (I think it was Elle) that it really isn't necessary to wear black to a funeral these days, especially during the summer, and it IS summer in Australia now. Any toned down color is appropriate - pastels, earth tones, beige, egg shell, gray, and black. Combining too many colors should be avoided. Keep it simple and respectful.

Red is definitely a color you want to avoid wearing to a funeral. Other bright colors should be avoided too.

Unless you want to make a point.  If a certain friend of mine suddenly died, I would certainly wear a red dress to his funeral.  He is partially color-blind, the only colors he can make out are strong colors like red.  He likes me in red, so I would do it for him.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 11:46:06 am
I know this is unlikely but maybe he [Jake] stayed with Matilda. She wasn't seen there either.

I like this idea a lot.

Or else, it was just rumor and he didn't go at all.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 09, 2008, 11:47:47 am
I agree with Leslie re: Jake: If I'd gone all the way to Australia, I'd want to attend the service, hang the media. Obviously, the service wasn't limited to family.

Maybe he wasn't going to attend the funeral, but he went all the way to Perth to meet the family and to watch Matilda because Michelle asked him to.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 09, 2008, 12:03:09 pm
I have seen various news reports about the number of people at the funeral, ranging from 100, to 300, to 600.

Kim Ledger's wife has been named Mary in one report, and Ines is another.

So much for getting the facts right!

But no source has mentioned Jake and he is not in any picture I have seen.

L

Yes I,ve seen wild variations on the number of people at the funeral too. Again no mention of Jake. I expect we,ll find out eventually, although as Leslie said, I can,t imagine him flying all the way to Australia and not attending, but llike I said, we,ll find out eventually I expect. I like the idea of the wake on the beach, I think Heath would have liked that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 09, 2008, 12:07:21 pm
Maybe he wasn't going to attend the funeral, but he went all the way to Perth to meet the family and to watch Matilda because Michelle asked him to.

Regardless of what Jake might have done, I would like to think that someone took Matilda someplace fun instead of making her stay home with a nanny. To the zoo or a theme park, for example. Maybe Jake did that, and the timing was probably perfect because the media was going to focus solely on the funeral. Young children don't understand grief and in times like that I think it is a good idea to encourage to have some fun, but that's me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 12:12:31 pm
Looking at the pictures, I really like Michelle's dress, and it seems very appropriate.

My mother used to have special notepaper for writing sympathy notes. It was cream colored, with a black border and black border on the flap on the envelope. Michelle's dress reminds me of that with the black edging on the cream material.

I think she looks lovely, and it is nice to see a picture of her smiling.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on February 09, 2008, 12:43:15 pm
How can he be going into the family if his remains have already been cremated per this article in People.com?  I thought he was going to be buried with his grandparents. 

Thanks for some of the beach photos ppl have posted.  A welcome change from the photos and tv imagery we have grown accustomed to seeing. 

Heath Ledger Cremated in Fremantle, Australia
By Brenda Rodriguez and Melenie Ambrose

Originally posted Saturday February 09, 2008 03:00 AM EST
Heath Ledger
 
Photo by: Vera Anderson / WireImage 
Heath Ledger's remains were cremated Saturday afternoon, local time, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Following a memorial at Penrhos College for hundreds of mourners, Michelle Williams, escorted by police, arrived with a small entourage of Ledger's closest family for a more intimate service at Fremantle Cemetery, just outside Perth, Australia. The chapel at Fremantle, which was blacked out with sheets and scaffolding, has only eight wooden pews and a lectern.

There, Williams read William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”).

"It was a very emotional service,” a source tells PEOPLE.

Less than an hour after arriving, the mourners were spotted putting their arms around a clearly distressed Williams and hugging the chaplain in gratitude as they departed.

From there, they headed to the Indiana Tea House on Cottesloe Beach, where attendees from the earlier memorial could be seen smoking and drinking beer and red and white wine on the patio of the establishment, which has a spectacular view of the ocean. Williams was visibly shaken and looked like she had just been crying when she entered the restaurant.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 12:56:33 pm
A person's ashes can be buried. I am assuming that is what is being done.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 09, 2008, 01:37:20 pm
A person's ashes can be buried. I am assuming that is what is being done.

This is in fact the customary thing where I live. Cremations are common, but there's  of red tape involved in being allowed to spread the ashes in nature etc. - so that nearly never happens. The usual thing therefore is to bury the ashes at a cemetary. My family indeed has a proper "family plot" at the old town cemetary where the urns of several generations of my family members have been placed over half a century and more.

Thanks to everyone who has been posting the news items, Leslie you've given us many good links.

I think the below is my favourite picture of the day - it's good to see Michelle relaxing and smiling through tears after all the stress and strain -  throwing herself into the ocean in her dress and all.... I'm sure Heath would have thought that wake the exact right thing under the circumstances.  (BTW, it's so nice in the middle of the awfulness that Michelle seems to be so close to the Ledger family, that wasn't by any means a given... Will be good for Matilda to have both sides of her family to turn to. )


(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/williams_narrowweb__300x5022.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 09, 2008, 01:48:20 pm
This is in fact the customary thing where I live. Cremations are common, but there's  of red tape involved in being allowed to spread the ashes in nature etc. - so that nearly never happens.

That's the customary thing where I live, too. My dad's ashes were scattered in the Caribbean (maybe illegally, I suppose, but that's what my stepmother wanted to do). But my grandmother's were buried in a cemetery.

And on the subject of attire, I don't know if I've ever been to a funeral where everyone was wearing black. I think a colorful flowery dress might seem inappropriate. But anything neutral or subdued would be fine.

Come to think of it, I did wear a somewhat colorful dress to my dad's memorial service. But it was more like a party than a funeral -- a gathering in a restaurant he used to go to a lot, with champagne and appetizers and people taking turns speaking of him.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 09, 2008, 02:01:02 pm
Michelle Williams Takes Ocean Plunge to Honor Heath
By Brenda Rodriguez

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177222,00.html)


Oh God, I saw the pictures of this and I had goose bumps all over, it was so incredibly beautiful to see all those people, some in their underwear, jumping in the ocean and laughing. I bet Heath would have absolutely loved that and all his friends that were there seemed to know that. What a way to celebrate his life. I am in awe.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 09, 2008, 02:25:36 pm

Oh God, I saw the pictures of this and I had goose bumps all over, it was so incredibly beautiful to see all those people, some in their underwear, jumping in the ocean and laughing. I bet Heath would have absolutely loved that and all his friends that were there seemed to know that. What a way to celebrate his life. I am in awe.

There was something so loving, strong and defiant about that spontaneous ocean swim that it made me cry more than anything else in these past sad weeks.  It was more life-affirming than anything, and I'm sure Heath was right there with them.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 09, 2008, 02:26:59 pm
man, those Aussies sure know how to throw a funeral!  Good for them, they deserved a moment of spontaneity in this whole horrific process.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 02:31:21 pm
The swim in the ocean was wonderful. It was like a re-birth and baptism.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 09, 2008, 02:37:28 pm
Here is a link to several news videos covering the memorial service: http://news.yahoo.com/video/2466;_ylt=AraLIKK6Ps7OH8vkg5dIcFbqChkF
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 03:31:08 pm
Another picture from the ocean "plunge"

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/heath_funeral_16_full.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 09, 2008, 03:34:50 pm
TMZ has a really nice photo gallery (that's where I got the plunge picture). Here's a link:

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/heath_ledgers_memorial_service

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: adrian on February 09, 2008, 04:28:29 pm
Another picture from the ocean "plunge"

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/heath_funeral_16_full.jpg)

Beautiful, looks like dusk, my favorite time of day.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on February 09, 2008, 04:32:26 pm

As the sun began to set, the swimmers came on shore and stood in a line on both sides of Williams and linked arms. In the last five minutes, as the sun moved toward the horizon, the mourners stood in silence, watching and embracing.  


 :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 09, 2008, 04:56:45 pm
You know, I had to come back here and say that I'm so happy about that whole throwing-themselves-happily-into-the-ocean thing...  it looks like such a happy spontaneous tribute to a great, rich life lived to the max and defiance of death, darkness and sadness.

They're moving on to mainly celebrating remembered joy and light and happiness, instead of grieving the loss. I just can't thank them enough for doing that, and letting us share it through images. It eases my heart a lot.

Here are a batch of more pictures from the beach - they are absolutely lovely so do have a look (I don't like grabbing others' pictures so I'm just posting the links).

http://www.davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=28472.msg1183441#msg1183441

And here's another lovely one of Michelle:

http://www.davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=28472.msg1183424#msg1183424


I also saw a news account saying that during the memorial Michelle read Shakespeare's sonnet no. 18, so I had to re-aquaint myself with the full text of that one. Here it is, and it's just so fitting:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on February 09, 2008, 05:09:08 pm

(http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/1/16245/06_2008/79679723_10.preview.jpg)


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 09, 2008, 05:42:21 pm
(((John)))


Many lovely photos from the beach at this link. Including a couple where you see guests and also the vivid horizon with the sun sinking into the sea.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?eventId=79598805#1
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 09, 2008, 05:53:35 pm
Thank you for those images, Mika, Leslie, John.  :-*

Heath, you were so loved, so loved....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 09, 2008, 05:59:11 pm
Thank you for those images, Mika, Leslie, John.  :-*

Heath, you were so loved, so loved....

{{{{Meryl}}}}

You are so right. And seeing this gives me the much needed peace. He indeed was so loved.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 09, 2008, 06:01:59 pm
Were Ben Cousins and David Wirrpanda Heath's best friends?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: nakymaton on February 09, 2008, 07:39:56 pm
There was something so loving, strong and defiant about that spontaneous ocean swim that it made me cry more than anything else in these past sad weeks.  It was more life-affirming than anything, and I'm sure Heath was right there with them.

I agree. (I've just read the description, and there are tears running down my face.)

What a wonderful spontaneous ritual - and at sunset, as well, watching the sun set over the ocean.

Edit: In fact, it's only a little while until sunset here. I can't swim on a westward-facing shore, but I can watch the sun set.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 10, 2008, 07:00:15 am
Quote
It was more life-affirming than anything, and I'm sure Heath was right there with them.

And I'm sure he was smiling.
At first I didn't want to see any pics (principal thing). I closed the first news site as soon as I saw a pic of Michelle. But after seeing some pics here and reading what my BetterMost friends thought, I did go and look and read.
You all are right. I think it brought peace to Heath's family and it was good and touching to see it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 10, 2008, 07:42:42 am
Those pictures, that scene, that swim - was beautiful - they captured Heath's spirit so wonderfully.

(Can we get a happy cry face icon?)

 :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 10, 2008, 08:53:36 am
Those pictures, that scene, that swim - was beautiful - they captured Heath's spirit so wonderfully.

(Can we get a happy cry face icon?)

 :-*
That would be a great idea!

These pictures are so amazingly beautiful! Gosh!...

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Pipedream on February 10, 2008, 09:11:08 am
Amazing pictures. I'm smiling with tears running down my cheeks. I love what they did in Heath's memory. What a gorgeous bunch of friends and family he has!

:'( :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 10, 2008, 01:10:31 pm
OK, next BBM get-together, whatever body of water we're near, come sunset, everybody into the pool!  ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 10, 2008, 01:32:23 pm
OK, next BBM get-together, whatever body of water we're near, come sunset, everybody into the pool!  ;D

 ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 10, 2008, 02:41:14 pm
Yup, as long as it is a pool, or a more than reasonably tempered sea, I'm right there with y'all.  :)

(We've got lots and miles upon many miles of west coast seashore over here, you know, but I wouldn't want anyone to feel they had to jump into that - brokies or wedding guests or others. That is, the Phelps clan members are most heartily welcome to give it a good looong try.  ::)

Brrrrrrr......
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 10, 2008, 03:00:11 pm
Ya know...not to disparage the mourners at Heath's wake or anything...but it said, some mourners took off their clothes and in their underwear, jumped into the waves...I'm not sure I'd like to see everyone in their tidy whities or more/less.  :P

I suggest everyone just jump in and bring a change of clothes.  ;)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 10, 2008, 03:36:01 pm
Don't know if this was posted yet, but here is a video, the commentary is in Dutch.

http://www.depers.nl/video/276200/Michelle-Williams-springt-in-oceaan-na-crematie.html (http://www.depers.nl/video/276200/Michelle-Williams-springt-in-oceaan-na-crematie.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aussie Chris on February 11, 2008, 05:22:20 am
Another picture from the ocean "plunge"

Hi everyone.  I'm so proud to be an Aussie right now!  These images feel like such an Aussie-thing-to-do.  To just  drop your strides and jump in the ocean, fantastic!  And then to hug and cheer to celebrate Heath's life, not just be sad because he's gone.

I think now I can start to heal, thanks to the love that shine from the family and friends of Heath Ledger.  Bless their big beautiful hearts!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 11, 2008, 07:30:51 am
from the Daily Telegraph, in Australia:

Heath Ledger's fond farewell


By Michelle Cazzulino

February 11, 2008 12:00am

AS the sun stained the horizon pink, they shed their mourning clothes and ran towards the ocean, finally outpacing the grief that had engulfed them.

Some might have observed that it was too soon for this - that all the laughing, shrieking and splashing should have been reserved for an altogether more appropriate occasion.

But as they gathered at the shoreline, arm in arm, a sense of serenity settled over the group. As the day gradually drew to a close, their grip on the past loosened but their own ties grew stronger.

As one mourner noted, it's what Heath Ledger would have wanted: an intensely private send-off from those who knew him best.

In the centre of the group, her swollen eyes hidden behind sunglasses, Ledger's former fiancee Michelle Williams sat gazing across the ocean.

Of those gathered, Williams had shouldered the heaviest burden, mourning the loss of her two-year-old daughter's father at four services held in two continents in the space of less than three weeks.

Hours earlier, she had paid tribute to Ledger at a funeral attended by 10 members of his immediate family, reading Shakespeare's sonnet Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day in his honour.

Later, as the waves on Perth's Cottesloe Beach lapped around her funeral dress, the mourners formed a protective huddle around her, as though their bodies might insulate her from grief.

At one point, a few young men started to rally: "The sun goes down on our love," one said. "But it will never go down on our Heathy," others replied.

When the horizon finally swallowed the light, they cheered, clapped and smiled through tears.

As they turned to retrieve crumpled suits and dresses that lay in on the sand, there was a sense that their heartache had momentarily been healed.

The sun would rise again tomorrow, and somehow they would find a way to it together.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23192103-5001031,00.html?from=mostpop
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 11, 2008, 08:03:24 am
We came home late last night, after spending the weekend away with a group of friends. I left on friday knowing that Heath's funeral would take place in Perth during the weekend, but that's about all I knew.

And even though it was late and I was tired and ready for bed, I logged on anyway. And found out what a farewell Heath has been given by his family and friends. To see those pictures of the dive in the ocean was like a 'balm on my soul'.

The thing is, we were at the seaside, the weather was beautiful, the kids took off their shoes, rolled up their trousers and got their feet wet. We were all having fun, enjoying each other's company. And late in the afternoon we watched the sun go down and the sky turned a warm glowing orange. It's one of those moments you treasure.

And having seen how Heath's family and friend remembered him, I understand why I was thinking of him so much. It's as if the seaside, in company of friends was the right place to be on saturday.

Thanks for posting all the links and pictures. I've seen a lot of those here that made me sad during the last couple of weeks, these latest ones made me grateful and comforted. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on February 11, 2008, 08:35:15 am
Thanks for posting all the links and pictures. I've seen a lot of those here that made me sad during the last couple of weeks, these latest ones made me grateful and comforted. 


My feelings exactly, Fabienne.  Thanks, everyone.

Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 11, 2008, 09:02:39 am
From the Daily Telegraph, Australia


Michelle Williams, Matilda start life without Heath Ledger


By staff writers February 11, 2008 07:00am

CRADLED protectively on her mother's hip, little Matilda Ledger yesterday left Australia the same way she arrived: mercifully oblivious to the tragedy surrounding her family.

Just hours after Heath Ledger was cremated in Perth, the two-year-old returned to the United States with her mother, Ledger's devastated former fiancee, Michelle Williams.

After four funeral services in two continents, they are now en route to their new life without Heath.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23192372-5015788,00.html?from=mostpop

 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 11, 2008, 09:49:48 am
Thank you Leslie for those articles! They are so beautiful, yet so sad! Reading them I got goose bumps..

Others have said it, but the idea of cremation is quite distressing. Although I'm all for cremation (I would want to give my body to science and have the rest cremated) and I am assuming that this is what Heath wanted, still, just the idea is very very sad.. of Heath not being the strapping lad he was.. ah.. no details..   :'(

The most upsetting about it all right now, I find, is Matilda. .. She will never really know him and although I'm sure everyone who knew and loved him, will only say the kindest things about him, it will be hard for her to accept it. I'm wondering if she misses having her daddy around..

More upsetting even, now that they have ruled out suicide (they have, right?) and drug overdose, is that Heath had no intention to die..., leave his daughter without a dad. I know it makes no sense, but horrible is, that he doesn't even know it happened.. Very upsetting also, that he might have been saved.. I read an article that mentioned that his housekeeper found him asleep and breathing the first time she checked on him.. Is that true?.. Ah.. I don't want a reply, really..  :-X

Fabienne, you were at the right place to be!!

j.U.d.E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 11, 2008, 09:59:22 am
They are beautiful articles Jude your right. What a lovely and very fitting send off for Heath. I think he,d have liked that. I know what you mean about him being cremated. It,s just too awful to think about really, but like you, I,m assuming that,s obviously what he wanted.
And yes poor little Matilda. The only way she will "see" her father now is watch him in movies. She,ll have to be told about him because she won,t remember him, she,s too young.
No Heath certainly had no intention to die. I think the final conclusion was that it was an accumilation of all the prescribed medication he was taking that killed him. So presumably he just fell asleep and didn,t wake up again. :'(
He would never have intentionally left Matilda, he was devoted to that child. You only have to look at pictures of him with her on his shoulders, wearing those funky glasses to see that.
 What a waste of a life. He should have had another 40/50 years yet. He should have seen Matilda grow up. He had so much more to do with his life and now he,ll never do any of it. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
And your right again, none of this makes any sense atall.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 11, 2008, 10:12:45 am
The most upsetting about it all right now, I find, is Matilda. .. She will never really know him and although I'm sure everyone who knew and loved him, will only say the kindest things about him, it will be hard for her to accept it. I'm wondering if she misses having her daddy around..

j.U.d.E.


Yes, she does. Very consciously at first, but memory will fade for her. When older, she won't remember him, she's too young. But for now, yes of course she misses him and does recognize the difference consciously.

A relative of a friend of mine died shortly before Christmas (I didn't know the man myself). His granddaughter has also turned two shortly before and she still continues to look for him in his sleeping room and asks where he is.

With two, they're too young to understand but old enough to miss someone deeply.
 :'( Poor Matilda.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 11, 2008, 12:14:02 pm
And somehow you just know that Matilda's eventual "I want my daddy" will break Michelle's heart all over again.

:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 11, 2008, 12:21:35 pm


Just like us, she will get to know him through his movies. And to add to that, she has her mother and Heath's family and friends keeping his memory alive for her.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: delalluvia on February 11, 2008, 08:24:52 pm
And somehow you just know that Matilda's eventual "I want my daddy" will break Michelle's heart all over again.

:(

And she'll be able to put in a movie and point and say 'There he is..."  :'(

I just saw "Casanova" for the first time and the ending scene,


SPOILERS!!!!                  SPOILERS!!!                    SPOILERS!!!











showing the itinerant acting group with Heath's character laughing and rehearsing an an open air stage really warmed my heart.  I'd like to think of him there in his afterlife - if he even believed in one - doing what he loved best.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Delmardeb on February 11, 2008, 11:23:50 pm
[quote author=Snavel del Snork Snater Snuit

Just like us, she will get to know him through his movies. And to add to that, she has her mother and Heath's family and friends keeping his memory alive for her.  :'(

[So sad] :'( :'( :'(

{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 12, 2008, 12:14:07 am
"Access Hollywood" showed a tape of Heath's friends jumping in the ocean tonight.  They also had a picture of Michelle that they said was taken in the last day or so showing that she is back in New York.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 12, 2008, 04:46:29 am
"Access Hollywood" showed a tape of Heath's friends jumping in the ocean tonight.  They also had a picture of Michelle that they said was taken in the last day or so showing that she is back in New York.

Must be hard for her to be back and away from Heath's family...  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 12, 2008, 07:57:10 am
"Access Hollywood" showed a tape of Heath's friends jumping in the ocean tonight.  They also had a picture of Michelle that they said was taken in the last day or so showing that she is back in New York.

I posted a picture of her and a news article from People over on the "Remember Michelle's pain" thread. It said she is back in NY and back to work, filming scenes from Mammoth in SoHo, just blocks away from Heath's apartment.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 12, 2008, 12:28:55 pm
I was just surfing some news websites and came across this (irritating) little article posted on msnbc.

For what it's worth...

Turning Ledger’s Death into Business
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 12, 2008, 12:36:47 pm
I was just surfing some news websites and came across this (irritating) little article posted on msnbc.

For what it's worth...

Turning Ledger’s Death into Business
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/)

A company offering tours of Heath,s apartment??? FFS. >:( >:(
The depths to which some people are prepared to sink too staggers me. That is showing a total lack of respect, not only for Heath,s memory, but his family and friends. Jesus Christ the poor guy has only been gone 3 weeks, and the vultures are out already. That,s just sick. Doesn,t anyone have any respect any more?  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 12, 2008, 12:44:02 pm
I was just surfing some news websites and came across this (irritating) little article posted on msnbc.

For what it's worth...

Turning Ledger’s Death into Business
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/)

I haven't read the article but from what souxi writes, that's just so sick! How can they do this?  ???  ???

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 12, 2008, 01:51:35 pm

I haven't read the article but from what souxi writes, that's just so sick! How can they do this?  ???  ???

j. U. d. E.

At first I thought they were actually showing the inside of the apartment, but all they do is drive by the building:

“I suppose some people would say that (it’s in poor taste), but I hear what the public wants to know about,” said Dykes, who noted the stop was added at the request of customers.  It (where Ledger lived) is in the media, and of course people want to know about it. We point out the building and talk about the neighborhood, the rent he paid, his toxicology report. We mention everything that’s in the news.”

When you think about it, they're not doing anything that we haven't been doing here, except it's part of a tour that people pay for.  Like it or not, that building and Heath's passing have become part of the story of New York City.  Although it seems too soon, it's understandable to me.  :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 12, 2008, 02:11:36 pm
When you think about it, they're not doing anything that we haven't been doing here, except it's part of a tour that people pay for.  Like it or not, that building and Heath's passing have become part of the story of New York City.  Although it seems too soon, it's understandable to me.  :-\

And it may be a practical way for Heath Ledger fans -- I'm thinking visitors to NYC here -- who are hesitant to venture out to SoHo on their own to have an opportunity to say their "goodbye".

As for the "jokes" about Heath's death that are already making the rounds, I will always find them in poor taste.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on February 12, 2008, 02:32:47 pm
There are jokes going around about Heath,s death????FFS. I must have missed the joke then because I can,t think of one damn thing remotely funny about it.  Some people are just beyond sick. Depraved I,d call it. Bastards. >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 12, 2008, 02:37:30 pm
Yeah, I feel lucky I haven't heard any.    :-\

The only jokes I can possibly see someone doing would relate to (what some see as) the bungling that day.

As in, "Gotta tellya, I had some bad chest pain the other day.  Mary-Kate's phone was busy so I had to go to the ER."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 12, 2008, 02:43:46 pm
I was referring to the first line of the article Amanda provided the link for:

"Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange made jokes about the recent death of Heath Ledger during a Feb. 2 comedy show in Las Vegas...."

But there are other "jokes" on the internet.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 12, 2008, 02:45:32 pm
I saw something in the UK metro today about an extra thing DDL said at the Baftas - I hadn't seen that extra part before.

You can see it online here (although the article I saw was a bit longer with the additonal things he said at the baftas too):

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=98384&in_page_id=7

Bafta winner Daniel Day Lewis has warned fans and media to now leave Heath Ledger's former fiancée Michelle Williams to grieve in peace.

He then labelled the focus on the Brokeback Mountain star's death 'obscene'.

Talking after collecting the Best Actor gong for 'There Will Be Blood', he said he would be not be making any repeat of his emotional tribute made at the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the late Australian.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 12, 2008, 05:13:46 pm
When you think about it, they're not doing anything that we haven't been doing here, except it's part of a tour that people pay for.  Like it or not, that building and Heath's passing have become part of the story of New York City.  Although it seems too soon, it's understandable to me.  :-\
You are right Meryl. We do the same thing here on BM. .. I feared they were actually letting people inside the appartment.. And you know, I can't stop thinking that somehow we are partly responsible for what happened.. Hm, I said it.. I don't know. It's weird. From what I understand Heath was craving for some peaceful sleep and was suffering from not having enough [I never sleep enough and it does impact your state of mind]. Of course I don't know what really tormented him - they could be trillion reasons, but it was reapeated in articles (even before he died) that all he wanted was acting, because he loved it. He didn't want to be a star. BBM surely made him a star and now I'm wondering, if it wasn't the start of the end.. Including us. I don't mean to offend anyone by saying this and I should probably only speak for myself, but part of me feels responsible for what happened.. ..  :-X

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 12, 2008, 05:37:02 pm
Well I think the key sentence here is: "...all he wanted was acting, because he loved it." He was working on a film, doing something he loved, pushing himself hard.

He was always very energetic — almost hyperkinetic. People with that makeup (in whatever profession) frequently have issues with not being able to rest. He worked through the middle of winter with many other people around and probably contracted walking pneumonia — a hazard for anybody, star or not.

We feel so intensely for him that we may assume (or wish) that those feelings may affect his destiny some way or another. But I just don't know that the level of adoration from Brokeback fans really comes into play here.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 12, 2008, 06:55:43 pm
I was just surfing some news websites and came across this (irritating) little article posted on msnbc.

For what it's worth...

Turning Ledger’s Death into Business
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23115629/)

How very tawdry.   >:(   :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on February 12, 2008, 08:51:43 pm
Germaine Greer, who was acquainted with Heath, writes of celebrities being 'victims of celebrity healthcare.'

Warning: details of his death are discussed.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2255650,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 13, 2008, 01:42:41 am
Germaine Greer, who was acquainted with Heath, writes of celebrities being 'victims of celebrity healthcare.'

Warning: details of his death are discussed.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2255650,00.html


While I'm sure there is a valid point in this article, and while thirty years ago, I never would have imagined that I would have used a computer (!) to refute (!) an argument of Germaine Greer's (!) publicly (!), I have to question these following statements of hers:


The poorest patient on the NHS gets better treatment than a celebrity trying to live and work on both sides of the Atlantic. 

That sounds so arrogantly naive.  I cannot believe she could say this.


When he is pushing himself to the limit, the superstar has no time to visit a health practitioner.

The superstar would not need to.  The superstar can have a doctor come to him.


Ledger went home to Perth for Christmas, but Christmas, as we all know, is more stress than rest, especially for Ledger who was being persecuted by the unspeakable Australian press.

Actually, we know that Heath made that beautiful call to the newspaper guy, thanking him and all the press for leaving him in peace on that particular trip.


His body, strapped flat to the gurney as the paramedics removed it from his apartment, struck me as much too thin to be that of the well-set young man I had breakfast with in Berlin two years ago.

Agreed.


An actor such as Ledger, who seems to tear his best work out from somewhere deep inside him, is as highly tuned and fragile as an athlete.

Agreed.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 13, 2008, 04:20:30 am

His body, strapped flat to the gurney as the paramedics removed it from his apartment, struck me as much too thin to be that of the well-set young man I had breakfast with in Berlin two years ago.

Agreed.


 :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

What does that mean? That it wasn't him?


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 13, 2008, 04:29:57 am

 :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

What does that mean? That it wasn't him?





I think she meant that he seemed much thinner than when she met him two years previous to that.  Too thin.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 13, 2008, 04:32:23 am
Germaine Greer has made a profession of saying things for the sensationalism value. She thrives on it. I wouldn't take too much notice of what she says.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 13, 2008, 06:07:46 am
Quote
from the article:
For weeks, Ledger had been complaining of being unable to sleep. He said that if he took a sleeping pill he managed to drift off for an hour or so before being wide awake again with his mind toiling in circles like a hamster on a wheel. These are symptoms of exhaustion, for which the only remedy is rest, but there was no one to insist that Ledger cancel all engagements and spend a month surfing or snowboarding and sleeping the deep sleep of physical rather than mental exhaustion.

I found this the most insightful, and therefore in hindsight terribly sad part of that article. Obviously he *was* driving himself too hard, not only professionally but also privately for a while - there was a period last autumn when pictures emerged nearly by the hour from various parties and events on both sides of the Atlantic.... And he did look thin and weary, more than usually fidgety and restless in his last interviews. :-\  :'(


That said, I think the article is typical of the attitude that has to place blame somewhere. Someone has to be at fault, and that someone must be found. God forbid that shit happens, for no real reason, with noone specifically to be blamed.  ::) We don't want that kind of unpredictable world, do we?  :-\

She very obviously doesn't want to blame Heath himself for not taking time off, for running himself to exhaustion, for being careless in any way, - and she doesn't want to blame anyone else, either, who might be offended and hurt - so she comes up with a suitable "faceless" culprit, and blames "Celebrity Health Care". I think it's stupid.

Celebrities of Heath's caliber under normal circumstances are intelligent people who are fully able to comprehend and keep an overview over their own medical situation and inform a new doctor, and to themselves make informed decisions. And who should be expected to do so. There is nothing forcing them to blindly rely on whatever a new doctor throws their way. And by way of their celebrity status and their importance to big-dollar projects such as TDK, they have ready and immediate access to top-notch helth care professionals and specialists if and when required. So I don't buy GG's description of the poor celebrities left floundering in the dark and dangers of a health care limbo.

It seems much more realistic to me that despite all this, very creative people will drive themselves onwards even when the bodily and mental signals to stop and take time out are getting stronger to the point of persistence - and even if both they and those around them realize that. They push themsleves regardless, that's part of who they are, how they became who they are - and medication of various sorts is one way they manage to keep going. And OK, sure - their doctors help them with that, but normally with the best intentions.

That said, I think Heath probably was too exhausted to get himself out of the wheel he was caught in, or to sit down to ponder the various medication he'd been prescribed. So he needed help to break out of the situation, probably - but do we know he wasn't getting any (from family and friends?) Do we know he hadn't been told to slow down, by loved ones and doctors alike? And does it make any difference now? Is it really necessary to play the blame game, - blame him, or those close to him, or the doctors and medical service he was in contact with?  I don't think so. Everyone probably acted with the best intentions - doctors to relieve his symptoms, Heath himself to be able to rest and so recuperate, family and friends... who knows?

Unpredictable, unexpected, random, terrible things sometimes happen, to our shock and grief. This is one such. I don't think there's a need to blame anyone, or anything.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 13, 2008, 07:55:41 am

That said, I think Heath probably was too exhausted to get himself out of the wheel he was caught in, or to sit down to ponder the various medication he'd been prescribed. So he needed help to break out of the situation, probably - but do we know he wasn't getting any (from family and friends?) Do we know he hadn't been told to slow down, by loved ones and doctors alike? And does it make any difference now? Is it really necessary to play the blame game, - blame him, or those close to him, or the doctors and medical service he was in contact with?  I don't think so. Everyone probably acted with the best intentions - doctors to relieve his symptoms, Heath himself to be able to rest and so recuperate, family and friends... who knows?

Unpredictable, unexpected, random, terrible things sometimes happen, to our shock and grief. This is one such. I don't think there's a need to blame anyone, or anything.


I haven't read the GG article and I agree, there's no point in trying to blame anyone or anything. It serves no purpose to just say 'this or that is what's to blame' and then go to the order of the day.

What I do think is important, and I think this is why many people try to find out the circumstances surrounding Heath's death, is 'can another untimely tragic death like this be avoided?'
And I think after reading some of the posts made by people relating to the way we deal with prescription drugs, there is. It's certainly as big a problem here in my country as anywhere.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on February 13, 2008, 11:12:30 am
Germaine Greer has made a profession of saying things for the sensationalism value. She thrives on it. I wouldn't take too much notice of what she says.

I was thinking the same thing. However, I agree with some of her statements though sometimes it seems to me she victimizes celebrities in general a bit too much. Not Heath in particular. For example, the below quote.

"The poorest patient on the NHS gets better treatment than a celebrity trying to live and work on both sides of the Atlantic."

I think that's an exaggeration.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 13, 2008, 12:38:17 pm
That said, I think the article is typical of the attitude that has to place blame somewhere. Someone has to be at fault, and that someone must be found. God forbid that shit happens, for no real reason, with noone specifically to be blamed.   We don't want that kind of unpredictable world, do we? 

Certainly agree with that. The two most offensive reactions I know of so far are John Gibson's schtick on FOX News and an article I ran across yesterday on the website of a religious magazine -- seems that Heath had a miserable, empty life because he wasn't a member of the writer's church.

I apologize if this link has already been posted, but last week Newsweek ran an incredible tribute from Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight.  The print version also had a good photo of Heath - if anyone wants a scanned version, just email me through my profile.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/105580
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on February 13, 2008, 01:33:02 pm
Thank you for posting that, Marge.  I had not seen it, and it just brought tears to my eyes.  What a lovely, and appropriate, tribute.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 13, 2008, 02:00:37 pm
Certainly agree with that. The two most offensive reactions I know of so far are John Gibson's schtick on FOX News and an article I ran across yesterday on the website of a religious magazine -- seems that Heath had a miserable, empty life because he wasn't a member of the writer's church.

I apologize if this link has already been posted, but last week Newsweek ran an incredible tribute from Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight.  The print version also had a good photo of Heath - if anyone wants a scanned version, just email me through my profile.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/105580

Hey Marge, yes, this was posted in the Tributes/Obituaries thread, but it can't be posted often enough, it's my favourite obituary, it brings tears to my eyes each time, especially this:

Quote
Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.

 :'( :'( :'(

I would love to get a scanned version of it, I will PM you...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 13, 2008, 07:04:52 pm
Marge, that Christopher Nolan tribute is so beautiful! Gosh, I'm lost for words! Thank you for posting it. I hadn't read it before.

".. charisma — as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had."

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on February 14, 2008, 04:14:06 pm
Snavel, that line gets me every time.   :'(

And Jude, I think that is the most beautiful one in the article - "charisma as invisible and natural as gravity."  So true.

I posted the link at a site not related at all to the movie or Heath, but where I know a couple longtime fans of his post.  One wrote this in response (and gave me permission to repost it):

"What a beautiful and moving tribute. I get the strong sense we'd only seen the tip of the iceberg of talent he would have graced us with if given the time. Of course I grieve for his family and loved ones, those who loved him for who he was. But I also grieve for what we lost, what he would have lovingly given to all of us and the ways in which he could have made the world a slightly better place with his passion for his art."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 14, 2008, 04:48:20 pm
"What a beautiful and moving tribute. I get the strong sense we'd only seen the tip of the iceberg of talent he would have graced us with if given the time. Of course I grieve for his family and loved ones, those who loved him for who he was. But I also grieve for what we lost, what he would have lovingly given to all of us and the ways in which he could have made the world a slightly better place with his passion for his art."


Beautifully said. Thanks for reposting Barb.

I agree about the Chris Nolan tribute. It's (one of) the best I've read. Love the skateboard story, and that Heath thanked the crew members. And yes, the sentence Melissa quoted also gets me every time.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 15, 2008, 09:17:43 am
I just noticed this - Michelle's new movie, Incendiary, in which she has the lead role, premiered at Sundance the night before Heath died.  Here are some reviews of the film from people who saw that premiere.  Some were written that night, some in the couple of days after:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0984200/board/flat/96796539




Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on February 15, 2008, 02:21:38 pm
Williams ignites otherwise sluggish ''Incendiary''

(http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20080128&t=2&i=2943222&w=&r=2008-01-28T231947Z_01_NOOTR_RTRIDSP_0_REVIEW-FILM-INCENDIARY-DC)

"Incendiary" star Michelle Williams  arrives at Film Independent's Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California February 24, 2007. An anti-terrorism tale from the perspective of a young British mother, "Incendiary" taps the bewilderment and anger of our age.

REUTERS/Fred Prouser

http://www.reuters.com/article/reviewsNews/idUSN2842338520080128 (http://www.reuters.com/article/reviewsNews/idUSN2842338520080128)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 15, 2008, 03:23:55 pm
I was reading the Feb 18 2008 issue of People magazine while I was getting my hair cut (Britney Spears is on the cover). There was a two page article about Heath and the events that had occurred up to that point (prior to the funeral in Australia). It mentioned the memorial service held in Los Angeles on February 2nd and said that Jake attended that event. All the guests were given individual chess pieces in memory of Heath.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 15, 2008, 03:33:03 pm
I was reading the Feb 18 2008 issue of People magazine while I was getting my hair cut (Britney Spears is on the cover). There was a two page article about Heath and the events that had occurred up to that point (prior to the funeral in Australia). It mentioned the memorial service held in Los Angeles on February 2nd and said that Jake attended that event. All the guests were given individual chess pieces in memory of Heath.

L

That's a very nice touch. It seems that his family put a lot of time and effort in all the memorial services that were held. It must have been incredibly difficult for them to do. I admire them for it.

And good to read that Jake was there too and somehow managed to stay under the 'press radar'.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 15, 2008, 03:38:52 pm
That's a very nice touch. It seems that his family put a lot of time and effort in all the memorial services that were held. It must have been incredibly difficult for them to do. I admire them for it.

And good to read that Jake was there too and somehow managed to stay under the 'press radar'.

Granted, no one has seen any pictures of Jake, but there seem to be very few pictures from this event, period.

And I think of the gossip-y mags, people does try to get its facts straight, so I am inclined to believe Jake was there.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 15, 2008, 05:04:19 pm
Granted, no one has seen any pictures of Jake, but there seem to be very few pictures from this event, period.

And I think of the gossip-y mags, people does try to get its facts straight, so I am inclined to believe Jake was there.

L

Jake was spotted the very next day in LA with Reese and her children. So yes, I think he was at the memorial held in LA, maybe even at both of them.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 15, 2008, 05:26:05 pm
I was reading the Feb 18 2008 issue of People magazine while I was getting my hair cut (Britney Spears is on the cover). There was a two page article about Heath and the events that had occurred up to that point (prior to the funeral in Australia). It mentioned the memorial service held in Los Angeles on February 2nd and said that Jake attended that event. All the guests were given individual chess pieces in memory of Heath.

L


Good to know Friend.  Yes, I also tend to trust People *slightly* more than some of the other celebrity magazines.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 15, 2008, 06:38:14 pm

(http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20080128&t=2&i=2943222&w=&r=2008-01-28T231947Z_01_NOOTR_RTRIDSP_0_REVIEW-FILM-INCENDIARY-DC)


Mia Farrow has a certain young Mia Farrow look, with that short haircut. Nice. It suits her.  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 17, 2008, 10:25:59 am
From the New York Times:

February 17, 2008

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Hounded by the Media


By ALEX WILLIAMS

A VIDEO of Heath Ledger hanging out at a drug-fueled party two years before his death would seem to constitute must-see material for a tabloid entertainment show.

But when such a video ended up in the hands of the producers of “Entertainment Tonight,” the program declined to broadcast it, a spokeswoman said, “out of respect for Heath Ledger’s family.” The 28-year-old actor died on Jan. 22 from what the medical examiner called an accidental overdose of prescription medications.

Amy Winehouse did not merit the same discretion. Images from a video that showed her smoking what a British tabloid, The Sun, said was a pipe of crack cocaine, as well as admitting to having taken “about six” Valium, were widely disseminated in the news media around the same time.

When Owen Wilson was hospitalized in August after an apparent suicide attempt, his plight was the subject of a single US Weekly cover story. Not so Britney Spears, recently confined in a psychiatric ward, who has inspired six cover stories for the magazine during the same time span.

When Kiefer Sutherland was released from the jail in Glendale, Calif., after serving a 48-day sentence for a drunken driving conviction, the event merited little more than buried blurbs.

Contrast this to Paris Hilton’s return to jail last year after a brief release to serve the rest of a 45-day sentence for a probation violation involving alcohol-related reckless driving. The event invited a level of attention that evoked the O. J. Simpson trial. Hordes of cameras enveloped the limousine that ferried the tear-streaked heiress to jail.

Yes, women are hardly the only targets of harsh news media scrutiny — just ask Mel Gibson. But months of parallel incidents like these seem to demonstrate disparate standards of coverage. Men who fall from grace are treated with gravity and distance, while women in similar circumstances are objects of derision, titillation and black comedy.

Some celebrities and their handlers are now saying straight out that the news media have a double standard.

“Without a doubt, women get rougher treatment, less sensitive treatment, more outrageous treatment,” said Ken Sunshine, a publicist whose clients include Ben Affleck and Barbra Streisand. “I represent some pretty good-looking guys, and I complain constantly about the way they’re treated and covered. But it’s absolutely harder for the women I represent.”

Liz Rosenberg, a publicist at Warner Bros./Reprise Records who represents Madonna, among others, also thinks sexism is at work. “Do you see them following Owen Wilson morning, noon and night?” she asked.

Some editors confirm that they handle female celebrities differently. But the reason, they say, is rooted not in sexism, but in the demographics of their audience.

The readership of US Weekly, for example, is 70 percent female; for People, it’s more than 90 percent, according to the editors of these magazines.

“Almost no female magazines will put a solo male on the cover,” said Janice Min, the editor in chief of US Weekly. “You just don’t. It’s cover death. Women don’t want to read about men unless it’s through another woman: a marriage, a baby, a breakup.”

Thus, magazine coverage of Mr. Ledger’s death gave way to stories about Michelle Williams, Mr. Ledger’s former girlfriend and the mother of his daughter; US Weekly, for instance, put the headlines “A Mother’s Pain” and “My Heart is Broken” atop a four-page spread. Mary-Kate Olsen, telephoned several times by the discoverer of Mr. Ledger’s body, came in for it, too: “What Mary-Kate Knows” trumpeted In Touch Weekly.

Indeed, while one of People’s best-selling issues of the last year was its cover story on Mr. Wilson’s suicide attempt, a follow-up cover on his recovery was one of the worst sellers, said Larry Hackett, the managing editor.

Conversely, he said, the Britney Spears story continues to flourish precisely because women are fascinated by the challenges facing a young mother.

“If Britney weren’t a mother, this story wouldn’t be getting a fraction of attention it’s getting,” Mr. Hackett said. “The fact that the custody of her children is at stake is the fuel of this narrative. If she were a single woman, bombing around in her car with paparazzi following, it wouldn’t be the same.”

Others, like Roger Friedman, an entertainment reporter for FoxNews.com, said that female stars tend to make more-compelling stories because “they are more emotional and open” about their problems. Male stars, he said, tend to be “circumspect.”

Rebecca Roy, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif., who has several clients in the entertainment industry, said that male celebrities can often wriggle out of trouble with a rakish bad-boy shrug. But, she said, the double standard can reinforce the destructive behavior of female stars, pushing them to further depths of substance abuse and erratic behavior.

Ms. Roy said that troubled male stars like Robert Downey Jr. are encouraged to move past problems to a second act in their careers, while the personal battles of women like Lindsay Lohan or the late Anna Nicole Smith are often played for maximum entertainment value.

“With men, there’s an emphasis on, ‘he had this issue, but he’s getting over it,’ ” Ms. Roy said. “But with women, it’s like they keep at it, keep at it. It’s almost like taking the wings off of a fly.”

Ms. Min acknowledged that her magazine played down its coverage of Owen Wilson and Heath Ledger. Part of the reason, she said, was that female readers tend to be sympathetic toward young men in crisis.

“With Heath Ledger, people walked on eggshells trying to strike the right tone,” Ms. Min said, adding that “public sentiment for Heath Ledger factored into our coverage.”

Edna Herrmann, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, said that while schadenfreude is part of the enjoyment of star travails, women especially respond to female celebrities with commonplace demons. “Misery likes company,” Dr. Herrmann said.

But some believe the power of a celebrity’s publicist has more bearing on coverage than gender. “Entertainment Tonight” reversed its plans to show the video of Mr. Ledger following protests from stars like Natalie Portman and Josh Brolin organized by ID, which represented Mr. Ledger and still represents Ms. Williams.

In some cases, celebrities may be victims of their own appetites for media attention.

“It would seem to me that no one who demanded, who expected privacy, at the get-go was denied that privacy,” said Stan Rosenfield, a publicist who represents George Clooney.

And Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the gossip Web site TMZ.com, said that female stars are afforded every opportunity to move past their sins, as long as they clean up their behavior.

“Nicole Richie, who took a beating generally for being a screw-up, has turned it around, and everyone’s cheering for her now,” Mr. Levin said of the former Paris Hilton sidekick and tabloid staple, now the mother of a month-old daughter.

Even if news media coverage is weighted in their favor, male celebrities aren’t exactly feeling immune from harsh scrutiny.

“There is certainly an argument for it being incredibly sexist, the attention that’s given to women and the hounding of them,” the actor Colin Farrell said at a recent party for his new film, “In Bruges.”

Mr. Farrell, who has attracted his share of attention, said such potential bias did not make him any less of a news media target. “If they catch me out and about,” he said, “they’ll go for it.”

As Mr. Farrell spoke in a room filled with journalists and photographers, he was not even sipping a beer.

Additional reporting by Paula Schwartz.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/fashion/17celeb.html?em&ex=1203310800&en=22c77015a60b928c&ei=5087%0A
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 17, 2008, 10:51:22 am
From Perth Now:

Gemma Ward shuns limelight after Heath Ledger's death

PERTH'S own globe-trotting supermodel Gemma Ward was scheduled for press interviews when the news broke that Heath Ledger had died.
Ward was romantically linked to Ledger over Christmas, when the two were spotted together around town.

The svelte young blonde immediately withdrew from the interviews "until further notice". She's now unlikely to talk for fear of being asked about her relationship to the late star, whose funeral she attended last weekend.

But you can see Ward in action - bikini and all - in the trailer below for her first film, The Black Balloon, which hits cinemas on March 6.

Ward plays a hottie who befriends a young man with an autistic brother. His mother is played by Toni Collette.

Ward's debutant performance has caught Hollywood eye. She's already finished the horror movie The Stranger with Liv Tyler, and is currently fielding offers to star in some big budget movies.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23206793-5014974,00.html?from=mostpop

Heres a link to the trailer:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WxKE-tB1ya8
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 17, 2008, 10:56:06 am
From the New York Post:

 CRUEL JOKER


By JULIA DAHL

February 16, 2008 -- Heath Ledger lives on - as an evil 6-inch figurine.

The Post got a sneak peek at the action figures for this summer's upcoming Batman flick "The Dark Knight," in which Ledger stars as the psychotic villain The Joker .

Although the doll is being unveiled less than a week after Ledger's funeral, his family stands behind the company's decision to go ahead with marketing the collectible.

"Heath was very proud of his work in the film, and his family is aware and supportive of Warner Bros. and its partner's plans for the movie," said a family spokesperson.

Mattel will be selling two versions of the Joker doll, both of which hit store shelves in May.

The first retails for $7.99 and features a rocket launcher that can be placed in the Joker's hand.

The second (pictured), a slightly larger, more detailed version created by famed action-figure designers the Four Horsemen, sells for $10.99 and comes with a toy knife.

"It's not exactly a marketing point," said Mattel's P.J. Lewis of Ledger's death. "But kids are going to buy the toy if they like the movie."

Cliff Annicelli, editor of Playthings magazine, said he believes Ledger's death will definitely increase sales of the Joker figure, especially among adults.

"I would expect it will be a hotter collectible than it would have been before his death," said Annicelli.

Mattel will probably rely on comic book stores, instead of toy stores, to sell most of the figurines, he added.

"That's been the marketing plan all along, because the movie is dark and not particularly kid-appropriate," Annicelli said.

Adrienne Citrin, of the Toy Industry Association, played down extra sales associated with Ledger's death.

"Batman is an iconic figure," she said. "There's a lot of excitement surrounding the movie, and that correlates with sales. It's going to be a popular action figure regardless of his unfortunate death."

The Joker and other "Dark Knight" figurines will be on display at the American International Toy Fair this weekend at the Javits Center.

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/news011a.jpg)

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02162008/news/nationalnews/cruel_joker_97872.htm
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 17, 2008, 11:04:49 am
This is a few weeks old, but I don't think I posted it. Heath's comments in the last paragraph are interesting...and sad. From the Boston Herald:

Ledger exuded passion for plunging into big, ‘Dark’ roles

By Stephen Schaefer  |   Friday, January 25, 2008  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Movie News


Heath Ledger, the 28-year-old Oscar-nominated actor who died suddenly Tuesday, stood out in Hollywood for his lack of ego and pretension.

Last November, in what was to be the last time we would talk, Ledger seemed unusually impassioned as he spoke about life, loyalty and why he jumped at the chance to play the Joker in the July Batman sequel, “The Dark Knight.”

“I would have actually played the Joker if the budget for ‘Dark Knight’ were $100,000,” he said of the $200 million movie. “This character was truly just too good to turn down.”

He was equally passionate about why he was working again with Terry Gilliam, whose “The Brothers Grimm” starred Ledger and Matt Damon. Ledger was filming Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” when he died.

“Since then we’ve stayed and developed a really personal, close friendship and trust. I would cut carrots and serve the catering on a Gilliam film. I really love the guy,” he said.

“For me, the only time I’m alive, living, expressing, feeling and relating is when I’m on set. It’s that time between ‘Action’ and ‘Cut.’ That’s the only thing that is really important, how that experience is, and how that experience will affect my life. I want to enjoy myself, work with good people, creatively, and as really just good people.”

He called Gilliam “One of the greatest, creative, visionary minds ever in film history. He’s a wonderful figure in my life. He cast me in ‘The Brothers Grimm’ when no one wanted to work with me at that stage in my career. The company even, once Terry brought me on board, didn’t even want me in the film. They tried to replace me and Terry said, ‘No, I’m not doing the movie without him.’ For some odd reason he stuck with me.”

But winning roles can take a personal toll.

“It’s heartbreaking in a sense,” he said. “The inconsistency of your social life, clocking in and checking in with your friends, and getting back a routine with your family. Getting back to life, and washing, doing the dishes, maintaining your household and commuting. Then that just being chopped off. You are away from everyone, and everything, for seven months. You come back and try to rekindle it again, only to have it taken away a year later. It can be really tiring. It can be really lonely. It can be all these things but we still do it. It’s what we love. There is something that drives us to it, or away from it. Or there is a fascination or addiction to the lifestyle as well, I think.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/general/view.bg?articleid=1068796

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 17, 2008, 01:33:34 pm
From the New York Times:

February 17, 2008

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Hounded by the Media


By ALEX WILLIAMS

A VIDEO of Heath Ledger hanging out at a drug-fueled party two years before his death would seem to constitute must-see material for a tabloid entertainment show.

But when such a video ended up in the hands of the producers of “Entertainment Tonight,” the program declined to broadcast it, a spokeswoman said, “out of respect for Heath Ledger’s family.” The 28-year-old actor died on Jan. 22 from what the medical examiner called an accidental overdose of prescription medications.

Amy Winehouse did not merit the same discretion. Images from a video that showed her smoking what a British tabloid, The Sun, said was a pipe of crack cocaine, as well as admitting to having taken “about six” Valium, were widely disseminated in the news media around the same time.

When Owen Wilson was hospitalized in August after an apparent suicide attempt, his plight was the subject of a single US Weekly cover story. Not so Britney Spears, recently confined in a psychiatric ward, who has inspired six cover stories for the magazine during the same time span.

When Kiefer Sutherland was released from the jail in Glendale, Calif., after serving a 48-day sentence for a drunken driving conviction, the event merited little more than buried blurbs.

Contrast this to Paris Hilton’s return to jail last year after a brief release to serve the rest of a 45-day sentence for a probation violation involving alcohol-related reckless driving. The event invited a level of attention that evoked the O. J. Simpson trial. Hordes of cameras enveloped the limousine that ferried the tear-streaked heiress to jail.

Yes, women are hardly the only targets of harsh news media scrutiny — just ask Mel Gibson. But months of parallel incidents like these seem to demonstrate disparate standards of coverage. Men who fall from grace are treated with gravity and distance, while women in similar circumstances are objects of derision, titillation and black comedy.

Some celebrities and their handlers are now saying straight out that the news media have a double standard.

“Without a doubt, women get rougher treatment, less sensitive treatment, more outrageous treatment,” said Ken Sunshine, a publicist whose clients include Ben Affleck and Barbra Streisand. “I represent some pretty good-looking guys, and I complain constantly about the way they’re treated and covered. But it’s absolutely harder for the women I represent.”

Liz Rosenberg, a publicist at Warner Bros./Reprise Records who represents Madonna, among others, also thinks sexism is at work. “Do you see them following Owen Wilson morning, noon and night?” she asked.

Some editors confirm that they handle female celebrities differently. But the reason, they say, is rooted not in sexism, but in the demographics of their audience.

The readership of US Weekly, for example, is 70 percent female; for People, it’s more than 90 percent, according to the editors of these magazines.

“Almost no female magazines will put a solo male on the cover,” said Janice Min, the editor in chief of US Weekly. “You just don’t. It’s cover death. Women don’t want to read about men unless it’s through another woman: a marriage, a baby, a breakup.”

Thus, magazine coverage of Mr. Ledger’s death gave way to stories about Michelle Williams, Mr. Ledger’s former girlfriend and the mother of his daughter; US Weekly, for instance, put the headlines “A Mother’s Pain” and “My Heart is Broken” atop a four-page spread. Mary-Kate Olsen, telephoned several times by the discoverer of Mr. Ledger’s body, came in for it, too: “What Mary-Kate Knows” trumpeted In Touch Weekly.

Indeed, while one of People’s best-selling issues of the last year was its cover story on Mr. Wilson’s suicide attempt, a follow-up cover on his recovery was one of the worst sellers, said Larry Hackett, the managing editor.

Conversely, he said, the Britney Spears story continues to flourish precisely because women are fascinated by the challenges facing a young mother.

“If Britney weren’t a mother, this story wouldn’t be getting a fraction of attention it’s getting,” Mr. Hackett said. “The fact that the custody of her children is at stake is the fuel of this narrative. If she were a single woman, bombing around in her car with paparazzi following, it wouldn’t be the same.”

Others, like Roger Friedman, an entertainment reporter for FoxNews.com, said that female stars tend to make more-compelling stories because “they are more emotional and open” about their problems. Male stars, he said, tend to be “circumspect.”

Rebecca Roy, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif., who has several clients in the entertainment industry, said that male celebrities can often wriggle out of trouble with a rakish bad-boy shrug. But, she said, the double standard can reinforce the destructive behavior of female stars, pushing them to further depths of substance abuse and erratic behavior.

Ms. Roy said that troubled male stars like Robert Downey Jr. are encouraged to move past problems to a second act in their careers, while the personal battles of women like Lindsay Lohan or the late Anna Nicole Smith are often played for maximum entertainment value.

“With men, there’s an emphasis on, ‘he had this issue, but he’s getting over it,’ ” Ms. Roy said. “But with women, it’s like they keep at it, keep at it. It’s almost like taking the wings off of a fly.”

Ms. Min acknowledged that her magazine played down its coverage of Owen Wilson and Heath Ledger. Part of the reason, she said, was that female readers tend to be sympathetic toward young men in crisis.

“With Heath Ledger, people walked on eggshells trying to strike the right tone,” Ms. Min said, adding that “public sentiment for Heath Ledger factored into our coverage.”

Edna Herrmann, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, said that while schadenfreude is part of the enjoyment of star travails, women especially respond to female celebrities with commonplace demons. “Misery likes company,” Dr. Herrmann said.

But some believe the power of a celebrity’s publicist has more bearing on coverage than gender. “Entertainment Tonight” reversed its plans to show the video of Mr. Ledger following protests from stars like Natalie Portman and Josh Brolin organized by ID, which represented Mr. Ledger and still represents Ms. Williams.

In some cases, celebrities may be victims of their own appetites for media attention.

“It would seem to me that no one who demanded, who expected privacy, at the get-go was denied that privacy,” said Stan Rosenfield, a publicist who represents George Clooney.

And Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the gossip Web site TMZ.com, said that female stars are afforded every opportunity to move past their sins, as long as they clean up their behavior.

“Nicole Richie, who took a beating generally for being a screw-up, has turned it around, and everyone’s cheering for her now,” Mr. Levin said of the former Paris Hilton sidekick and tabloid staple, now the mother of a month-old daughter.

Even if news media coverage is weighted in their favor, male celebrities aren’t exactly feeling immune from harsh scrutiny.

“There is certainly an argument for it being incredibly sexist, the attention that’s given to women and the hounding of them,” the actor Colin Farrell said at a recent party for his new film, “In Bruges.”

Mr. Farrell, who has attracted his share of attention, said such potential bias did not make him any less of a news media target. “If they catch me out and about,” he said, “they’ll go for it.”

As Mr. Farrell spoke in a room filled with journalists and photographers, he was not even sipping a beer.

I'm disappointed that a respected paper like the New York Times would leave out the truth about ET being forced to withdraw their story because of industry pressure, leaving the impression that ET exercised a lot more discretion than they had intended to in the matter of the drug party video.  >:(

And the quote from US Weekly editor Min gives a similar impression of "respect."  This is the publication that went with this cover story (http://www.usmagazine.com/heath_ledger_refused_to_get_out_of_car_to_enter_rehab_in_2006) that implied that Heath overdosed on illegal drugs.  Inside was the false story of Michelle driving him to rehab.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 17, 2008, 03:02:10 pm
I'm disappointed that a respected paper like the New York Times would leave out the truth about ET being forced to withdraw their story because of industry pressure, leaving the impression that ET exercised a lot more discretion than they had intended to in the matter of the drug party video.  >:(

Well, they did say:

Quote
“Entertainment Tonight” reversed its plans to show the video of Mr. Ledger following protests from stars like Natalie Portman and Josh Brolin organized by ID, which represented Mr. Ledger and still represents Ms. Williams.

I thought it was an interesting story. I think there definitely is some sexism and a double standard involved in the way those bad girls are covered -- girls aren't "supposed to" do that stuff. But the point is well made that a lot of it is influenced by what readers want to read -- I was interested in the part about women wanting to read about women, not men.

And there are other complicating factors. For example, I can't imagine a magazine cover story about Kiefer Sutherland flying of the stands the way stories about Paris and Britney do; he's not as glamorous, so people just aren't as interested in him. And the men's exploits tend to be a bit lower-profile; as far as we know, Keifer didn't get photographed underwearless at any point, or walk into a barbership and shave his own head.

And finally the men are more talented and respected. One of the reasons those girls get treated that way is they're not considered particularly talented, with the possible marginal exception of Lindsay Lohan. Heath was saved from a lot more bad publicity when other actors and directors stood up for him as a talented, intelligent actor who should be treated with respect. Same thing for Owen Wilson. Nobody does that for Paris or Britney.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 17, 2008, 03:07:46 pm
He called Gilliam “One of the greatest, creative, visionary minds ever in film history. He’s a wonderful figure in my life. He cast me in ‘The Brothers Grimm’ when no one wanted to work with me at that stage in my career. The company even, once Terry brought me on board, didn’t even want me in the film. They tried to replace me   and Terry said, ‘No, I’m not doing the movie without him.’ For some odd reason he stuck with me.”


I am happy to read that Terry Gilliam stuck with Heath!

Why does Heath say nobody wanted to work with him? Why was that?

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 18, 2008, 02:33:44 am
From Adelaide Now:

Februar 18th, 2008

Tropfest shares stage with Ledger

Article from AAP


UPCOMING filmmakers at this year's Tropfest short film festival have shared a Sydney stage with a tribute for Heath Ledger.

Thousands gathered in Sydney's Domain last night for the screening of the festival's 16 finalists, won by 34-year-old expectant mother and director Michelle Lehman, who hoped the win wouldn't send her into labour.

Lehman's entry, Marry Me, took the top prize at the 16th annual Tropfest, billed as the world's largest short film festival.

"Oh my God, I hope this doesn't send me into labour," a delighted Ms Lehman said as she accepted her award.

The film, described as a little love story, was inspired by Ms Lehman's childhood and her memory of chasing a boy around a schoolyard.

"I used to chase Jason Mahooney around school in my mum's nightie, which I used as a wedding dress," Ms Lehman said.

"He never wanted to marry me ... I'm glad about that now."

Ms Lehman, who is eight months pregnant with her first child, said she had been in the Tropfest audience for years but this was the first time she had submitted an entry.

About 15 people were involved with the production of Marry Me, but there were five "main players", said Ms Lehman of her $5000 short.

The Tropfest first prize, presented by Australian screen star Geoffrey Rush, includes a film scholarship trip to the US, with a program of meetings with industry agents and executives.

"Baby or no baby, it won't stop me from going to the US," Ms Lehman said. "I've got a very supportive husband who is also a filmmaker."

In other Tropfest awards, Mark Constable's entry, Uncle Jonny, took second place, while Great White Hunters, directed by Gary Doust, was third.

Before the award presentation tonight, there was a two-minute video tribute to Heath Ledger, who was found dead in his Manhattan apartment last month.

Earlier in the night fellow actor Rush had remembered Ledger.

"He is one of our brothers, he is one of our clan and I had the great fortune to work with him on two films and knew him a little bit socially," Rush told The Daily Telegraph. "We are going to miss him."

Ledger's former girlfriend, Naomi Watts, was a judge and presenter at the festival.

A quietly spoken Watts did not comment on Ledger and did not speak to reporters on her way into tonight's event.

A NSW teenager was named the inaugural winner of Trop Jr, a new part of the festival.

Sixteen-year-old Guy Verge Wallace created Poor Joshua Verde last year when he was 15.

The film is about a boy with a tragic childhood who goes on an enchanting adventure that helps him reconnect with his family and use his creative talent, Tropfest said.

Guy said Tropfest was one of the most exciting things he'd been involved in.

"I had a great time making the film and I want to thank all my friends and family, my sister Lucinda and my parents. This is amazing," he said.


Source: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23231348-5005962,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23231348-5005962,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 18, 2008, 02:45:12 am
From Harald Sun:

Februar 18, 2008

Heath Ledger tribute at Tropfest

Article from AAP

A SPECIAL tribute to Heath Ledger has been screened at the Tropfest short film festival in Sydney where the Australian actor's ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts helped judge entries from rising filmmakers.


Before naming winners from a group of 16 short-listed entries, proceedings paused to remember the 28-year-old star who was found dead in his Manhatta apartment on January 22.

"The Australian film industry lost someone very, very special a few weeks ago," Tropfest founder and creative director John Polson told the crowd in Sydney's Domain.

"I didn't know Heath Ledger very well, but I did meet him a few times.

"Everything you have read about his tragic death is true ... He was an enormously talented actor, really just beginning to realise his potential.

"His death is an incredible loss and we at Tropfest send our deepest sympathy to his family."

A two-minute video tribute to Ledger then played on the huge Tropfest screen, including glimpses of the actor from his roles in Brokeback Mountain and A Knight's Tale.

Watts, who once dated Ledger, took to the stage to present the inaugural Balance Water Women in Film Award.

A quietly spoken Watts did not comment on Ledger and did not speak to reporters on her way into tonight's event.

However, Australian actor Geoffrey Rush who presented Tropfest's first prize, did acknowledge him.

"He is one of our brothers, he is one of our clan and I had the great fortune to work with him on two films and knew him a little bit socially," Rush said.

"We are going to miss him."


Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23231313-29277,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23231313-29277,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: smellykellyjay on February 18, 2008, 06:24:36 am
. . . I also tend to trust People *slightly* more than some of the other celebrity magazines.

This reminds me of a scene from "Golden Girls" where the girls were shopping at the grocery store.  At the checkout, Blanche got copies of TIME, NEWSWEEK, and "to really know what's going on in the world," PEOPLE.  My memory of it is hazy, but I think that's the gist of it. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 18, 2008, 01:49:34 pm
From New York Magazine:


(Untitled Heath Ledger Project)

In which the protagonist dies mysteriously, and the audience analyzes his final days for clues to his real character.

By Chris Norris
Published Feb 18, 2008

http://nymag.com/news/features/44217/

It is a long article, so I am just giving the link, not posting the whole thing, as I usually do.

L

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 20, 2008, 02:21:21 am
I can't seem to find the article that this thread linked to that included this line, but it is something that really stuck with me:

"He may even be a role for some other promising young actor."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 20, 2008, 02:32:45 am
Yes, just a week or so before Heath died I saw "Hollywoodland", which is about the death of George Reeves, and included reenactments of it (the different possible scenarios).  It was relatively tastefully done (sympathetic to him and not graphic — way less so than a lot of TV these days), but still.  I imagine a few years from now Ledger's passing will be considered fair game for such dramatization, but hope there will be considerable pressure against it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 20, 2008, 02:41:45 am
Yes, just a week or so before Heath died I saw "Hollywoodland", which is about the death of George Reeves, and included reenactments of it (the different possible scenarios).  It was relatively tastefully done (sympathetic to him and not graphic — way less so than a lot of TV these days), but still. 

OT, but I really liked Hollywoodland, and thought both the movie and Ben Affleck's performance were way underrated. Heck, it made me like Ben Affleck, which I previously hadn't. (Diane Lane is good, too.)

Quote
I imagine a few years from now Ledger's passing will be considered fair game for such dramatization, but hope there will be considerable pressure against it.

Or at least wait as much time as had passed since George Reeves died, which would make Matilda in her late 40s, Michelle and Jake 70-something.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ptannen on February 20, 2008, 02:46:42 am
From New York Magazine:


(Untitled Heath Ledger Project)

In which the protagonist dies mysteriously, and the audience analyzes his final days for clues to his real character.

By Chris Norris
Published Feb 18, 2008

http://nymag.com/news/features/44217/

It is a long article, so I am just giving the link, not posting the whole thing, as I usually do.

L



the article is long, but I think it is very good.

Thanks Leslie!  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on February 20, 2008, 09:00:09 pm
I thought it was quite good, too.  Thanks, Leslie.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 20, 2008, 09:09:48 pm
I thought it was quite good, too.  Thanks, Leslie.



Thank you, Pete, thank you Barb...

my pleasure..

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on February 20, 2008, 11:59:25 pm
umm... does anyone want to summarize the article... for those of us too lazy (or, my excuse, tired) to read it...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 21, 2008, 01:32:30 am
Belair,

John Gallagher posted the entire article in the "Magazines Featuring Heath" thread here, so you don't have to worry about it suddenly disappearing from the Internet:

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,16718.msg337163.html#msg337163

I think it's a well-written article.  You really should read it when you have some time.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on February 22, 2008, 12:16:47 am
New article in the Daily Telegraph on Shekhar Kapur, who was the last person to talk to Heath Ledger on the telephone. They were good friends. He's the director of Elizabeth, The Golden Age among other projects.  Here's an excerpt from the article.

When the Australian actor died aged 28 in New York last month, Kapur was devastated. He was the last person to talk to Ledger - on the phone - and recalls their final conversation with a painful bewilderment.

"He was jet-lagged, but he was looking forward to the next day. We were talking about meeting up, and laughing about synchronicity because I had booked a massage for him at three o'clock, and he'd booked one for himself at the same time.

"He told me to call him in the morning. I said, 'I won't disturb you if you're tired.' But he said, 'No, call me. Wake me up, and we'll meet.' There was nothing he said that gave me the impression he was depressed.


He was in talks with Heath to do a film together.  Here is the link to the article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/02/23/bfkapur123.xml
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 22, 2008, 05:10:30 am
-------------------------------

From: - www.imdb.com/news/wenn (http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn)

Ledger Painting Entered Into Australian Art Contest - A painting of late actor Heath Ledger is in competition to land a prestigious Australian art prize. The portrait, titled Heath and painted by Ledger's friend Vincent Fantauzzo, is one of 249 entries to date for the Archibald Prize, the winner of which is to be decided on March 7. Ledger, who was found dead in his New York apartment in January, signed a form to vouch for the painting's authenticity, but "signed it in the wrong spot", remembers Fantauzzo. The portrait features a bare-chested Ledger with two other whispering versions of the actor on each side of him. It had been hanging on a wall in Fantauzzo's Melbourne, Australia home until he heard the news of Ledger's passing. Fantauzzo says, "I just didn't believe it (that Ledger had died). When you paint someone, you meditate over them. I was painting Heath every day for 10 hours a day."  

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w131/locham/heath001.jpg)

-------------------------------

I think it's so beautiful! It's like he's saying - 'too many Heaths in my head'.. I hope he wins!! Here is his website - www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm (http://www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm)

I wonder why Fantauzzo mentioned the "signed it in the wrong spot"..

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 22, 2008, 10:17:17 am
I love that painting.  I hope it wins the prize!  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 22, 2008, 11:31:38 am
I wonder why Fantauzzo mentioned the "signed it in the wrong spot"..

j. U. d. E.

It's a little anecdote that serves to "humanize" Heath for us through the story-tellers eyes, I think. Just like Chris Nolan fondly remembering the way Heath went about quietly thanking everyone or coming in on his day off. It draws a bittersweet picture of a decent and kind human being, not a Moviestar.  :)

I like the painting too. Of course I hope it wins.

I also just realized that there are tattoos on the upper right arm that I'd never seen before. (All the stuff above the dragonfly). What is that?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 22, 2008, 11:52:24 am
I also just realized that there are tattoos on the upper right arm that I'd never seen before. (All the stuff above the dragonfly). What is that?

I thought the same. There are various tattoos we've not seen (also on the right arm). I have no idea if they were fairly new or if the artist took artistic license and added them.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on February 22, 2008, 12:10:49 pm
I've really grown to like the painting.  It was too difficult to see right after his death; the figures are so gaunt, etc.  But I love the way the painter captured his hands.

Heath was a chameleon in many ways; he could look so different depending on the role, or, in RL, on the day.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 22, 2008, 12:30:05 pm
A painting of late actor Heath Ledger is in competition to land a prestigious Australian art prize. The portrait, titled Heath and painted by Ledger's friend Vincent Fantauzzo, is one of 249 entries to date for the Archibald Prize, the winner of which is to be decided on March 7. . . . . The portrait features a bare-chested Ledger with two other whispering versions of the actor on each side of him. [etc.]

The other two Heaths look like they're older versions of him.  And I'm curious about the tattoos as well.

Thanks so much for sharing this. Hope it wins!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 22, 2008, 12:47:45 pm
I found this at HeathHeathens.net with this comment:

More comprehensive look at full tattoo. Heath has connected the dragonfly and the previous tattoo of the earth, sun, moon, also adding some new geometric elements.

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h243/lnicoll/Maine/COMPLETE_NEWTATTOO10nov07001a1.jpg)

My guess is that the artist was realistic, and painted Heath's tattoos as they actually were on his body.

http://www.heathheathens.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t1240.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 22, 2008, 10:23:56 pm
I love that painting.  I hope it wins the prize!  8)

The Archibald Prize is Australia's most prestigious art prize.

It is awarded annually and the exhibition is held in the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

Under the terms of the Archibald Bequest, the portrait must be that of an Australian, painted in the past (I think) 24 months (may be the past 12 months?) who has distinguished him/herself in public life in some way (academia, sciences, the arts, etc.)

It is an open competition and any Australian can enter, so long as you've got the entry fee in your pocket.

Many emerging (unknown) artists have entered in the past. They get around the necessity to paint a famous person by entering self-portraits, which is a quirky way one can legally squirm around the terms of the bequest, in that it can be rationalised that if one wins the Archibald Prize (even being accepted for hanging is considered an accomplishment - it's fiercely competitive), one has, therefore, distinguished oneself and has attained "fame," even if one was completely unknown beforehand.

Thousands of entries are received each year (it's a great fundraiser for the Art Gallery of NSW), most of which are culled, leaving only a couple of dozen portraits hung. I've entered a couple of times but have always, alas, been culled.

The Art Gallery of NSW is only a 5 min. drive from where I live and I will certainly be going this year, specifically to see Heath's portrait.

The Archibald Committee; who make the choice as to who the winner is and, indeed, who will hang and who will be culled; is comprised of local business people and A-listers with (sometimes) a couple of artists thrown in. The membership changes as members come and go. I have actually see in some years, where there were no artists on the committee. This makes the choice of winner highly contentious and very controversial. There's always a huge amount of media hysteria generated by the awarding of the Archibald Prize every year here in Sydney.   
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 23, 2008, 02:32:12 pm
Don't know if anyone's posted this link.  It's excellent.

To watch Heath’s career soar, to watch him fulfill his potential, was to provide, at least by proxy, the happy ending that Ennis never got. Ennis expected nothing, but we expected everything for Heath, and the idea that we’ll never get to see it puts one in mind of Jack Twist, turning away from Ennis Del Mar as his own dreams are dashed. “There’s never enough time,” he mutters. “Never enough.” 

http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp (http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp)

(http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/advocate/editorial/issue_covers/A1003x135.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 23, 2008, 02:46:30 pm
Don't know if anyone's posted this link.  It's excellent.

To watch Heath’s career soar, to watch him fulfill his potential, was to provide, at least by proxy, the happy ending that Ennis never got. Ennis expected nothing, but we expected everything for Heath, and the idea that we’ll never get to see it puts one in mind of Jack Twist, turning away from Ennis Del Mar as his own dreams are dashed. “There’s never enough time,” he mutters. “Never enough.” 

http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp (http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp)

(http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/advocate/editorial/issue_covers/A1003x135.jpg)

Thanks for the link!  It's a very nice tribute to Heath...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 23, 2008, 03:04:28 pm
Don't know if anyone's posted this link.  It's excellent.

To watch Heath’s career soar, to watch him fulfill his potential, was to provide, at least by proxy, the happy ending that Ennis never got. Ennis expected nothing, but we expected everything for Heath, and the idea that we’ll never get to see it puts one in mind of Jack Twist, turning away from Ennis Del Mar as his own dreams are dashed. “There’s never enough time,” he mutters. “Never enough.” 

http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp (http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52310.asp)

(http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/advocate/editorial/issue_covers/A1003x135.jpg)

Thanks for posting this Laura. I've been waiting for it (Dottie has posted the cover two days ago, but the article wasn't available online yet). I think it's a very good article.

With a minimum of makeup, Ledger had taken the character into his 30s and 40s, ages the actor will now never see.

The same sad thought crossed my mind earlier today, when I checked the lakeside argument scene for a reply in the Open Forum.
Suddenly my apperception switched from Ennis to Heath and I thought he will never be as old as Ennis was at the end of the movie. And even Jack had ten more years than Heath. 
So many small realizations which continue to hurt.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 23, 2008, 03:15:23 pm
Chrissi, I was going to say the exact same thing about that line in the story. Once again, we're on the same wavelength.  :-\

I also noticed this part:

Quote
If that enshrinement raises interesting questions about the role of gay men in creating masculine icons, it’s also caused an early reevaluation of the phenomenon that was Brokeback Mountain. “In a way, [Brokeback fever] had just barely died down and was being put to rest, and now I think that Heath Ledger’s death has made it spring up again,” notes Rich. “That film became a classic, became a cult film, became a personalized object very quickly.”

Guess he hadn't visited the Open Forum recently ...  ::)

Thanks for posting it, Laura. Also, I forgot to thank Leslie for posting "Untitled Heath Ledger Project" a few days ago. I think that and this have been my favorite post-1/22 articles.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 24, 2008, 09:06:34 am
I can't believe B. Ruby Rich mentioned Brokeback Fever! I wrote that! I wonder if she read my stuff?

http://lazylfarm.livejournal.com/19723.html

Small, small world....

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on February 24, 2008, 10:06:27 am
I can't believe B. Ruby Rich mentioned Brokeback Fever! I wrote that! I wonder if she read my stuff?

http://lazylfarm.livejournal.com/19723.html

Small, small world....

L

OMG!  That was you!?! 

Awesome article... BTW! 

And I loved what B. Ruby Rich has had to say about BbM.






Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 24, 2008, 12:15:06 pm
Cool, Leslie.  Very cool!  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 24, 2008, 12:40:17 pm
OMG!  That was you!?! 

Awesome article... BTW! 

And I loved what B. Ruby Rich has had to say about BbM.

Do you have a link to the B. Ruby Rich comments, Bruce or Leslie?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 24, 2008, 10:37:50 pm
I can't believe B. Ruby Rich mentioned Brokeback Fever! I wrote that! I wonder if she read my stuff?

http://lazylfarm.livejournal.com/19723.html

Small, small world....

L

I first read "Brokeback Fever" some time ago, long before I found my way to BetterMost. I work in a large teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, and it was e-mailed to me by a friend. I distributed it widely to friends and colleagues alike. Little did I know at the time that I would one day come to know the author.

It's a fabulous piece, Leslie. I love it.   :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 24, 2008, 10:54:53 pm
Leslie, you should post that "Brokeback Fever again....somewhere where the newer members will be able to read it.....

It is the best description I've ever read about what we are feeling...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 24, 2008, 10:58:48 pm
Do you have a link to the B. Ruby Rich comments, Bruce or Leslie?

The comments are in the Advocate article...link earlier in this thread.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 24, 2008, 11:08:34 pm
Leslie, you should post that "Brokeback Fever again....somewhere where the newer members will be able to read it.....

It is the best description I've ever read about what we are feeling...

It is over on the fanfiction board. I just gave it a bump so it is at the top of the list right now.

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,492.new.html#new

It is also on my livejournal:

http://lazylfarm.livejournal.com/19723.html

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 25, 2008, 12:43:02 am
It is over on the fanfiction board. I just gave it a bump so it is at the top of the list right now.

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,492.new.html#new

It is also on my livejournal:

http://lazylfarm.livejournal.com/19723.html

L

I was thinking of the welcome thread......go on...put it in there too.... all the new Brokies, say they cant understad what happened to them, maybe reading that, they will feel like they are definately not alone, that there is a name for it....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on February 25, 2008, 01:13:32 am
Did you all see Heath being mentioned at the Oscars?

It was him in the Brokeback Mountain movie!

At the begining, at the trailer where he awaits for his job!

What do you think of that?

Hugs!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 25, 2008, 01:41:44 am
Did you all see Heath being mentioned at the Oscars?

It was him in the Brokeback Mountain movie!

I guess I was hoping for something a little more elaborate, but I can see why it would have been hard for them to make a big deal about Heath in comparison to Ingmar Bergman. Or even former AMPAS president Jack Valenti.

I wonder, though, if they changed the dates of deaths -- from calendar year 2007 to Jan 31, 2007 to Feb. 1, 2008, or whatever it was -- so they could include Heath while he was still fresh in everyone's minds.

Not that he won't always be fresh in some people's minds, of course.  :-\ :-\

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on February 25, 2008, 02:27:53 am
Quote
I wonder, though, if they changed the dates of deaths -- from calendar year 2007 to Jan 31, 2007 to Feb. 1, 2008, or whatever it was -- so they could include Heath while he was still fresh in everyone's minds.

I think they did, totally.  The moment they showed those dates up on screen, you knew you were going to see Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 25, 2008, 02:34:09 am
Laura, Katherine, can you describe what they showed about Heath? For us Europeans, living under a rock still?  ;)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 25, 2008, 02:43:30 am
Laura, Katherine, can you describe what they showed about Heath? For us Europeans, living under a rock still?  ;)

You beat me too it Chrissi.  ;)

The Oscars was an 30 seconds item on the radio news this morning. Hollywood is a looooong way away.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 25, 2008, 03:38:26 am
You beat me too it Chrissi.  ;)

The Oscars was an 30 seconds item on the radio news this morning. Hollywood is a looooong way away.

Fabienne, our BM buds talked at length and live about the Oscars in this thread:

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,17660.0.html (http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,17660.0.html)

Interesting in regard to Heath are mostly pages 4 and 5. Here's what they showed of Heath:

it was two shots of him up against Aguirre's trailer from the beginning of the movie, one with head down, other head up, but looking sideways (avoiding getting caught looking at jack)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on February 25, 2008, 04:42:55 am
I can't believe that was all! WTF.

The Academy strikes again.  >:(

I'm glad I wasn't watching.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 25, 2008, 08:24:32 am
I can't believe that was all! WTF.

The Academy strikes again.  >:(

I'm glad I wasn't watching.


I've refused to watch the Oscars ever since THAT ceremony two years ago. I'll NEVER forgive them for what they did.  >:(   :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on February 25, 2008, 09:13:07 am
I've refused to watch the Oscars ever since THAT ceremony two years ago. I'll NEVER forgive them for what they did.  >:(   :'(

Me too, Kerry, I have lost complete and utter interest in the whole thing. I used to actually be up all night listening to the radio, now I couldn't care less. The Academy made a complete fool of itself two years ago and they will never be able to make up for it now.



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 25, 2008, 11:34:57 am
I never was able to boycott the Oscars, even after the debacle two years ago. I just enjoy watching them way too much. The thing is, you just can't take them seriously or invest any importance in who wins or loses the awards -- or even who does or doesn't get nominated.

I watch them for the fashions and hairstyles and for Jon Stewart's jokes and for the celebrity spotting. I could do without the boring overproduced musical numbers and the stilted presenters' jokes and the way the unfamous people tend to get cut off and rushed through their acceptance speeches.

At the end, it's always a letdown because inevitably some movies and people you believe deserved awards don't get them. But by next year at this time, it will be almost impossible to remember who won what, anyway.

The Heath tribute's brevity was disappointing, but I can sympathize with the dilemma the producers faced. Much of the tragedy of Heath's death -- to non Brokies, anyway -- lay in his youth and potential and the avoidability of his fate. Outside of his masterpiece, BBM, most of Heath's movies are either sort of lightweight or fairly obscure. It's hard to know how to play that against those who have had longer careers, full of accomplishments, like Ingmar Bergman, or even who had notable positions in the Academy, like Jack Valenti. They did the best they could, considering they only had $24 in a coffee can.





Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on February 25, 2008, 03:50:03 pm
The Heath tribute's brevity was disappointing, but I can sympathize with the dilemma the producers faced. Much of the tragedy of Heath's death -- to non Brokies, anyway -- lay in his youth and potential and the avoidability of his fate. Outside of his masterpiece, BBM, most of Heath's movies are either sort of lightweight or fairly obscure. It's hard to know how to play that against those who have had longer careers, full of accomplishments, like Ingmar Bergman, or even who had notable positions in the Academy, like Jack Valenti. They did the best they could, considering they only had $24 in a coffee can.

I did my own nice long Oscar Night tribute last night. I watched Brokeback.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 25, 2008, 04:03:41 pm
any videos so we can see?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 25, 2008, 04:34:27 pm
I didn't really expect much from the Academy except Heath's appearance in the montage.  I wish they'd included just a little more of him.  As it was, though, it was enough to make me burst into tears.  :'(

Then of course it was supremely annoying to see the long list of 79 Best Picture clips and have to studiously look away when they got to the vilest one.  >:(

A good thing?  Ang showing up in the Best Director montage.  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 25, 2008, 04:47:48 pm
To me, it seems like the memorial montage at the Academy Awards just ended too suddenly.  I guess I was expecting sort of a fadeout effect.  It seemed that Heath's pictures were shown for what seemed like nanoseconds, and then the whole thing just ended abruptly with black.  I think it should have been edited so it would ended more artistically, not as abruptly as it did.

Meryl, I agree.  Seeing Ang's smiling face in the "best directors" montage was a treat.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 25, 2008, 05:15:50 pm
Here's the best I could find on you tube.

[youtube=425,350]http://youtube.com/watch?v=kMYwCuaIMFI[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 25, 2008, 05:30:24 pm
Here's the complete Im Memoriam section, including Hilary Swank's introducion:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3YN-MmPTu8[/youtube]


It ain't right  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 25, 2008, 05:42:27 pm
there was only one person in that montage that Hilary's comment about gone too soon was about - Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 26, 2008, 03:25:32 am
Also, I think giving him the last spot was impactful.  I don't think those were in chronological order of passing.

It did gall me for a moment that NOW they choose to honor Brokeback Mountain in a position of prominence.

Also, I was sad that Marit Allen wasn't in the montage.  She died in November, 2007, so was eligible.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: HerrKaiser on February 26, 2008, 01:44:21 pm
The in memoriam section was typcial AA attempt to be everything to everybody and end up being nothing to no one. While Heath's rememberance was in the last position as a weak attempt to provide some level of importance, I think that under the circumstances and the recentness of his passing, there was ample, valid reasons to break with tradition and give him a special tribute. He was snubbed only two years ago, will not have the opportunity to receive a life time acheivement award, and now the AA's are over for heath ledger. They had the chance to do the right thing, and failed to do so. Even if they nominate him next year for either of the two films being released in 08, that will be far less a tribute and far too much time will have elapsed to create the type of honor this more timely AA presentation could have been.

And why not mention him by name? Of course, Swank had her lines created for her, but the inuendos and almost riddle-like references to him without naming him was to me offensive. I felt like shouting 'just say it! give him his due.'

I'm sorry, but there are differences, measurements, greater and lesser. The several God-knows-who-are-these-people featured within the same even playing field on which he was 'recognized' was simply inappropriate given the past 6 weeks.

The lack of insight to attitudes and feelings beyond their little clique of self indulgent manipulators will continue the demise of the AA's to the level of Miss America.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on February 26, 2008, 04:12:44 pm
The lack of insight to attitudes and feelings beyond their little clique of self indulgent manipulators will continue the demise of the AA's to the level of Miss America.

I'll drink to that.

(It's five o'clock somewhere.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on February 26, 2008, 04:25:36 pm
I'll drink to that.

(It's five o'clock somewhere.)

Or, as a friend of mine always says, it's 10 a.m. somewhere.  ::)



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 26, 2008, 04:32:30 pm
I just watched the YouTube clip (silently here in my office) and I was struck by how brief all of the segments for each person were. 
 :-\

I'd forgotten that Antonioni died this past year. :(

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on February 26, 2008, 04:37:29 pm
I'll drink to that.

(It's five o'clock somewhere.)

Or, as a friend of mine always says, it's 10 a.m. somewhere.  ::)

He (or she) waits until it's that late for an eye-opener?  ;D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 26, 2008, 05:21:14 pm

The lack of insight to attitudes and feelings beyond their little clique of self indulgent manipulators  will continue the demise of the AA's to the level of Miss America.


Bravo! Well said!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 27, 2008, 09:05:54 am
I found this on an Australian website:

Heath Ledger 'death in bathtub' Nick Drake video exclusive


By ACA Staff

The Nine Network has gained exclusive rights to an eerie video clip of doomed actor Heath Ledger which shows him apparently drowning in a bath — in a dark tribute to the tragic death of singer with whom he was obsessed.

Ledger starred in and directed the rarely-seen video tribute to Nick Drake, the cult British singer-songwriter whose death from a prescription pill overdose in 1974 bore some disturbing similarities to his own.

The eerie black and white video has remained hidden from the public since Ledger’s death last month, but will has been aired exclusively on A Current Affair.

Ledger made the video on a hand-held camera in early 2007 as part of an exhibition celebrating the work of Drake, with whom Ledger said he was "obsessed". It has so far only been glimpsed twice in public, at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival in September 2007 and again in Los Angeles the following month.

Speaking about Drake at the Venice film festival last September, Ledger said: "Nick Drake is a very mysterious figure. I was obsessed with his story and music and I still have great hopes to tell his story one day.

Ledger's clip for the song Black Eyed Dog, titled after Winston Churchill's description of depression as a "black dog", features the late actor in a series of grainy an disorientating shots before apparently drowning himself in a bath.

Black Eyed Dog is allegedly the last song Drake wrote before overdosing on the anti-depressant amitriptyline. He was 26-years-old when he died, but failed to reach a wide audience until long after his death.

Ledger was rumoured to have been planning to make a film biography of Drake.

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=384338

I tried to watch the video, but it didn't have any sound. Anyone have better luck than me?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 27, 2008, 09:26:50 am
I also found it on YouTube and it worked for me there:



It is a report from the show "A Current Affair" with lots of people being interviewed about depression, etc. It doesn't really show the whole Heath/Nick Drake video, just clips, with bits and pieces of the song "Black Eyed Dog" playing in the background.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 27, 2008, 11:36:43 am
God, I thought I was done crying over Heath's tragic death. I guess I wasn't.

So sad.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on February 27, 2008, 11:58:22 pm
Thank you very much, Leslie.  I've been wanting to see the video since I first heard about it in October.  I'm going to post the YouTube of this in HHH.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 28, 2008, 07:08:28 am
Thank you very much, Leslie.  I've been wanting to see the video since I first heard about it in October.  I'm going to post the YouTube of this in HHH.

Yes, Clarissa, I was glad to find it, especially for you!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 28, 2008, 07:10:36 am
Thank you Leslie for posting this.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 28, 2008, 07:46:59 am
From the Sydney Morning Herald, this slideshow of finalists in this year's Archibald Prize for portraiture, one of which is a portrait of Heath:

http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/2008/entertainment/archibald-prize/index.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on February 28, 2008, 07:56:36 am
Thanks for posting that, Kerry. Very interesting and some very interesting paintings.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 28, 2008, 08:57:36 am
Thanks for posting that, Kerry. Very interesting and some very interesting paintings.

L

I'll be visiting the Archibald exhibition and will be taking my camera with me. Not sure if I'll be allowed to take any pics inside the gallery, but will try.  ;)  :D

Any pics I get, I will post at BetterMost  :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 28, 2008, 09:51:20 am
I'll be visiting the Archibald exhibition and will be taking my camera with me. Not sure if I'll be allowed to take any pics inside the gallery, but will try.  ;)  :D

Any pics I get, I will post at BetterMost  :D

Good thing we have Brokies around the world  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on February 28, 2008, 09:52:19 am
Thank you, Kerry.  Of course, "Heath" stands out.  I also very much liked Barry McCann's "Simpatico".

Keep us posted!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on February 28, 2008, 10:51:28 am
There's an article in People magazine about the federal investigation into Heath's death. A number of doctor's are being investigated.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20180849,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20180849,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on February 28, 2008, 11:23:51 am
Again, sorry if this is a duplicate posted link, but there's a commentary in New York (http://nymag.com/news/features/44217/) Magazine that's a must-read for both Brokies and Heath fans generally.

The part about how Heath has been portrayed in news accounts in the form of brief glimpses that showed only one part of his life and character is a kind of eerie coda to the discussions about the "snapshot" approach in much of BBM.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 28, 2008, 11:56:21 am
There's an article in People magazine about the federal investigation into Heath's death. A number of doctor's are being investigated.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20180849,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20180849,00.html)

I'm glad they're investigating.  The article said that one of the doctors was in California -- which makes sense -- but another was in Texas.  

I know all the investigating in the world won't make a difference in Heath's case, but maybe it will help someone else....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on February 29, 2008, 10:25:50 am
Ledger's Kombi stolen in Sydney: report
Friday Feb 29 23:34 AEDT
A Kombi van owned by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger, which he left for safekeeping with a Sydney-based mate, has been stolen.

The green-coloured 1975 model Volkswagen van was reportedly stolen from outside a Bondi home about the time of the actor's death last month.

The vehicle is valued at $70,000 due to Ledger's fame and also its extensive modifications, according to News Limited reports.

Ledger is believed to have given the van to his long-time friend Trevor DiCarlo when he sold his $7 million Bronte home in 2006, and returned to the US to live.

 
 
 
It was last seen in the driveway of DiCarlo's Bondi home around January 20.

Ledger's grieving father Kim, who is sorting out his son's estate, reported the van stolen to Waverley police a week ago, News Ltd said.


©AAP 2008
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on February 29, 2008, 01:20:22 pm
Again, sorry if this is a duplicate posted link, but there's a commentary in New York (http://nymag.com/news/features/44217/) Magazine that's a must-read for both Brokies and Heath fans generally.

The part about how Heath has been portrayed in news accounts in the form of brief glimpses that showed only one part of his life and character is a kind of eerie coda to the discussions about the "snapshot" approach in much of BBM.


wow marge, that was a good article
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on February 29, 2008, 06:05:57 pm
Ledger's Kombi stolen in Sydney: report
Friday Feb 29 23:34 AEDT
A Kombi van owned by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger, which he left for safekeeping with a Sydney-based mate, has been stolen.

The green-coloured 1975 model Volkswagen van was reportedly stolen from outside a Bondi home about the time of the actor's death last month.

Heath's van was older than he was.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: loneleeb3 on February 29, 2008, 06:20:17 pm
Quote
Quote from: Katie77 on Today at 09:25:50 AM
Ledger's Kombi stolen in Sydney: report
Friday Feb 29 23:34 AEDT
A Kombi van owned by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger, which he left for safekeeping with a Sydney-based mate, has been stolen.

The green-coloured 1975 model Volkswagen van was reportedly stolen from outside a Bondi home about the time of the actor's death last month.


Heath's van was older than he was.

Ya gotta love him!
All the money in the world and he still hung on to that old VW van.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on February 29, 2008, 07:52:39 pm
Wonder, any of you, if those drugs were maybe forced upon Heath?

Yes, forced?

Hugs!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on February 29, 2008, 08:01:44 pm
wow marge, that was a good article

Double wow!!!! That is the most cohesive and inciteful piece of journalism I have read,re the whole tragedy.It was neither sensational or overtly emotional.By being neither it managed to be one of the saddest pieces I have read.
It really just said,he was a good guy,an extemely talented actor.who was much like most of us.neither sinner or saint.
Except like most of us(well me anyway) he had an enormous talent,and with that came pressures which most of us cannot imagine.I struggle enough with day to day life,let alone life through a lens.
I guess he just wanted to be "normal" which was never going to be following the massive impact of BBM.You can't blame the guy for trying though.
Thanks again for posting the link to the article.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on March 01, 2008, 12:04:36 am
Double wow!!!! That is the most cohesive and inciteful piece of journalism I have read,re the whole tragedy.It was neither sensational or overtly emotional.By being neither it managed to be one of the saddest pieces I have read.



What you said. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on March 01, 2008, 11:42:01 am
Double wow!!!! That is the most cohesive and inciteful piece of journalism I have read,re the whole tragedy.It was neither sensational or overtly emotional.By being neither it managed to be one of the saddest pieces I have read.
It really just said,he was a good guy,an extemely talented actor.who was much like most of us.neither sinner or saint.
Except like most of us(well me anyway) he had an enormous talent,and with that came pressures which most of us cannot imagine.I struggle enough with day to day life,let alone life through a lens.
I guess he just wanted to be "normal" which was never going to be following the massive impact of BBM.You can't blame the guy for trying though.

(The above quote referred to the New York Magazine article this week.)

What I thought was the best insight, though a very bitter one, was the author's remark that if Heath had started "acting like an a**hole", showing up for a day's work at a movie shoot obviously under the influence, etc. he might still be alive because people who knew him well might have figured that something was wrong and done some kind of intervention.

Of course, we'll never know that for sure but when I read that, I just had a gut feeling that the author had touched on one of the most important aspects of this tragedy. And it's true -- it's the people who, through insecurity, strength of character, or some of both, who struggle along in "quiet desperation" without showing any outward signs who so often fall through the cracks.

That article also made it crystal-clear, without ranting much about it, how inane the sensationalism was.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 01, 2008, 02:44:40 pm
Wonder, any of you, if those drugs were maybe forced upon Heath?

Yes, forced?

Hugs!

Guess we will never know.

What I do know is that it is very easy to take ,accidentally too many Rx. meds.As I am having a rough time at the moment,I am on several meds.All prescribed by same phsician,sleeping tabs,anti depressants,pain killers.

Since the death of Heath I have started keeing a note of what I took and when.

It is so easy when you cant sleep,are depressed,manic and in pain,just to think oh,Ill  just take a couple more.Anything to get rid of the pain,mental and physical,get some sleep.So I am much more careful than I used to be.

It at least acted as a bit of a wake up call to me.to be less cavalier about my meds.Now when it gets real bad I offload here at Better Most !!!!!!!!!


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 01, 2008, 03:34:56 pm
Guess we will never know.

What I do know is that it is very easy to take ,accidentally too many Rx. meds.As I am having a rough time at the moment,I am on several meds.All prescribed by same phsician,sleeping tabs,anti depressants,pain killers.

Since the death of Heath I have started keeing a note of what I took and when.

It is so easy when you cant sleep,are depressed,manic and in pain,just to think oh,Ill  just take a couple more.Anything to get rid of the pain,mental and physical,get some sleep.So I am much more careful than I used to be.

It at least acted as a bit of a wake up call to me.to be less cavalier about my meds.Now when it gets real bad I offload here at Better Most !!!!!!!!!




{{{{Optom3}}}}

That's so good to hear... yeah even when a doctor prescribes pain medicine, you need to be very careful with them. My doctor prescribed me very strong pain medication last week for a pulled muscle, and I now found out it increases the risk of heart failure, needless to say I will quit taking it asap.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on March 01, 2008, 03:44:25 pm
{{{{Optom3}}}}

That's so good to hear... yeah even when a doctor prescribes pain medicine, you need to be very careful with them. My doctor prescribed me very strong pain medication last week for a pulled muscle, and I now found out it increases the risk of heart failure, needless to say I will quit taking it asap.

The only painkiller I ever take, and I,ve been taking it for years and years, is Ibobrufen. Dunno if I spelt that right. I take it because I suffer dreadfully with "womens things". It,s the only thing that works.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 01, 2008, 10:20:43 pm
Here is a smidgen of news:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23302707-5001026,00.html

Heath's wheels

 

A ROYAL blue classic Aston Martin V8, which once belonged to Heath Ledger, is again up for sale in Sydney.

The beautifully presented car was actually the NEC Motor Show car and it is finished in deep royal blue, with chamois leather piped in navy and navy Wilton carpets.

For a time, it was proudly parked in the driveway of Ledger's former Bronte home, proving that he was a man of style. However, it is now in the showroom of the Classic Throttle Shop in North Sydney, with a price tag of $145,000 - only for the most committed of the Ledger memorabilia hunters.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 01, 2008, 10:25:15 pm
And some new details about the portrait of Heath and the Archibald Prize entry by Vincent Fantauzzo.

f the annual Archibald Prize is meant to court controversy, then the 2008 version lives up to its reputation.

The most haunting image among the 40 finalists vying for next Friday’s $50,000 prize is that of actor Heath Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in the US two months ago.

The brooding portrait shows a Christ-like image of the actor surrounded by two further images of himself whispering into both ears.

Ledger sat for his friend Vincent Fantauzzo in Perth last Christmas.

But the Melbourne artist had second thoughts about entering after Ledger’s sudden death, and changed his mind only after talking with the actor’s family and friends.

Ledger was given sketches of the proposed painting but never saw the final result.

“I was about to email him an image when I heard,” Fantauzzo said.


http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=182&ContentID=61011
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on March 01, 2008, 11:26:10 pm
How interesting, Louise.  I would love to see that portrait.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 02, 2008, 07:34:44 am
How interesting, Louise.  I would love to see that portrait.

Here it is Barb.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 02, 2008, 11:57:37 am
Am I the only one who finds this portrait vaugely disturbing.?
I know it is not just because he does not look as handsome as usual.In one way he looks even more stunning,as the artist really seems to have captured his very soul.
He just seems disturbed.

I am certainly not an art critic,but it seems the artist has tried to capture 2 conflicting sides of his personality,hence the 2 outer images.Is it good conflicting with bad?

I know it is all too easy to read things into this work in light of his death ,and all the reports which followed on.I jst cant escape the feeling that it portrays a troubled soul,battling with demons.

I love artists, as so many times they seem to capture parts of a personality that a camera does not seem to.Please dont shoot me down in flames,all photographers!!!! It is just my personal opinion.
The bottom line remains,that the painting disturbs me,on some level.I can't quite grasp.I would go so far as to say,much as I love it,I can hardly bear to look at it.
Any opinions would as always be appreciated.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on March 02, 2008, 12:03:33 pm
Am I the only one who finds this portrait vaugely disturbing.?
I know it is not just because he does not look as handsome as usual.In one way he looks even more stunning,as the artist really seems to have captured his very soul.
He just seems disturbed.

I am certainly not an art critic,but it seems the artist has tried to capture 2 conflicting sides of his personality,hence the 2 outer images.Is it good conflicting with bad?

I know it is all too easy to read things into this work in light of his death ,and all the reports which followed on.I jst cant escape the feeling that it portrays a troubled soul,battling with demons.

I love artists, as so many times they seem to capture parts of a personality that a camera does not seem to.Please dont shoot me down in flames,all photographers!!!! It is just my personal opinion.
The bottom line remains,that the painting disturbs me,on some level.I can't quite grasp.I would go so far as to say,much as I love it,I can hardly bear to look at it.
Any opinions would as always be appreciated.



No your not. I,m sorry if this offends anyone but I actually think it,s dreadful. I don,t like it one little bit. Sorry but that,s just the way I feel.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 02, 2008, 03:20:50 pm
Am I the only one who finds this portrait vaugely disturbing.?

No, you're certainly not.


Quote
I am certainly not an art critic,but it seems the artist has tried to capture 2 conflicting sides of his personality,hence the 2 outer images.Is it good conflicting with bad?

Yup. Mikaela explained this very eloquently on the HHH thread, but I think you put it very good in a nutshell.

Quote
I know it is all too easy to read things into this work in light of his death ,and all the reports which followed on.I jst cant escape the feeling that it portrays a troubled soul,battling with demons.

Sadly, yes.  :(
But to put things in perspective, all other portraits I've seen of the same artist have this dark, disturbing quality to them. I'll look for the link and post it here.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 02, 2008, 04:18:29 pm
Here's the link to Fantauzzo's site:

http://www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm (http://www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 02, 2008, 06:29:40 pm
Here's the link to Fantauzzo's site:

http://www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm (http://www.vincentfantauzzo.com/index.htm)

Hi,
thanks for that.That is one seriously dark set of paintings.My goodness even the "innocence of youth" in the baby picture is tortured. If I was that babies mom I would be very concerned,if as is often said an artist captures what is going on inside someones mind!!!!!

Glad I am not the only one who dislikes the Heath portrait.

Think I will give his work a miss.I have enogh trouble with nightmares as it is.I only need to watch the news and see what is happening in the world to witness disturbing images.

Still maybe I am just a phillistine with regard to this artists work.

I find myself wondering what his friends and family feel about it.I certainly would not like it as the last formal portrait of some one I had deeply loved.It would torture me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 02, 2008, 07:14:32 pm
The first time I saw the portrait, I really disliked it. In the weeks since, it has sort of grown on me. I wouldn't want it hanging on the wall of my living room, but I do think it captures something of Heath's essence.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on March 02, 2008, 07:19:55 pm
Quote from: optom3
I find myself wondering what his friends and family feel about it.

Optom, if you look at the news quote in Louise's entry a few posts back, it says: " . . . the Melbourne artist had second thoughts about entering after Ledger’s sudden death, and changed his mind only after talking with the actor’s family and friends."

So I would assume that they were at least okay enough with the work to encourage the artist to enter it for the Archibald Prize.

I'm with you though; I wouldn't want that to become my principal visual memory of Heath.  (The two figures whispering to the center one are artistic flights of fancy and don't bother me so much. But the physical portrayal shows so clearly how exhausted and gaunt he was toward the end.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on March 02, 2008, 07:22:44 pm
I'm having trouble with the prominent clavicle bones.  Heath looks too thin in the painting.

OK.  I'm going to say it:  I don't think it looks like him at all
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on March 02, 2008, 07:28:47 pm
I dont like it either..
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on March 02, 2008, 07:29:14 pm
It may not look like Heath from his golden-boy pinups, Fran, but IMO it does resemble late 2007 Heath:

(http://www.actucine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/hlim.jpg)

 :-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 02, 2008, 08:34:10 pm
I'm having trouble with the prominent clavicle bones.  Heath looks too thin in the painting.

OK.  I'm going to say it:  I don't think it looks like him at all

Me neither,
or at least, not the way I would like to remember him.
 I find it too painful to think of him, and indeed see him ,looking so thin.I realise he was probably troubled latterly,I just prefer my memory to be of that lovely smile,and reflective unassuming persona.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on March 02, 2008, 09:07:08 pm
Call me crazy, but I love that portrait of Heath.  I think it's a great likeness, and it suggests his deeper, more creative aspect to me.  He had an active mind, to the point where he couldn't sleep for his racing thoughts, and the artist seems to have found a way to represent that brilliantly.  The other parts of himself are ever present, active and restless.  The number three is mystical and makes me think of the description of him as an "old soul."  The expression on the face of the central figure suggests he's looking inward.  I love the tattoos, too.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on March 02, 2008, 09:24:31 pm
What I thought was the best insight, though a very bitter one, was the author's remark that if Heath had started "acting like an a**hole", showing up for a day's work at a movie shoot obviously under the influence, etc. he might still be alive because people who knew him well might have figured that something was wrong and done some kind of intervention.

[..] And it's true -- it's the people who, through insecurity, strength of character, or some of both, who struggle along in "quiet desperation" without showing any outward signs who so often fall through the cracks.

I want to agree with that!

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on March 02, 2008, 09:45:39 pm
 
Call me crazy, but I love that portrait of Heath.  I think it's a great likeness, and it suggests his deeper, more creative aspect to me.  He had an active mind, to the point where he couldn't sleep for his racing thoughts, and the artist seems to have found a way to represent that brilliantly.  The other parts of himself are ever present, active and restless.  The number three is mystical and makes me think of the description of him as an "old soul."  The expression on the face of the central figure suggests he's looking inward.  I love the tattoos, too.

Very beautifully said Meryl! I like the bit about the 'racing thoughts'. I like the triple Heath too. To me - I said it before - it's like he's saying - 'too many Heaths in my head'.. He seems exhausted. I know what I'm writing isn't very clear, but I hope Vincent Fantauzzo wins!

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 02, 2008, 10:08:15 pm
I agree the Heath in the centre is rather unsettling because we all know he was having a hard time in his personal life in the last few months, that's why we would always project that thought into the portrait.  But I like the 2 Heaths on the 2 sides, I think they captured the energy and playfulness of Heath.  I always concentrate on those 2 Heaths when I look at the portrait and I'm fine with it.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on March 02, 2008, 10:31:41 pm
It may not look like Heath from his golden-boy pinups, Fran, but IMO it does resemble late 2007 Heath:

(http://www.actucine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/hlim.jpg)

 :-\

So I see, Laura.  Obviously, I haven't spent much time in the Heath Heath Heath thread.

(http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa188/ffrraann/abc%20movies/heath_ledger_and_matilda_ledger_in_.jpg)

In the photo on the right, which was supposedly taken a couple of days after the one on the left, he's practically skin and bones, much too thin.

I guess I should edit my comment about the painting to this:

I don't like it, even if it is comprised of perfect likenesses of Heath.  I find it painful to look at. 

On a happier note, it looks like Matilda remembered her harmonica in the above picture.  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 03, 2008, 08:29:59 am
Call me crazy, but I love that portrait of Heath.  I think it's a great likeness, and it suggests his deeper, more creative aspect to me.  He had an active mind, to the point where he couldn't sleep for his racing thoughts, and the artist seems to have found a way to represent that brilliantly.  The other parts of himself are ever present, active and restless.  The number three is mystical and makes me think of the description of him as an "old soul."  The expression on the face of the central figure suggests he's looking inward.  I love the tattoos, too.

What Meryl said. I love it and would love to have it hanging in my home.  :D
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 04, 2008, 10:32:54 am
Gemma Ward comments on Heath. From the Sydney Morning Herald:

The girl who fell to earth

March 3, 2008

Five minutes into meeting Gemma Ward, even in mid-conversation, I find myself actively counting the centimetres between her eyes. It could be five centimetres, it could be seven, but her eyes are so wide set it's like being drawn into the twilight zone.

Of course, Ward - who is spectacularly tall in real life - has parlayed her "alien" look into a multimillion-dollar modelling career. She is not only famous for appearing on the covers of the world's best-known magazines and sashaying down runways, she has also been linked to some high-profile men, most particularly Heath Ledger.

Ward, 20, has initially asked that there are no personal questions during the interview - her grief about Ledger, a fellow West Australian, is still raw. Instead, Ward wants to talk about her career shift into films and the early success of the Australian movie The Black Balloon in which she stars. (The film, which is released nationally on Thursday, has won the Crystal Bear for best feature in the Generation 14plus section at the Berlin Film Festival).

It's obvious Ledger, an Oscar-nominated star, left a real impression on Ward about how she should tackle her emerging film career. Speaking directly about Ledger for the first time since his death, Ward says: "I think he operated from the heart. He really, really knew that if he was going to make a decision to be in a film, then he needed to be really committed to it.

"He wasn't afraid to fight with people involved, he wasn't afraid to perhaps piss people off.

"He told me to always be a punk and 'stand up for yourself'," Ward says softly, her deep voice still displaying an Australian accent.

It's obvious Ward has relied on family to help pull her through a tough time. Her older sister, Sophie, has now moved to New York to share her flat.

It's not immediately apparent, but across the room from where we are sitting (inside the club lounge at Sydney's Hotel InterContinental) a relaxed family of four - a very tall mum and dad, both striking in their blonde and brunette looks, and two teenage boys (with strangely familiar eyes) playing games on a mobile phone - are sitting waiting for Gemma. It's the rest of the Ward family, who have travelled to Sydney with her.

"Yeah, that's them over there. They're my brothers [twins]; they just turned 17," she says, with a smile. "Through my whole career, that's been a major thing, bringing my family with me."

Ward's shift into acting is notable for the fact she chose to play a key character in an Australian-made production - The Black Balloon, which centres on a family living with autism - rather than a walk-on role in a Hollywood film.

After appearing in Vanity Fair with George Clooney and being recognised all over the world as a modelling name, Ward could have had her pick of the "pretty girlfriend" roles on offer in LA.

"It's an incredibly touching film, you can tell it's from the heart," Ward says of the film.

" It's not only a piece of artwork, it's a story that needs to be told. It's opening up an area in people's brains about issues that are not often spoken about."

It's surprising to realise how grounded Ward is in person. Since she was thrust into the world of international fashion at 16, she has been in a world many of us will never see.

At first, Ward's famous "alien" look may have come in handy as she felt as though she was on another planet.

"It was the best and darkest of times, especially in the beginning," she says. "The day after my 16th birthday, I left to go to New York and I ended up staying from then. Especially because I was younger, it felt very much like I was learning a new way of being.

"You don't really question what's happening because you're just soaking it in. So I kind of just accepted it, but it did take a little while.

"It was hard to be alone at that age, coming from a family that was very, very, very close."

Ward's image has been so wound into the world of fantasy and fashion, her career so dependent on her appearance, that her warmth and intelligence is almost unexpected. She might be a supermodel, but she has a refreshingly balanced view of where she sits in the overall picture.

"I have felt it," she says, of the pressure of fame and recognition.

"But it's kind of dying now, because I realise you can't ever please everyone."

"Sometimes when people are constantly wanting the fantasy or the illusion, you have to break it to them that it's not real, you know what I mean?" she says, with a giggle.

"It's hard if you start believing that you should be really that perfect fantasy ideal, that people start believing because of all of the retouching . . . you know. There's a real person behind that.

"You can delve into that fantasy world and play with it, but when you walk away, that's not you. Other people can't really differentiate that sometimes - there are a lot of young girls that I'll meet on the street, that'll know me, and they'll say, 'Oh, you don't seem at all like a famous model'.

"And I'm like, 'Well, that's the job and this is me'. We can all play dress-ups, we can all make ourselves look like that.

"I definitely do feel sometimes that people would like to put that pressure on me. But at the end of the day, I'd prefer to say, 'Hate to break it to you, but . . ."

With millions in her bank account, Ward has an air of chic that suits her globetrotting lifestyle: immaculate skin, white-bright platinum-blonde hair and a boho outfit centred on jeans and a tie-dyed T-shirt with a peace symbol and a yellow scarf artfully wrapped around her neck.

She struggles to define how her wealth has impacted upon her life, although it's clear she's not too worried about counting dollars.

"I'm not really sure how it has changed me," she says of her fortune, estimated to be more than $10 million.

"The first thing might sound a little bit horrible, but I don't often ask how much I'm getting paid for certain things. I try not to make it a deciding factor in my choices, so I often don't ask - I know it might come back and slap me in the face when somebody rips me off or something," she says, with a laugh.

"I'm very aware of my spending, but I'm not very aware of my income. There are certain times when I speak to my accountant, or something will pop up, and I'll be like, 'Oh', but it's not really a frontrunner in my head. I know that it definitely helps with, for example, if I'm really in a place where I need someone, some of my family, they can come."

Her success as a model has assisted Ward in making a credible shift into film, rather than just doing something for the sake of raising her profile or earning extra cash.

"It helps with making film choices that I'm not just struggling for the money, that helps a lot as well," she says.

"I remember doing my first commercials when I was young and, you know, getting a little bit of money for that and feeling so good that it was there. I worked at a pizza shop at one point, as well, while I was doing all these other things.

"So I've kind of just learnt to enjoy the work aspect that comes and, when you receive the money afterwards, I know that I worked really hard and that's great."

It's hard sometimes for the film elite to take models seriously when they begin acting, but Ward is hoping to emulate the decisions - and values - of some of our biggest stars.

"I've always admired Cate Blanchett and the roles she chooses," Ward says.

"I think she's got an incredible discipline in a way, with choosing roles that are going to help her grow and bring something interesting to the world." While Ward hasn't met the Oscar-winner yet, she says she'd "love to".

Toni Collette, who stars in The Black Balloon, left a real impression on Ward - even before they were sharing the film set.

"I remember Toni Collette as being one of the people who first made me want to be an actress, because I watched The Sixth Sense and I was blown away by her performance. I remember it was one of the first times I watched the Oscars because I was just desperate for her to win," Ward says.

"She's just so gentle and supportive of all of us, she really did look after us all [on The Black Balloon set]."

Ward says behind the great names and hardworking artists are people filled with insecurities, just like everyone else.

"I've learnt, through modelling as well, that we place a lot of emphasis on not only celebrities, but designers, and people that we all admire. How fast you learn when you work with these people that they can be just as self-conscious or shy or just as normal and goofy as anyone. I mean, when I met George Clooney, same thing - he was just such a goofy guy, not at all what you'd think."

So she wasn't chatted up by Clooney, then? Does Ward, as a supermodel, have rich and famous men chasing after her? Shelaughs uproariously, looking a touch embarrassed by the question.

"In New York, you do have certain guys that are like that. But I don't really dress up to that. I don't often go to many of those things," she says.

Ward, who attended the premiere for The Black Balloon in Sydney last week, will continue to base herself in New York, although it is clear she has a huge affection for Western Australia. She will continue to work in the fashion world, but her long-term goal is a serious acting career. Ward just wants to make choices that suit her, not other people.

"I definitely have gone through some ups and downs and sometimes I find the easiest way is not to ever think [about the scrutiny] . . . you kind of feel embarrassed or ashamed if somebody else is expecting something or watching you," she says. "It's about being comfortable, however you are."

The Black Balloon is released nationally on Thursday.
Source: The Sun-Herald

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/03/02/1204402314723.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 04, 2008, 10:44:28 am
She seems like a clever girl. I have always wondered why people hated the fact that Heath and she were linked together, and couldn't believe that someone like Heath would go out with somebody like Ward. Is that because she was a model? I think they might have had a lot in common and Heath was probably someone she went to for advice. I can totally see that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on March 04, 2008, 01:59:12 pm
"I'm very aware of my spending, but I'm not very aware of my income. There are certain times when I speak to my accountant, or something will pop up, and I'll be like, 'Oh', but it's not really a frontrunner in my head. I know that it definitely helps with, for example, if I'm really in a place where I need someone, some of my family, they can come."

Damn.

Regrets like these are useless, I know.  But if Heath . . . if he'd asked someone . . . a sibling were staying with him for a while . . . or a cousin or somebody . . .

sigh.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on March 05, 2008, 09:25:11 am
But to put things in perspective, all other portraits I've seen of the same artist have this dark, disturbing quality to them. I'll look for the link and post it here.


I would like it somewhat better if the artist had conveyed Heath's shadow side in terms of how he looked in life. The image seems to have advanced him to a late middle age that, unfortunately, no one in this life will see. The picture that Fran LauraGigs posted shows a man of Heath's age with a dark side; the portrait shows a man with skin texture, especially under the eyes, that  suggests someone much older.

(reference corrected by Marge_Innavera)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on March 05, 2008, 09:55:51 am
I would like it somewhat better if the artist had conveyed Heath's shadow side in terms of how he looked in life. The image seems to have advanced him to a late middle age that, unfortunately, no one in this life will see. The picture that Fran posted shows a man of Heath's age with a dark side; the portrait shows a man with skin texture, especially under the eyes, that  suggests someone much older.

Marge, LauraGigs gets credit for posting the photo. 

I have to agree with you about the age progression.  Maybe that's the part I wasn't getting when I couldn't see the portrait's resemblance to Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 05, 2008, 10:11:32 am
In an "I'm not there" kind of way, the portrait captures one aspect of Heath.  It is dark and dramatic.  The heavy use chiaroscuro and tenebrism recall the work of Caravaggio (but in contemporary dress -- or is it contemporary undress?), and that play of dark and light is the defining feature of all the portraits by this painter featured in his web gallery. 

Clearly Heath was attracted to this painter's work.  He appreciated the artist's work enough to sit for him. Whether or not it bears a likeness to us is less important than the fact that Heath clearly must have seen something of himself in this picture.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on March 05, 2008, 12:02:56 pm
I just reads a few of the preceding posts and maybe it's just me but I don't see any age progression at all in the Heath figures and I find the likeness amazingly accurate, almost photorealist.

Anyway the painting is now one of the finalists and we'll find out on Friday if it gets honoured with the Archibald Prize
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on March 05, 2008, 12:12:58 pm
She seems like a clever girl. I have always wondered why people hated the fact that Heath and she were linked together, and couldn't believe that someone like Heath would go out with somebody like Ward. Is that because she was a model? I think they might have had a lot in common and Heath was probably someone she went to for advice. I can totally see that.

I think she sounds like an incredibly lovely person - grounded in her family.  That's so important.  Mandy Moore started out here in Florida the same way (and at the same time, I think) as Britney Spears.  Her father is an American Airlines captain - my husband has flown with him.  He commuted from Orlando to Miami for years so he and her Mom could live with Mandy in Orlando while her singing, and then acting, career was burgeoning.  When she first moved out to California, her Mom went with her, and her Dad visited whenever he could.  You can see what a difference having strong family support and the constant presence of family means in the life of someone like this.

Anyway, Gemma seems great.  I think I would really like her if I knew her personally.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on March 05, 2008, 04:35:47 pm
I just had the niomi, kate immage in my head but she seems very suitable for Heath. *sigh*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on March 05, 2008, 09:58:32 pm
There was just a TV special on Heath half hour ago.

It sure presented Heath's life, in many ways, plus his films.

Did anyone see that?

Hugs!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on March 06, 2008, 04:08:14 am
From Salon:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/ (http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/)


Understanding Heath Ledger's death

How drug company advertisements, doctors, pharmacies and patients intertwine to cause an overdose.

By Larry Zaroff, M.D., Ph.D.

(http://images.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/story.jpg)
Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain"

March 6, 2008 | Heath Ledger stopped breathing. An accidental overdose of prescribed medicines is the presumed cause of death. Ledger's toxicology report revealed that he had ingested two sleep medications (Restoril and Unisom), two potent narcotics (oxycodone and hydrocodone) and two tranquilizers (Valium and Xanax). The dosages, not documented, were enough to kill him.

The public occasionally hears of drug-related deaths among the famous. Often the drugs involved are illegal: heroin or cocaine. But death or near death from prescribed drugs, as in the cases of Judy Garland and Anna Nicole Smith, is not unusual, and may not be related to addiction or suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor-vehicle crashes rank first among unintentional deaths in America. But poisoning is second, most commonly from the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs. Unintentional deaths from accidental drug ingestion rose significantly from 1999 to 2004. This trend is primarily due to increasing use of prescription opioid analgesics, and not heroin, methamphetamines or other illegal drugs.

Where does the problem start? How do drug company advertisements, doctors, pharmacies and patients intertwine to cause an overdose?

If a tired, stressed-at-work patient is sick, depressed over a relationship, having pain and develops insomnia -- as Ledger apparently did -- what does he do? He has no doubt been exposed to a media blitz, a tsunami of public proclamations asserting the prowess of a sleeping medication. Pop a pill and you get a perfect night's sleep, eight hours of bliss. Only after you see the beautiful people sleeping and waking refreshed to win a Nobel, and after a sweet voice describes the pill's perfection, do you hear a mellow reminder of the side effects. Be careful, don't drive or drink and, oh, yes, sleeping pills can be addictive. The warning may even advise you to talk to your doctor about other medications.

However, no notation is made that with prolonged use, the pills tend to be less effective so that you will want to increase the dose. For the average person, without knowledge of pharmacology, the risk of such blandishments can be high -- serious side effects and death. The risks are also high for the pharmaceutical companies: millions spent for media buys and billions in revenue accrued from the sales.

Now, any patient, unable to sleep because her back aches or her work overwhelms, feeling protected by the Kevlar of information from Big Pharma, goes to her doctor -- internist or family doctor -- or maybe in the case of a prominent athlete or actor, a physician-friend.

What determines the doctor's reaction when he hears of chronic pain or inability to sleep night after night? The doctor's education -- four years of college, four years of medical school followed by a residency of four to eight years -- has been focused on science, emphasizing prompt relief of symptoms. Medical students learn that pills solve problems. Commonly only allowed a 20-minute visit with patients, a limit insisted on by administrators, the physician is often quick to prescribe without probing for the underlying problem.

The physician may not take the time to ask the patient what other drugs are stored in her medicine cabinet, or if she has seen additional doctors for her problem. Even if the doctor asks, "What other medicines have you been on?" the patient may have forgotten, or not wish to tell the doctor, wanting to keep a large supply on hand to meet an increasing need or even an addiction.

Consider the best-case scenario: The doctor gives the patient a prescription for a small supply, warns of side effects, cautions against overdose and interactions with other drugs. But the patient, worried, ill, does not pay attention to the doctor's words. Particularly if she is alone, she forgets or discards the information.

Next the patient brings the script to a drugstore to pick up her medicine. The pharmacist is too busy to chat with her or too overworked (a nationwide shortage of pharmacists exists) to warn of side effects, or the patient is in too great a hurry to listen, so a clerk hands over the pills without any information. Along with the pills, the manufacturer has inserted a parchment, often written in small hieroglyphics, that lists all the information a patient should absorb before absorbing the pills. Stand outside any pharmacy and ask 10 patrons if they have read or plan to digest the onion skin that tells all. You will find, I venture, nine who have no plans to even glance at the printout.

After leaving the drugstore, the patient realizes the wise doctor has given her only 30 pills, not enough, since one pill no longer gives her what she requires: deep, worry-free sleep or relief of pain or anxiety. If she has all three problems, she will need more pills or other kinds. She goes to another doctor and gets a second supply. She is set for the moment. But her work requires travel, sometimes out of the country. She can locate other doctors in other places who will prescribe. Now she has a fine stash both in her medicine cabinet and in her suitcase.

She is young, smart, well regarded by her associates. She is the opposite of careless. But she has no understanding of physiology, how the body works, what controls vital functions -- breathing, heartbeat, circulation -- and how drugs can affect these functions. How drugs work, their rate of absorption, their peak level of activity, is of no interest to her. She only wants relief of her insomnia, her pain, her worries. She has no idea that drugs have an optimum dose, that combinations of drugs might be like taking too much of a single drug, that often dissimilar medicines can affect the same organs and stop their activities. Unknown to her, she may even have a genetic abnormality that makes her more susceptible to the synergistic effects of the drugs.

The patient is not an addict and suicide is the last thing she would consider. But she has a tough day ahead of her. She needs her sleep. She decides to take two sleeping pills since one did not work well enough the previous night. Because she strained her back yesterday and feared the pain might keep her awake, she takes a narcotic, a single dose. She feels edgy despite the sleeping pills and the narcotic, and so she takes a tranquilizer. The witches' brew works. She dozes off but awakes in two hours, her mind jumbled. She must sleep. She slips into the bathroom and repeats the doses. She lies down, sleeps soon, too deeply. An hour later she stops breathing. She is alone, no one to aid her.

What is the answer to prescription drug overdoses? There is no perfect solution, any more than there is a drug without side effects. But a nationwide database of patient records, including a list of prescribed drugs, would help. The database would be available to all prescribing professionals and pharmacists. A similar program is in place in the Kaiser system. Of course, many patients would object vehemently for privacy reasons. A patient who needed codeine for an episode of acute back pain might worry how a prospective employer would interpret the information. Safeguards to protect patient data would need to be maximized.

The prevalence of increasing drug use in our society with the complication of overdose demands a solution. At a minimum, patients need to learn and understand the dangers of mixing and overdosing drugs, which can lead to the collapse of lung, heart and nervous systems. More informative commercials would help. Using Ledger's tragic death as a case study to educate students and other medical personal would be a powerful reminder.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 06, 2008, 10:22:42 am
From Salon:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/ (http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/)


Understanding Heath Ledger's death

How drug company advertisements, doctors, pharmacies and patients intertwine to cause an overdose.

By Larry Zaroff, M.D., Ph.D.

(http://images.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/03/06/heath_ledger_overdose/story.jpg)
Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain"

March 6, 2008 | Heath Ledger stopped breathing. An accidental overdose of prescribed medicines is the presumed cause of death. Ledger's toxicology report revealed that he had ingested two sleep medications (Restoril and Unisom), two potent narcotics (oxycodone and hydrocodone) and two tranquilizers (Valium and Xanax). The dosages, not documented, were enough to kill him.

The public occasionally hears of drug-related deaths among the famous. Often the drugs involved are illegal: heroin or cocaine. But death or near death from prescribed drugs, as in the cases of Judy Garland and Anna Nicole Smith, is not unusual, and may not be related to addiction or suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor-vehicle crashes rank first among unintentional deaths in America. But poisoning is second, most commonly from the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs. Unintentional deaths from accidental drug ingestion rose significantly from 1999 to 2004. This trend is primarily due to increasing use of prescription opioid analgesics, and not heroin, methamphetamines or other illegal drugs.

Where does the problem start? How do drug company advertisements, doctors, pharmacies and patients intertwine to cause an overdose?

If a tired, stressed-at-work patient is sick, depressed over a relationship, having pain and develops insomnia -- as Ledger apparently did -- what does he do? He has no doubt been exposed to a media blitz, a tsunami of public proclamations asserting the prowess of a sleeping medication. Pop a pill and you get a perfect night's sleep, eight hours of bliss. Only after you see the beautiful people sleeping and waking refreshed to win a Nobel, and after a sweet voice describes the pill's perfection, do you hear a mellow reminder of the side effects. Be careful, don't drive or drink and, oh, yes, sleeping pills can be addictive. The warning may even advise you to talk to your doctor about other medications.

However, no notation is made that with prolonged use, the pills tend to be less effective so that you will want to increase the dose. For the average person, without knowledge of pharmacology, the risk of such blandishments can be high -- serious side effects and death. The risks are also high for the pharmaceutical companies: millions spent for media buys and billions in revenue accrued from the sales.

Now, any patient, unable to sleep because her back aches or her work overwhelms, feeling protected by the Kevlar of information from Big Pharma, goes to her doctor -- internist or family doctor -- or maybe in the case of a prominent athlete or actor, a physician-friend.

What determines the doctor's reaction when he hears of chronic pain or inability to sleep night after night? The doctor's education -- four years of college, four years of medical school followed by a residency of four to eight years -- has been focused on science, emphasizing prompt relief of symptoms. Medical students learn that pills solve problems. Commonly only allowed a 20-minute visit with patients, a limit insisted on by administrators, the physician is often quick to prescribe without probing for the underlying problem.

The physician may not take the time to ask the patient what other drugs are stored in her medicine cabinet, or if she has seen additional doctors for her problem. Even if the doctor asks, "What other medicines have you been on?" the patient may have forgotten, or not wish to tell the doctor, wanting to keep a large supply on hand to meet an increasing need or even an addiction.

Consider the best-case scenario: The doctor gives the patient a prescription for a small supply, warns of side effects, cautions against overdose and interactions with other drugs. But the patient, worried, ill, does not pay attention to the doctor's words. Particularly if she is alone, she forgets or discards the information.

Next the patient brings the script to a drugstore to pick up her medicine. The pharmacist is too busy to chat with her or too overworked (a nationwide shortage of pharmacists exists) to warn of side effects, or the patient is in too great a hurry to listen, so a clerk hands over the pills without any information. Along with the pills, the manufacturer has inserted a parchment, often written in small hieroglyphics, that lists all the information a patient should absorb before absorbing the pills. Stand outside any pharmacy and ask 10 patrons if they have read or plan to digest the onion skin that tells all. You will find, I venture, nine who have no plans to even glance at the printout.

After leaving the drugstore, the patient realizes the wise doctor has given her only 30 pills, not enough, since one pill no longer gives her what she requires: deep, worry-free sleep or relief of pain or anxiety. If she has all three problems, she will need more pills or other kinds. She goes to another doctor and gets a second supply. She is set for the moment. But her work requires travel, sometimes out of the country. She can locate other doctors in other places who will prescribe. Now she has a fine stash both in her medicine cabinet and in her suitcase.

She is young, smart, well regarded by her associates. She is the opposite of careless. But she has no understanding of physiology, how the body works, what controls vital functions -- breathing, heartbeat, circulation -- and how drugs can affect these functions. How drugs work, their rate of absorption, their peak level of activity, is of no interest to her. She only wants relief of her insomnia, her pain, her worries. She has no idea that drugs have an optimum dose, that combinations of drugs might be like taking too much of a single drug, that often dissimilar medicines can affect the same organs and stop their activities. Unknown to her, she may even have a genetic abnormality that makes her more susceptible to the synergistic effects of the drugs.

The patient is not an addict and suicide is the last thing she would consider. But she has a tough day ahead of her. She needs her sleep. She decides to take two sleeping pills since one did not work well enough the previous night. Because she strained her back yesterday and feared the pain might keep her awake, she takes a narcotic, a single dose. She feels edgy despite the sleeping pills and the narcotic, and so she takes a tranquilizer. The witches' brew works. She dozes off but awakes in two hours, her mind jumbled. She must sleep. She slips into the bathroom and repeats the doses. She lies down, sleeps soon, too deeply. An hour later she stops breathing. She is alone, no one to aid her.

What is the answer to prescription drug overdoses? There is no perfect solution, any more than there is a drug without side effects. But a nationwide database of patient records, including a list of prescribed drugs, would help. The database would be available to all prescribing professionals and pharmacists. A similar program is in place in the Kaiser system. Of course, many patients would object vehemently for privacy reasons. A patient who needed codeine for an episode of acute back pain might worry how a prospective employer would interpret the information. Safeguards to protect patient data would need to be maximized.

The prevalence of increasing drug use in our society with the complication of overdose demands a solution. At a minimum, patients need to learn and understand the dangers of mixing and overdosing drugs, which can lead to the collapse of lung, heart and nervous systems. More informative commercials would help. Using Ledger's tragic death as a case study to educate students and other medical personal would be a powerful reminder.


The most sensible article I have yet tp read.Thanks for posting.
I have for several years taken a whole cocktail of Rx medications,for arthritis,2 chronic shoulder injuries and bouts of depressioncaused by bipolar.If you add crippling migraines into the mix,then on a bad day I can be taking opiate based meds,antidepressants,sleeping tablets in large doses.Add to that over 20 years my tolerance has increased.
The difference for me is that because of my previous occupation I have a prescribing book of all meds,so I am careful to check and double check,particularly now ,how much I can take and with what.Because I also realised that I was becomming confused on a bad day,I started to make a list of what I had taken and at what time.Even so in the midle of the night when you cant sleep and the pain is crippling you to the point of tears,added to that a combination of the 2 has made the depression escalate,it is all too easy to think what the hell,Il will just take another couple.
I don,t but it is hard to resist some times.I do not want my kids to find me dead one morning.I too have been tempted to go to different physicians to get further supplies,but again the thought of my kids stops me.
The only way forward I see,is for better patient education.You should have to sign to say you have read and understood the meds you have been given.I realise that with a shortage of pharmacists and doctors time being limited this is idealistic,but it is something to aim for.But above all bigger warnings on meds in large letters,like on cigarette packets  .i.e WARNING  combinations of some drugs can kill!!!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on March 06, 2008, 11:19:26 am
That show about Heath on TV last night mentioned that 3 (different pills kinds) that  he took came from Europe when he was there. And it is known where he got those prescriptions.

But is it still NOT known where he took the prescriptions in the USA? I think that that was it! Still the mystery there.

Is that it?

Hugs!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on March 06, 2008, 11:57:41 am
Marge, LauraGigs gets credit for posting the photo. 

Thanks for the correction, Fran -- I fixed it, using a strike-out so it would make sense. Sorry, Laura!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 06, 2008, 02:57:14 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/books/06esqu.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Esquire Publishes a Diary That Isn’t

After Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment on Jan. 22, David Granger, the editor in chief of Esquire magazine, dispatched a writer named Lisa Taddeo to report on the actor’s final days.


Her article, published in the April issue, which will be on newstands next week, finds Mr. Ledger eating Moroccan food with Jack Nicholson in London, returning to New York and partying at the downtown nightspot Beatrice Inn, eating steak and eggs at a cafe in Little Italy and wolfing down a banana-nut muffin as his last morsel of food.

None of this is exactly true. “The Last Days of Heath Ledger,” written in the first person as if it were Mr. Ledger’s own diary, is a fictionalized account of his last days in London and New York and ponders the indignities of celebrity.

“It becomes theatrically important, after you die, what your last few days are like,” the article begins.

Skeptical readers might surmise that Ms. Taddeo didn’t turn up anything in her reporting and turned to a gimmick to get the story in print. But Mr. Granger insists that the piece, which is labeled fiction, is neither stunt nor gimmick.

“It’s an earnest effort,” he said, adding that the magazine has tried to tackle fiction using a nonfiction playbook before. “We’ve been trying to assign fiction,” he said, “to make it topical, relevant. To go to writers with a headline or an idea.”

The first project in this vein was published in October 2006 during the baseball playoffs and called “The Death of Derek Jeter,” an extended meditation on sports, celebrity and mortality written from the perspective of Mr. Jeter, the Yankees shortstop.

“We’ve been doing these things to try to make fiction as current and lively as we can,” Mr. Granger said, “to make it as urgent as nonfiction.”

Esquire’s history does brim with journalistic stunts. There was the 1996 cover article on Allegra Coleman, a new Hollywood “it” girl. It was a hoax. Under Mr. Granger there was the 2001 profile of the R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, seasoned with a good dose of fiction. Then there are the mere gimmicks: Halle Berry interviewing the interviewer, Jon Stewart annotating his own profile.

In those cases the celebrities were either alive, participating or not real. In the case of Mr. Ledger the magazine was channeling someone who very recently died. To avoid accusations that the article was another stunt, Mr. Granger did not promote the article on the magazine’s cover. “I purposely didn’t want it to be seen as exploitative in any way,” he said.

Mara Buxbaum, who was Mr. Ledger’s publicist and now represents the actor’s family, declined to comment. She said the family did not know about the Esquire article until informed about it by The New York Times, after which Ms. Buxbaum called Mr. Granger’s office and was sent a copy.

After Mr. Ledger died from what was later found to be an accidental overdose of prescription medications, Mr. Granger said he was surprised at the public’s outpouring of grief for someone who, in Mr. Granger’s view, was not a huge movie star. “It was born out of curiosity,” he said of the assignment. “I didn’t understand what the fuss was all about.”

Ms. Taddeo, an associate editor at Golf Magazine and an aspiring fiction writer, spent four days in restaurants and cafes and parks near where Mr. Ledger died. Mr. Granger said he had read an unpublished novel written by Ms. Taddeo and had been looking for the right work to give her. When she first got the Ledger assignment it was unclear if the final product would be fiction or nonfiction. Mr. Granger simply wanted a writer on the scene.

Some of what she wrote is true. Mr. Ledger was in London three days before his death. He did return to New York. He did like banana nut muffins from Miro Café, though it’s not certain he ate one for his last meal.

Esquire was among the pioneers in the 1960s in promoting what became known as New Journalism, the style developed by the cadre of writers like Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe who used literary techniques — buttressed by voracious reporting — to produce articles of narrative nonfiction. “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” by Mr. Talese, published in Esquire in 1966, is considered a classic of the genre and the precursor of the modern celebrity profile.

Robert S. Boynton, who teaches magazine writing at New York University and wrote “The New New Journalism,” a collection of interviews with contemporary practitioners of the form, welcomes any innovation to an industry that he said had grown formulaic. “I think magazines should be encouraged to experiment,” he said. “The last thing any of these magazines should be doing is playing it safe.”

Martha Sherrill, a former Esquire writer — her name is still on the masthead, though she no longer writes for the magazine — who wrote the Allegra Coleman story, said the Ledger article fit within Esquire’s record of journalistic tomfoolery.

“If you have a subscription to Esquire, and you’re not on alert for this kind of thing, you’re probably not the right kind of customer,” Ms. Sherrill said. “I think we need more satire, and this is why people turn to Esquire.”

Mr. Granger has been editor of Esquire since 1997. During his tenure, circulation has risen, to 721,000 at the end of last year, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, from 658,000. Journalistically, it has won praise, picking up 10 National Magazine Awards under Mr. Granger’s editorship, compared with four in the decade prior to his stewardship. Its closest rival, GQ, where Mr. Granger used to work, had a circulation of 914,000.

The risk of a piece like “The Last Days of Heath Ledger” is that the work winds up in a literary no-man’s land. “The biggest problem I see is you are sacrificing the biggest strengths from each of the genres,” said Edward Wasserman, Knight professor of journalism at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. “You are losing the veracity of journalism, and you are losing the imaginative license of fiction. You run the risk of ending up with something that is neither true nor interesting.”



Link to the Esquire piece (if anyone cares about this kind of pretend news):

http://www.esquire.com/features/heath-ledger-last-days
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 06, 2008, 03:44:21 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/books/06esqu.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Esquire Publishes a Diary That Isn’t

After Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment on Jan. 22, David Granger, the editor in chief of Esquire magazine, dispatched a writer named Lisa Taddeo to report on the actor’s final days.




God, how cheap and tasteless >:(  ???
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on March 06, 2008, 04:14:57 pm

God, how cheap and tasteless >:(  ???

I just read part of the actual piece and it really is offensive and we can't even leave a comment.
Now I know why I don't read Esquire.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 06, 2008, 04:20:11 pm

God, how cheap and tasteless >:(  ???

My thoughts exactly...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 06, 2008, 05:08:32 pm
I think this will lash back on Esquire, truthfully.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on March 06, 2008, 05:17:23 pm
The only Esquire I have read was the one with Jake (and others) on the cover.

The Jake article was superficial.

The rest of the magazine was sophomoric and homophobic.

I think I'd prefer not to read that article. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 06, 2008, 05:27:09 pm
I think I'd prefer not to read that article. 

Yup, I passed on it too.


Paul, I spent the last minutes starring at the bear in your signature (and not for the first time  ::)). You should do something about the bear situation  ;) :laugh: (Nah, don't; I like him)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 06, 2008, 05:51:06 pm
I read one page. It's like a badly written fanfic. A really badly written fanfic. Or I supposed this would be RPS (real people slash). Or RPF (real people fanfic). Whatever, it sucks.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 06, 2008, 05:54:52 pm
Paul, I spent the last minutes starring at the bear in your signature (and not for the first time  ::)). You should do something about the bear situation  ;) :laugh: (Nah, don't; I like him)

I remember Heath said in an interview that working with a bear in that scene was very difficult. 

Now I see why...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on March 06, 2008, 07:27:26 pm
I read one page. It's like a badly written fanfic. A really badly written fanfic. Or I supposed this would be RPS (real people slash). Or RPF (real people fanfic). Whatever, it sucks.

L

Leslie, that's exactly what I thought of when I read Bruce's post - that it was like some pathetic RP-whatever-the heck-it's-called story.  Only it's being published in an actual (I use the term loosely) magazine and will be read by hundreds of thousands of people. I don't know anymore.  I really don't.  I'm not naive - I see bad things every day and I know the world can be a mean place. But I just don't understand this.  What is the point?  To make more money?

This actually depresses me. 

Louise, I hope you're right and that it does lash back on the magazine. 

Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 06, 2008, 08:01:03 pm
Leslie, that's exactly what I thought of when I read Bruce's post - that it was like some pathetic RP-whatever-the heck-it's-called story.  Only it's being published in an actual (I use the term loosely) magazine and will be read by hundreds of thousands of people. I don't know anymore.  I really don't.  I'm not naive - I see bad things every day and I know the world can be a mean place. But I just don't understand this.  What is the point?  To make more money?

This actually depresses me. 

Louise, I hope you're right and that it does lash back on the magazine. 

Marie

I thought about the one page I read as I was driving home and I realized I was right...it is "real people fanfic" (RPF) and it really is offensive. We had a lively debate on the fanfic board about RPS/RPF featuring Heath in the days/weeks after his death. I suspect the people who thought it was okay read/write RPF/RPS will find this article  entertaining--or something--but I thought it was truly tasteless. I can't imagine what people who aren't sensitized to some of the issues around RPF/RPS will think of it. Hopefully they will think it is dreadful and will express their displeasure to Esquire by cancelling their subscriptions. I would.

L
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 06, 2008, 09:54:59 pm
I haven't read it, so it's like a RPS but in a published magazine!  I guess nothing can surprise me any more. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 07, 2008, 12:01:15 am
Fantauzzo Misses on Archibald Prize:

Heath's portrait did not win the prestigious Australian Archibald Prize.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23334954-5001021,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on March 07, 2008, 12:16:27 am
Fantauzzo Misses on Archibald Prize:

Heath's portrait did not win the prestigious Australian Archibald Prize.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23334954-5001021,00.html

"The Sydney painter said the painting was “one of the most personal works that I have ever made and not something I would ever show in a commercial context”.  No kidding!   :o
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on March 07, 2008, 09:26:02 am
PORTRAITS of actor Heath Ledger and singer Neil Finn have missed out on the prestigious Archibald Prize, which went to another artist and her emotive piece.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23335085-948,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23335085-948,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 07, 2008, 10:48:23 am

I just can't believe the Fantauzzo portrait of Heath didn't win the Archibald. I saw Edmund Capon, the Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, interviewed on television tonight and he said he has never seen such a close contest before, where the judges couldn't decide between a shortlist of 2 paintings, the portrait of Heath and the painting that went  on to win the Archibald (?instantly forgettable?).

Vincent Fantauzzo was also interviewed on this evening's television news. He is very young (cute too), so he'll have plenty of other opportunities to have many more attempts at winning the Archibald in future. And it must be remembered that of the thousands of entries, only about 40 paintings were chosen to be hung, which is a great honour in its own right.

However, having said all that, I simply can't believe the judges chose such a trite, inane work (it looks like a vacuous Hallmark greeting card illustration IMHO) over the truly inspired masterpiece by Fantauzzo. But that's just me. I hope to be able to visit the exhibition tomorrow and will be taking my camera with me. Watch this space for my photos.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 07, 2008, 10:53:25 am
Vincent Fantauzzo was also interviewed on this evening's television news. He is very young (cute too), so he'll have plenty of other opportunities to have many more attempts at winning the Archibald in future. And it must be remembered that of the thousands of entries, only about 40 paintings were chosen to be hung, which is a great honour in its own right.

However, having said all that, I simply can't believe the judges chose such a trite, inane work (it looks like a vacuous Hallmark greeting card illustration IMHO) over the truly inspired masterpiece by Fantauzzo. But that's just me. I hope to be able to visit the exhibition tomorrow and will be taking my camera with me. Watch this space for my photos.

Actually, I would think there may be a lot of interesting art in that show...

...Heath's painting already got more publicity than the winner did, and that is a huge award in and of itself.  The only reason most of us even know about the Archibald award is because of Heath's portrait. 

It's so hard to make a career as an artist, I would hope all of the artists in the show get a good career bump for their efforts!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on March 07, 2008, 11:03:37 am
I read one page. It's like a badly written fanfic. A really badly written fanfic. Or I supposed this would be RPS (real people slash). Or RPF (real people fanfic). Whatever, it sucks.

My sentiments exactly. But can't you just hear the author protesting that "everyone must grieve in their own way....."    :P
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 07, 2008, 11:20:07 am
Actually, I would think there may be a lot of interesting art in that show...

...Heath's painting already got more publicity than the winner did, and that is a huge award in and of itself.  The only reason most of us even know about the Archibald award is because of Heath's portrait. 

It's so hard to make a career as an artist, I would hope all of the artists in the show get a good career bump for their efforts!

That is the case. To have "Archibald Finalist" in one's CV places one within a very exclusive, elite clique.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on March 07, 2008, 11:42:59 am
[...]
However, having said all that, I simply can't believe the judges chose such a trite, inane work (it looks like a vacuous Hallmark greeting card illustration IMHO) over the truly inspired masterpiece by Fantauzzo. But that's just me. I hope to be able to visit the exhibition tomorrow and will be taking my camera with me. Watch this space for my photos.

There a link in that article to other finalists and some are amazingly good-  I love the one of Toni Colette and the one called Black Sheep of the Family.  There are a couple of really bad ones too but the majority are quite impressive.  Enjoy the show!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 07, 2008, 12:20:33 pm
My sentiments exactly. But can't you just hear the author protesting that "everyone must grieve in their own way....."    :P

Yup. And also, "It's my constitutional right to write this crap, too!"
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on March 07, 2008, 01:09:09 pm
However, having said all that, I simply can't believe the judges chose such a trite, inane work (it looks like a vacuous Hallmark greeting card illustration IMHO) over the truly inspired masterpiece by Fantauzzo. But that's just me. I hope to be able to visit the exhibition tomorrow and will be taking my camera with me. Watch this space for my photos.

I agree with you, Kerry.  The winning painting looks like one of those embarrassing 70s doe-eyed cartoons of cats and little children.

Fantauzzo's portrait of Heath, which I found a bit shocking right after his death because of its gauntness, really captures its subject.  It rewards one with repeated viewings.   
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 08, 2008, 08:26:30 am

I've put together a little photo-essay of my visit to Heath at the Archibald. Come join me at:

 http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,17936.0.html

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: opinionista on March 08, 2008, 06:05:06 pm
Heath Ledger's Will Revealed
By Bethany Lye

Before his Oscar-nominated role in Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger wrote a will leaving everything he owned to his parents and sister, New York's Daily News reported Saturday.

The 28-year-old actor, who died of an accidental prescription drug overdose earlier this year, filed a three-page will in his native Australia in April 2003. The will preceded Ledger's relationship with Brokeback costar Michelle Williams and the 2005 birth of their daughter, Matilda Rose.

A series of documents filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court revealed that the actor had less than $145,000 in New York assets at the time, including a $25,000 Toyota Prius and $20,000 in furniture and fixtures. His greater wealth, including trust funds, Australian properties and the Brooklyn townhouse he once shared with Williams, is uncertain.

It's unclear whether there will be any provisions for Williams or Matilda Rose, now 2. The bulk of Ledger's estate will be handled in Australia, according to the report.

The actor's lawyer has asked a judge to seal the documents for privacy. Ledger's spokeswoman, Mara Buxbaum, declined to comment.


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20183044,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20183044,00.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 08, 2008, 10:50:45 pm

From the March 9 (Sydney) Sunday Telegraph:

(http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%201/bear.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on March 09, 2008, 05:15:22 pm
Jesus.  They just *can't* live it/him alone, can they?  Even over a month after his death.  Silly me.  I thought Wills were private.  But then, I thought funerals and autopsy results were, too.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 09, 2008, 05:55:27 pm

Ledger's rep quickly squashed any speculation that Williams and 2-year-old Matilda would not be provided for. "The story is getting taken out of context and media is speculating that this means Matilda and Michelle will not be taken care of. I want to make it very clear nothing could be farther from the truth." [/i]


 ??? "Squashed"?  ??? That's a bit severe!  :-\ Let's hope the speculation was quashed, too!  ::)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 09, 2008, 06:15:21 pm
no, probated wills are filed and a matter of public record generally.  If you know what county they are probated in.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on March 09, 2008, 07:49:52 pm
Just read this on the Australian Yahoo news page.....looks like the rest of the family are getting involved now....and why on earth would they want to be talking to Michellle's father, Larry....he cant keep his own affairs in order.


Monday March 10, 05:42 AM
Spat erupts over Heath Ledger's will
A spat has erupted between Heath Ledger's father and uncles over the contents of his will, with the star's former partner, Michelle Williams, warned their daughter may be cut out of his fortune.

Ledger's uncles, Mike and Haydn, have warned Ms Williams and her father, Larry, not to trust the actor's father, Kim, accusing him of mismanaging their grandfather's estate.

They are worried Ledger's daughter, Matilda Rose, may not receive a cut of the dead actor's estimated $20-million fortune, News Limited newspapers say.

A three-page will lodged with a Manhattan court was written three years before Matilda was born, they reported.

"I'm concerned for Matilda. I have concerns about the distribution of funds," Hadyn Ledger said.

"We spoke to Larry about Kim and his ability to manage Matilda's assets," Mike Ledger said.

"Our concern is that it doesn't happen to another family."

Heath Ledger died in January from an apparent drug overdose in his New York apartment.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Shasta542 on March 09, 2008, 08:23:25 pm
Ledger's Family Vows to Take Care of Michelle and Matilda

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=304597&GT1=7701 (http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=304597&GT1=7701)

Basically says the same as the other articles.

I expected the Ledger family to set up a trust fund for Matilda. Don't you think Michelle makes a good income? I never thought Matilda would NOT be taken care of.

If all things were perfect -- Heath would still be with us. But that not being the case, I wish he'd changed his will to make Matilda his beneficiary. I'm sure it was one of those things that did not seem very pressing.

Wouldn't your estate automatically go to your children in a case like this? I think it should.

I hope they at least give Michelle and Matilda equal shares of what they get. Really more should go to Matilda than anyone.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on March 09, 2008, 09:12:19 pm
Over at FoxNews.com, the headline reads:  Heath Ledger's Will Ignores Daughter --

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336280,00.html

-- making it sound as if Heath had deliberated disinherited Matilda when, in fact, the will had been created years before she was even born and he had just never gotten around to updating it.  Let's face it, how many 28-year-olds are thinking about estate planning?  It's easily something that's put off for later, only in this case, there was no later.

If Heath had left no will, Matilda would have inherited everything because she would have been his only heir.  In any event, I think the government is going to end up with a big chunk of the estate.   But maybe probate taxes are different in Australia.

Larry Williams should stay out of it until he settles his own legal battles, IMHO.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kd5000 on March 09, 2008, 09:26:36 pm
What do you expect of FOX. Slant the story from the worse possible angle with a headline like HEATH IGNORES DAUGHTER.  It makes him sound selfish when in fact he loved his daughter.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on March 09, 2008, 09:32:04 pm
What do you expect of FOX.

Good point.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 09, 2008, 09:49:47 pm
I am having a sick feeling of this. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 09, 2008, 10:05:59 pm
I think there is an entirely different way of thinking about the fact that Heath had not updated his will since 2003:  he was obviously not contemplating suicide.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 09, 2008, 10:22:45 pm
I think there is an entirely different way of thinking about the fact that Heath had not updated his will since 2003:  he was obviously not contemplating suicide.

Louise, that's exactly what I thought yesterday after reading the news. 

There's no way he would have cut Matilda from his will, she's the love of his life.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on March 09, 2008, 11:10:23 pm
:-\
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 10, 2008, 05:19:22 am
They did the same thing in the paper here in Holland, "Ledger leaves nothing to his daughter" or something along those lines. The media makes me sick.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: TOoP/Bruce on March 10, 2008, 07:03:20 am
The assets outlined in the will clearly predate his relationship with Michelle.  It is possible that the house Heath and Michelle owned in Brooklyn was held in "joint tenancy with rights of survivorship" which would bypass the will entirely.

Nothing is indicated about the what trusts were established.  There really isn't enough information here to be able to make any real determination of what was really left to whom.  Additonally, no mention is made of whether he had any sort of life insurance, but life insurance beneficiaries are also a totally separate matter from a will.

If in fact Heath didn't provide for his daughter Matilda, then Michelle has every legal right to challenge the will on Matilda's behalf and most likely the courts will rule to some degree in her favor.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on March 13, 2008, 07:36:48 pm
New tribute interview with Michelle Williams and Naomi Watts coming up in April - People has previews:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20183961,00.html

Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts Pay Tribute to Heath Ledger
By Brian Orloff

Originally posted Thursday March 13, 2008 12:20 PM EDT
Heath Ledger
 
Photo by: John Stanton / Getty Images 
Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Ellen DeGeneres and several of Heath Ledger's other close industry friends share fond memories of the late actor in the April issue of Interview magazine. Written as a conversation, the tribute remembers Ledger's work ethic, his off-screen persona and his love of chess. Below are some excerpts from the article:

• Naomi Watts: "He was a huge, obsessive, chess freak – and very, very good at it."

• Michelle Williams: "He had uncontrollable energy. He buzzed ... His mind was turning, turning, turning – always turning."

• Ellen DeGeneres: "He didn't try to be something that he wasn't. And I appreciated that."

• Phillip Seymour Hoffman: "Whenever Heath talked about something he liked, he did it in the way that any fan would. He wasn't somebody trying to cover up his excitement about something, or someone."

• Todd Haynes: "That performance in Brokeback Mountain was such a sensitive, understated, controlled interpretation of this character. The entire emotional power of that film, which is enormous, resides in that performance, and how much Heath holds in."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 13, 2008, 09:25:57 pm
 Headline from the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph webpage on Fri 14 March 2008:

(http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%201/Telegraph140308.jpg)

And associated story:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23373238-5001021,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on March 13, 2008, 10:02:59 pm
Headline from the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph webpage on Fri 14 March 2008:

(http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%201/Telegraph140308.jpg)

And associated story:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23373238-5001021,00.html


I guess it's time to check out Interview magazine, thanks!

So, has Jake said anything yet?   :P  I bring this up because I just saw his picture with Reese on ET tonight.  They were all smiles...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 13, 2008, 10:41:16 pm
I guess it's time to check out Interview magazine, thanks!

So, has Jake said anything yet?   :P  I bring this up because I just saw his picture with Reese on ET tonight.  They were all smiles...

Nope!  I don't think we will hear from him any time soon, but it's okay, not everybody Heath knew have spoken up.

On another note, there are more quotes from the Interview article:

Friends Cheer Hear! Hear! to Heath

The latest issue of Interview has a great tribute to Heath Ledger, a touching spread of quotes from folks he changed who will miss him.

A few highlights:

Amy Pascal:  "He was always introducing you to 3,000 mates whose names you can’t remember."

Philip Seymour Hoffman:  "Heath didn’t have the cynicism that this business can eventually put upon people, or the pretension that certain artists can carry with them sometimes. He had a really honest quality about him. He obviously had never lost his wide-eyed optimism."

Michelle Williams:  "I think that the interesting thing about Heath, which maybe people have only really fully discovered in his death, is how vulnerable he was. You can pick up on it in his performances, but it’s easy to overlook because he was so physical and beautiful and strong and masculine. But there was always that underlying sensitivity. That’s who he was."

Sean Penn:  "Heath was not simply a quiet and gifted actor who liked to go surfing, though that is how I primarily knew him in life. In the time we spent together, we spoke a bit about family, about travels, but most of all, about film.Yet, in his unassuming way, he never revealed to me the visual poet of the first order who I discovered watching the film clips he directed, music videos and such, after his death. His talent does speak volumes of the kind man, the loving father, and, in fact, the brilliant and gifted guy I really missed out on—that we all did, in the long run. Heath might have been a giant."[/
i]

http://www.eonline.com/gossip/hum/detail/index.jsp?uuid=2e0657c9-9f6a-4436-af27-79e0b3ae857b&sid=fd-hum

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on March 13, 2008, 10:59:58 pm

So, has Jake said anything yet?   :P  I bring this up because I just saw his picture with Reese on ET tonight.  They were all smiles...

I'm sure once there's a peep out of Jake it will be all over BetterMost in the blink of an eye.  It will certainly be an interesting moment if and when it happens.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on March 14, 2008, 02:56:09 am
It just warms my heart to read all these beautiful heartfelt comments about Heath from people who knew him and loved him. I'm so grateful that they want to share a piece of him with us that didn't know him (but in a way we did).


 :)  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 14, 2008, 04:19:07 am
It just warms my heart to read all these beautiful heartfelt comments about Heath from people who knew him and loved him. I'm so grateful that they want to share a piece of him with us that didn't know him (but in a way we did).


 :)  :)

and I'm sorry to bring it up again, but it would really, really surprise me if Jake wasn't included in all those people remembering him.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 14, 2008, 07:30:41 am
from Cinemablend.com

Dr. Parnassus resumes filming

March 11, 2008

When Heath Ledger died in the middle of shooting for Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, nearly everyone assumed the movie was done for. Gilliam isn’t exactly a guy who just pumps out movies—he takes years to finish some pet projects, and has gone as many as seven years between films. Plus his attempt to make a movie about Don Quixote famously met disaster after disaster, and was never finished.

Against all odds, Dr. Parnassus has begun shooting again, with an augmented cast and, surely, a great hole in the production’s heart. As has been reported earlier, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp will take over at Ledger’s character, who travels through a magic mirror early in the film and exists in different “worlds.” The three actors will each play a variation on the same character, who is played in the real world by Ledger.

The Hollywood Reporter quoted a statement from the producers that quells the worries of many Ledger fans: “Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath's work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology."

It’s hard to figure out exactly how they’re going to make it work, but if anyone can pull it off—or at least make it really, really strange—Gilliam is the man to do it. So the honor of being Ledger’s last film will go to Dr. Parnassus, and Gilliam will be able to bring another of his strange and beautiful visions to the screen. Because, for God’s sake, the man has been through so much now—just let him have another hit!

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Dr-Parnassus-Resumes-Filming-8126.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 14, 2008, 07:32:51 am
from The News in Australia


Heath Ledger award is no joke


March 12, 2008 02:54am
Heath Ledger
 

Really early Oscar buzz ... Heath Ledger.

HOLLYWOOD star Heath Ledger's immediate family might be cheered to know that there is some good news doing the rounds about their late son.
The word out of Tinseltown that the actor is being considered for a posthumous Oscar for his as-yet-unseen work as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Really early buzz by critics for next year's awards has praised the performance, which he filmed last year.

And the flick's director Christopher Nolan strongly agrees he deserves one for his role. "It's stunning, it's iconic. It's going to just blow people away," he said of Ledger's performance.

Meanwhile, Ledger will appear in the film he was shooting before his death, director Terry Gilliam has revealed.

The eccentric filmmaker confirmed the Brokeback Mountain star - who tragically died from an accidental drugs overdose in January - makes the final cut of his movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Filming on the project was halted after Heath was found dead in his New York apartment. Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell will appear as Heath's character Tony, as he travels between realms in the fantasy adventure.

Terry said: "We want the film to touch people's hearts and souls as Heath was able to do.

"I am grateful to Johnny, Colin and Jude for coming on board and to everyone else who has made it possible for us to finish the film. I am delighted that Heath's brilliant performance can be shared with the world."

Terry added that production had now resumed in Vancouver, Canada, "with the blessing and support of Heath Ledger's family".

It had been suggested that Heath's role would be completed using CGI (computer generated imagery), which is the process used to complete Gladiator when screen legend Oliver Reed died during shooting.

Producers also said other allowances had been made to allow Jude, Johnny and Colin to take over Heath's part.

A statement read: "Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath's work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology.

"Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

It is thought the movie will be released early next year.

- with BANG Showbiz

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/printstory/0,25585,23361048-10388,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 14, 2008, 07:34:50 am

REM pay tribute to Heath Ledger

REM frontman Michael Stipe has paid an emotional tribute to Heath Ledger by dedicating one of the actor's favourite songs to him at a gig in Texas.

Stipe dedicated their track 'Until the Day Is Done' to Ledger in front of a sold-out crowd at Stubb's Barbeque during their set at Austin, Texas' South By Southwest festival on Wednesday.

A visibly upset Stipe announced, "This is dedicated to Heath Ledger who loved this song," before shouting at the end, "Goodbye Heath, we loved you!"

As well as Stipe's moving homage to Ledger, REM used the 90-minute set to preview songs from their forthcoming album 'Accelerate', which will be released in Ireland at the end of this month.


Story from RTÉ Entertainment:
http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0313/rem.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 14, 2008, 07:37:13 am
Heath Ledger's Joker makes dramatic entrance in 'Dark Knight'

12 hours ago

LAS VEGAS — This time out, there's no vat of chemicals to explain how Batman's greatest enemy came to be the twisted sociopath known as the Joker.

Heath Ledger's Joker springs full-blown in this summer's "The Dark Knight," the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins" that was previewed for theatre owners Thursday with a clip showing the new movie's opening sequence.

Unlike 1989's "Batman," in which the deranged, disfigured clown appearance of Jack Nicholson's Joker resulted from a dip in chemical goo, "The Dark Knight" starts right in with the bad guy in all his psychopathic glory.

"I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger," Ledger's depraved Joker cryptically tells an accomplice in the opening scenes, in which he pulls off a daring bank robbery.

In an interview at ShoWest, a theatre-owners' convention where distributor Warner Bros. showed off footage of "The Dark Knight" and the rest of its summer lineup, director Christopher Nolan said it was almost inevitable the sequel would pit Christian Bale's Batman against the Joker.

"The psychopathic clown, that's an icon to stand with the guy with the ears and cape," Nolan said.

"It's just a wonderful visual relationship and it's a terrifying image."

Long before Ledger's death of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January, the marketing of the movie had focused on the villain's rise to power and his creepy appearance.

There had been speculation among critics and fans that the studio and filmmakers might take a different approach to selling the film in light of Ledger's death but the marketing has gone on as originally planned.

"I think he'd be very pleased to see we're just moving ahead as is," Nolan said.

"If you try to honour somebody, you honour them by respecting their work and putting it out there for as many people to see. He was immensely proud of the work he did on the film. I feel a great burden to present that in an undistorted form."

"The Dark Knight" is due in theatres July 18.

The last time producer Charles Roven saw Ledger was when he showed the actor the very footage that was screened at ShoWest.

Fans have been buzzing over the anarchic style Ledger brings to the role in the movie's trailer but the actor himself was utterly taken by what he saw of himself on screen, Roven said.

"He was just blown away by his own performance," Roven said.

"He said: 'Can I see it again?' So he was really, really thrilled."

Bale - reprising his role as the wealthy Bruce Wayne, who moonlights as the emotionally tormented crimefighter - said he watched the footage Thursday with a heaviness of heart over Ledger. But Bale said he hopes the movie will serve as a testament.

"I hope that this can be seen as a celebration of his work," Bale said.

"He did a phenomenal job. It was a real joy working with the man."

"It was a joy knowing him, as well. I liked him a great deal and I liked also how seriously he took his work."

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hhmxi4K0fJfHHpIeU4xW3F59taZg
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on March 18, 2008, 01:10:04 pm
Heath Ledger's Joker makes dramatic entrance in 'Dark Knight'

12 hours ago

LAS VEGAS — This time out, there's no vat of chemicals to explain how Batman's greatest enemy came to be the twisted sociopath known as the Joker.

Heath Ledger's Joker springs full-blown in this summer's "The Dark Knight," the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins" that was previewed for theatre owners Thursday with a clip showing the new movie's opening sequence.

Unlike 1989's "Batman," in which the deranged, disfigured clown appearance of Jack Nicholson's Joker resulted from a dip in chemical goo, "The Dark Knight" starts right in with the bad guy in all his psychopathic glory.

"I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger," Ledger's depraved Joker cryptically tells an accomplice in the opening scenes, in which he pulls off a daring bank robbery.

In an interview at ShoWest, a theatre-owners' convention where distributor Warner Bros. showed off footage of "The Dark Knight" and the rest of its summer lineup, director Christopher Nolan said it was almost inevitable the sequel would pit Christian Bale's Batman against the Joker.

"The psychopathic clown, that's an icon to stand with the guy with the ears and cape," Nolan said.

"It's just a wonderful visual relationship and it's a terrifying image."

Long before Ledger's death of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January, the marketing of the movie had focused on the villain's rise to power and his creepy appearance.

There had been speculation among critics and fans that the studio and filmmakers might take a different approach to selling the film in light of Ledger's death but the marketing has gone on as originally planned.

"I think he'd be very pleased to see we're just moving ahead as is," Nolan said.

"If you try to honour somebody, you honour them by respecting their work and putting it out there for as many people to see. He was immensely proud of the work he did on the film. I feel a great burden to present that in an undistorted form."

"The Dark Knight" is due in theatres July 18.

The last time producer Charles Roven saw Ledger was when he showed the actor the very footage that was screened at ShoWest.

Fans have been buzzing over the anarchic style Ledger brings to the role in the movie's trailer but the actor himself was utterly taken by what he saw of himself on screen, Roven said.

"He was just blown away by his own performance," Roven said.

"He said: 'Can I see it again?' So he was really, really thrilled."

Bale - reprising his role as the wealthy Bruce Wayne, who moonlights as the emotionally tormented crimefighter - said he watched the footage Thursday with a heaviness of heart over Ledger. But Bale said he hopes the movie will serve as a testament.

"I hope that this can be seen as a celebration of his work," Bale said.

"He did a phenomenal job. It was a real joy working with the man."

"It was a joy knowing him, as well. I liked him a great deal and I liked also how seriously he took his work."

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hhmxi4K0fJfHHpIeU4xW3F59taZg


Heya,

This exact story just popped up as an entertainment headline on the CNN website.  In this case it has a different title, but the story's the same.

Crew honors Ledger by not distorting Joker role
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/14/ledger.batman.ap/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/14/ledger.batman.ap/index.html)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on March 19, 2008, 12:40:50 pm

Heath Ledger's Joker makes dramatic entrance in 'Dark Knight'

"He said: 'Can I see it again?' So he was really, really thrilled."


I love it!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 22, 2008, 08:14:27 pm

This has been reported here before, but here it is from an Australian perspective; i.e., Heath's homeland; as reported in the (Sydney) Sunday Telegraph on Sun 23 March 2008. These stories sadden me so much.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23417337-5001021,00.html

Was Heath Ledger only worth $145,000?

By Colleen Egan

The father of Hollywood actress Michelle Williams has challenged the grieving family of Heath Ledger to publicly state the value of their son's fortune.

Larry Williams, who is one of the world's best known stock market traders, said he was perplexed that documents filed in a New York court listed Ledger's assets at just $145,000.

In an escalation of the public attack on Kim Ledger in the wake of his superstar son's death, Mr Williams issued the blunt challenge through The Sunday Telegraph.

"It's real simple: just come clean with everything,'' he said.

"It's so easy to resolve this. He just has to say where the income went and where the assets are.

"I'm certain that there is grieving in the Ledger family but (lawyers for) Kim have already filed papers in New York, so it seems like it's time to be transparent about it.

"I have no idea what Heath Ledger was worth (but) they certainly haven't stated all of the assets to the court.''

Mr Williams conceded that he did not have a close relationship with his daughter and that he was not in constant contact with her.

However, he said he was certain that lawyers for Michelle, her toddler daughter Matilda and the Ledgers did not "sit down and sort all this out'' before the will was filed in New York.

Heath Ledger, 28, died in New York on January 22 of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
He doted on Matilda but was separated from Ms Williams, who joined the Ledger family in Perth for a memorial and wake on Cottesloe beach on February 9.

Documents obtained by The Sunday Telegraph indicate that papers were filed by US lawyers acting for the Ledger family at 4.07pm on February 29.

The 2003 will names Ledger's father, mother and sisters as the only beneficiaries.

However, the New York documents also acknowledge Heath's only known offspring, Matilda Rose, 2, as an interested party.

They declare that "the total value of their shares of the estate will be $145,000'', with furniture and fixtures worth $20,000, a Toyota Prius worth $25,000 and $100,000 in miscellaneous bank accounts.

The Australian co-executors nominated by Heath Ledger's will are Mark Dyson and Rob Collins, a Perth accountant who has been a close financial adviser of Kim Ledger's for many years.

Scrutiny of the Ledger will was sparked by a public warning this month from Kim Ledger's estranged brothers about the management of the $2 million estate of their late grandfather, Sir Frank Ledger.

Mr Ledger took over the elderly relative's affairs in 1986 and borrowed against his assets, leaving the estate in debt by the time the WA Supreme Court removed him as administrator of Sir Frank's will in 1994.

Mr Ledger signed a deed in 1998 to repay $1 million but the family claims the money was never paid.

Repeated attempts to contact Mr Ledger, who is a well-known racing driver and mechanical engineer, have failed.

He has not responded to the controversy sparked by his brothers' comments, except to say that Matilda would be "taken care of'' and that he hoped his family would show respect at a time of grief.

Mr Williams, who is a colourful public speaker and high-selling author whose short-term stock-trading skills are legendary in the financial world, has a separate legal battle on the other side of Australia.

He is stranded in Sydney, fighting extradition proceedings to the US on charges that he allegedly tried to evade $US1.5 million ($1.9 million) in tax from 1999 to 2001.

Mr Williams said he would not be pursuing the Ledger family on his granddaughter's behalf and would leave any challenge to the will to his daughter. However, he questioned why a will made in 2003, before Ledger met Ms Williams, was lodged in New York just a month after the death.

"It's my understanding that you have six months to file (will documents) in the United States so there was no rush,'' he said.

"There was plenty of time to sit down with lawyers for Michelle. It's not the way I would have handled it.''

A New York judge granted temporary administration of the estate to Mr Dyson, Mr Collins and an American adviser "provided that the authority shall be limited to their taking such action as is necessary to vacate the premises rented by the decedent (deceased person).''

The documents stated that the will would also be submitted to a court in Australia for probate.

In what appeared to be an error due to ignorance of Australian geography, the case was remitted to the "State of Victoria, County of Melbourne, W.Australia''. 

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 23, 2008, 05:54:00 am
What a terribly sick man he is!  >:(

Poor, poor, poor Michelle, to have a father like that....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 23, 2008, 08:31:47 am
What a terribly sick man he is!  >:(

Poor, poor, poor Michelle, to have a father like that....


I'm beginning to have severe doubts about Kim Ledger's integrity, Mel . . .

"Scrutiny of the Ledger will was sparked by a public warning this month from Kim Ledger's estranged brothers about the management of the $2 million estate of their late grandfather, Sir Frank Ledger.

Mr Ledger took over the elderly relative's affairs in 1986 and borrowed against his assets, leaving the estate in debt by the time the WA Supreme Court removed him as administrator of Sir Frank's will in 1994.

Mr Ledger signed a deed in 1998 to repay $1 million but the family claims the money was never paid.

Repeated attempts to contact Mr Ledger, who is a well-known racing driver and mechanical engineer, have failed."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on March 23, 2008, 11:52:31 am
Unfortunately, money is the roots to many family feud and many tears....I try to avoid them the best I can...... :laugh:

Never believe the papers......they just want to make.....money.

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on March 27, 2008, 05:21:40 pm
This story about the Dark Knight is currently featured on the MSNBC website:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23831157/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23831157/)
Quote
Ledger’s death fans mania for ‘Dark Knight’
Batman film may be biggest movie in history featuring posthumous role


updated 2 hours, 13 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - Heath Ledger’s frenzied reinvention of the Joker had fans and colleagues buzzing. His dreadful clown face was seen online by millions, and stood as the goosebump-raising image upon which nearly all early marketing of “The Dark Knight” hinged.

All this, while Ledger was still alive.

Now the Batman archfiend stands as Ledger’s next-to-last performance. And while it’s not the first, “The Dark Knight” has already emerged as arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.

Major stars including James Dean, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Spencer Tracy and Will Rogers had high-profile films released after they died. The deaths of others — notably Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon — created an eerie allure that heightened interest in their final films.

Yet none had the magnitude of a comic-book franchise with an illustrious 70-year history, and movies in those eras did not arrive with the fanfare of today. Certainly none had the advance word of a delirious, demented turn by an actor completely reimagining of one of Hollywood’s greatest villains.

“It was punk, it was ‘A Clockwork Orange, it was druggie. It was this kind of fantastic, anarchic look to him. This character who had absolutely no rules whatsoever,” said Christian Bale, who returns as rich guy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman. “That’s not like any Joker I’ve ever seen before, what I saw Heath do.”

A tribute to Ledger
As the sequel to 2005 blockbuster “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” already was one of this year’s most-anticipated films. Opening July 18, the film’s must-see status has only risen since Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose Jan. 22.
 
“More people will come to see it because of his death,” said Bill Ramey, founder of the fan Web site Batman-on-Film.com. “No doubt some people may be apprehensive about seeing it because there may be a little ghoulish factor about it. But I’m betting that more people now kind of look at it as a tribute to him, and the biggest tribute you could give someone is to go see it and enjoy his performance.”

When Dean died in a car wreck in 1955, studio executives lamented “there goes the movie,” figuring audiences would be scared away from his final two films, said Wes Gehring, who teaches film at Ball State University. To the contrary: “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” were huge hits.

In today’s anything-goes celebrity climate, it’s doubtful anyone in Hollywood ever felt Ledger’s death might hurt the box-office prospects for “The Dark Knight,” Gehring said.

“It’s a tacky thing to say, but what would have been a negative in the past now could be a positive thing,” Gehring said. “I think we’ve done a flip-flop on pop culture. Now it might actually be a selling point for a movie where you say, ‘So and so’s dead. Let’s go see his movie.’ What might have been a hindrance in 1935 now won’t be a problem.”

‘More poignancy in moments’

In the days after Ledger’s death, fans debated how it might affect the film.
 
Would distributor Warner Bros. make changes or even delay its release? Would the advertising shift away from its early focus on Ledger’s demonic Joker and his mocking taunt, “Why so serious?” Would the Joker’s ghastly persona disturb fans? Would viewers be able to set thoughts of his death aside as they watch his performance?

“Of course, you find more poignancy in moments, and I’m very, very aware he’s not here with us,” said Bale in an interview shortly after the film’s opening segment — in which Ledger’s Joker orchestrates a bank heist — was screened in mid-March at ShoWest, a convention for theater owners. It was the first time Bale had seen the sequence, and Ledger’s death weighed on his mind.

“I can’t deny that kind of threw me watching that just now,” Bale said. “You can’t help but have that different feeling when I’m viewing it, especially since he’s somebody I was in touch with until just recently and believed would be a future friend.”
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 28, 2008, 05:03:11 am
Quote
featuring a posthumous role

I just can't get used to this kind of words. It still hurts.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 30, 2008, 08:23:03 am
from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Good will hunting


March 29, 2008


After the shock, the services and two months of sorrow, Heath Ledger's legacy is being debated on two fronts.

Overseas, work has continued on two movies the young star made before his sudden death in New York, with the filmmakers pondering how to pay tribute to his memory while no doubt wondering privately how the tragedy will affect their audience.

And in this country a bitter dispute has been raging between members of the Ledger family over his will.

The first footage from the new Batman movie that stars Ledger, The Dark Knight, has screened at a Las Vegas cinema industry convention to an enthusiastic response. According to one Australian there, the glimpse of the movie ahead of its July release only increased the interest in Ledger's performance in smeared clownface as The Joker.

Already the movie's trailer shows him blasting weapons, firing off menacing lines and confronting Batman, played by Christian Bale, with an evil cackle.

In Vancouver, the director Terry Gilliam has been reinventing the Australian actor's role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, using Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law to play scenes scheduled for Ledger before his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January.

Another fantasy from the fevered imagination of Gilliam, who also directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm, The Imaginarium is set in a travelling show that allows patrons to go inside a man's mind. After filming in London, Ledger was due to head to Canada for visual effects scenes that take place on the other side of a mirror.

"Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath's work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology," the producers have said in a statement outlining the recasting. "Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

Still dealing with their own grief, both teams of filmmakers - and their likely more detached marketing advisers - are working out how to pay tribute to the young star who would have turned 29 next week.

They will be pondering whether they need to change anything in the movie that will seem too eerie, how they can they market it without being disrespectful to his memory and whether the death will affect the audience's response.

After all, a pall over the accidental death on set of a much-less famous actor, Brandon Lee, affected the release of The Crow in 1994.

At the same time, two of Ledger's uncles in Western Australia, Mike and Haydn, have gone public with their concerns about the actor's estate after the lodging of a will in a New York court. Written three years ago, it leaves the actor's estate to his parents and sisters, without mentioning his former partner, Michelle Williams, and their two-year-old daughter Matilda.

The uncles claim Ledger's father, Kim, is not equipped to distribute a share to Williams and Matilda after mishandling the $2 million estate of their grandfather, Sir Frank Ledger. "He was the executor of our grandfather's estate and left it in total tatters," says Mike Ledger.

In Sydney, Larry Williams, Michelle's father, has called on Kim to be more open about his intentions. In a messy reminder of the wrangling after Michael Hutchence's death, Williams, who has been fighting extradition to the US where he faces allegations of tax evasion, questions the size of the estate after documents filed in court reportedly listed assets at just $145,000. He claims there has been insufficient clarity over the will.

"It would be very easy to just be open and say 'I'm doing this' and 'I'm doing that' and let the media know and let everyone in the family know," he says. "It just needs transparency about what assets Heath had in the US and Australia."

Kim Ledger has refused requests to comment, other than saying through a spokeswoman that Matilda will be "taken care of" and calling on his brothers to stop talking publicly. "It is sad at this extremely difficult time in our lives, where we are grieving for our beloved son, that estranged family members choose to publicly discuss our private family matters which they never have been and are not privy to now," he says in a statement. "We can only hope for Matilda's sake that these family members try to remain dignified."

While there is film industry speculation the estate could be worth $10 million to $20 million based on Ledger's likely earnings, there is no doubt he chose roles out the challenge and passionate interest rather than the money. After a distressing experience being marketed as star of A Knight's Tale, earning a reported salary of $US3 million ($3.25 million), he is believed to have turned down the chance to play Spider-Man in one of Hollywood's biggest franchises. The decision to later play a gay ranch-hand in Brokeback Mountain was adventurous on every level, although it produced an exceptional performance that resulted in an Oscar nomination.

Ledger followed up with an equally adventurous role as a heroin addict in the Australian drama Candy. Instead of another big Hollywood pay packet, he is believed to have earned $700,000 plus a share of gross revenue.

Whether Ledger was a big enough star to command what the industry calls "points" in the huge Batman franchise is unclear. But a Los Angeles agent suggests his salary for The Dark Knight was between $US5 million and $US10 million.

For everyone who knew Ledger, especially his family in Perth and friends, the release of these two final movies will be another emotional experience.

One Australian distributor, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivities in the film industry, believes The Dark Knight is a certain commercial success after reuniting the director Christopher Nolan with Christian Bale. Their previous instalment took a handsome $US352 million at the worldwide box office three years ago. But how the movie is marketed is a tricky subject.

"You wouldn't hide the fact that Heath Ledger is in it," he says. "I'm sure the first thing you'll see on screen is 'In memory of …' then they'll move on."

The distributor believes a morbid interest will attract ticketbuyers. But being a big comic-book movie rather than a poignant, personal drama will help them go with the story.

"I think the film would have been successful anyway but it will probably give a bit more edge for people to see it out of sheer curiosity."

The Los Angeles agent, who also asked not to be identified, believes that in cold-hearted marketing terms, the tragedy will not hurt the movie's chances at the box office.

"If you had a lighter version [of Batman], it might be quite weird," he says. "But the new Batman series is quite dark anyway. I think it adds a level of interest that might not otherwise be there.

"In a horrible, weird kind of way, it's a positive. People who are huge Batman fans are going to go regardless. It doesn't matter who's playing the Joker or what happened to them. But the fact that you've got somebody who was such a great actor and is no longer with us might actually add to the fan base."

While it seems far too soon to contemplate for Ledger, stars can still be hot properties in the US even after death.

The management and marketing company CMG Worldwide represents the estates of close to 250 famous personalities from entertainment, sport and other fields. Only 50 are still alive.

The company's stable of what are discreetly called "celebrities of yesterday" includes James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Errol Flynn, Malcolm X, Amelia Earhart, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Frank Lloyd Wright, Jack Dempsey and Chuck Berry.

It negotiates more than 2000 deals a year for advertising campaigns, merchandising (including T-shirts, calendars, jewellery and more unlikely items such as boogie boards and oven mitts), video games, music videos and occasionally cameos in new movies.

"We're a brand-hungry world today," says CMG's founder and chairman, Mark Roesler, who is considered an authority on intellectual property rights. "Whether it's McDonald's or Starbucks or whatever, we love our brands and they've become increasingly valuable to us."

Although much-admired for a variety of roles, Ledger's "brand equity" soared with the success of Brokeback Mountain. While CMG is not aggressively chasing new personalities, Roesler believes he can help the late actor's family when they are ready, though, like some other Americans, he confuses the name "Heath" with "Keith".

"We certainly haven't gone out to discuss with his family how we might assist them but there are a number of ways that we probably could assist them if they're interested in our services," he says.

"I'm sure at this moment there are many people interested in utilising his name and likeness in one fashion or another. The family or their representatives are probably somewhat inundated with different requests.

"Somebody needs to sort through those. That's what we do.

"Somebody like James Dean has been deceased for 52½ years. Part of our mission is to see that future generations remember who James Dean is."

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/03/28/1206207397015.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on March 30, 2008, 08:40:34 am
from the Adelaide Advertiser:

Is Heath the father of a secret love child?

Article from: The Advertiser

Gemma Jones, Janet Fife-Yeomans

March 31, 2008 01:10am

HEATH Ledger's family believe the late actor may have fathered a secret love child.

Ledger was a 17-year-old schoolboy when he is believed to have had an affair with an older woman.

The woman is thought to have discovered she was pregnant only after their relationship ended.

The woman was living with another man at the time of the alleged affair.

"There is a very real possibility that Heath was the father," his uncle, Haydn Ledger, said yesterday.

If it is confirmed Ledger is the girl's biological father, it could split his multimillion-dollar estate between his two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose, whose mother is Hollywood actress Michelle Williams, and his secret love child.

Ledger, who died alone in his New York apartment in January from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, drew up his will before the birth of Matilda, on whom he doted.

The April, 2003, will lists only $145,000 in assets and names the late actor's father, Kim, mother Sally Bell, sister Kate Ledger and half sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell as the only beneficiaries. The New York documents also acknowledge Matilda Rose as Ledger's only known child, as an interested party.

Ledger was still at school at Guildford Grammar when it is believed he began the affair with the woman, then aged 25.

Yesterday another family source said: "She had the baby. Everyone lived under the assumption that she was the daughter of the mother's boyfriend and that is how she has been brought up." The woman is now married with a young family.

Ledger's death has exposed the bitter rift in the family between father Kim and his estranged brothers, Haydn, Mike and Wayne.

The family feud began when Kim became executor of their grandfather, Sir Frank Ledger's, estate more than 20 years ago. He borrowed heavily against the $2 million estate, leaving it heavily in debt before he was removed as executor by the WA Supreme Court in 1994.

 http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23457594-5006301,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on March 30, 2008, 09:55:56 am
Well,after reading this I just think that Kim Ledgers brothers wold have the decency to hold their tongue. Even if they have issues with Kim Ledger they should talk to him and not the press. They just feedthe hyenas with this.

Berit
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on March 30, 2008, 10:03:07 am
Well,after reading this I just think that Kim Ledgers brothers wold have the decency to hold their tongue. Even if they have issues with Kim Ledger they should talk to him and not the press. They just feedthe hyenas with this.

Berit

Exactly right Berit. What possible reason is there for them dragging up things like this now? Poor Heath is dead and can,t defend himself against trash like this. FFS can,t anyone show any respect any more?  And he was 17 for crying out loud!  Does it really matter? Now I suppose IF it IS true, there,ll be squables over his money and who is entitled to what and how much; like a pack of bloody vultures.  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 30, 2008, 10:07:24 am
 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: yb on March 30, 2008, 11:18:38 am
FFS !!!   >:( :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on March 30, 2008, 02:45:53 pm
If there is a child - they do have legitimate (although perhaps not moral) reasons to ask for some money.

But yes - dont air dirty laundry in public for goodness sake...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: souxi on March 31, 2008, 03:36:17 am
If there is a child - they do have legitimate (although perhaps not moral) reasons to ask for some money.

But yes - dont air dirty laundry in public for goodness sake...

Yes IF there is a child then your right, maybe they do have a legitimate, although not moral, reason to ask for money, but this brings me back to my point, of people acting like vultures trying to get their hands on poor Heaths money. WHY does everything in the world boil down to money? I can,t stand the thought of people fighting over his money and about how much everyone gets etc. It really makes me feel sick. I don,t even want to read about how much money he had or didn,t have. Who the hell cares anyway? Thank God Matilda is too young to understand just how vile some adults can be. She don,t give a stuff about money, she,d just like to have her daddy back, and so would we. :'(  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mvansand76 on March 31, 2008, 05:10:04 am
Yes IF there is a child then your right, maybe they do have a legitimate, although not moral, reason to ask for money, but this brings me back to my point, of people acting like vultures trying to get their hands on poor Heaths money. WHY does everything in the world boil down to money? I can,t stand the thought of people fighting over his money and about how much everyone gets etc. It really makes me feel sick. I don,t even want to read about how much money he had or didn,t have. Who the hell cares anyway? Thank God Matilda is too young to understand just how vile some adults can be. She don,t give a stuff about money, she,d just like to have her daddy back, and so would we. :'(  :'(


Well-said, Souxi!  :-*

 :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on March 31, 2008, 05:30:02 am
When will all this ever end....???

Wouldn't you think, that if this woman had a child to Heath, she would have told him, and if she needed some financial support would have been taking some action to get some from Heath while he was still alive, given his success and she knew he would be able to afford to do so.

All these latest reports about the other child are coming from these estranged uncles, who seem unusually concerned about Heath's  financial legacy, and seem intent on bringing disprepute to him and his family.

Matilda is going to a have a secure financial future, whether she inherits Heath's money or not. Her mother is an actress and would no doubt have sufficient wealth to look after Matilda financially.

It seems more to me that all these things the Uncles are bringing up is more to publicly discredit Heath's father, and using Matilda and her welfare as an excuse to do so.

Nasty....nasty.....nasty.....
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: myprivatejack on March 31, 2008, 05:37:36 am
It's surprising to me the enormous bunch of "secret...whatever" that appears in the life of a famous person when he or she isn't here to deffend themselves.Lovers,siblings,family...several persons whom nobody had heard about in ages,appears as a kind of magic when there's great amounts of money in between.What a coincidence¡ ;) And when the lies,calumnies and wrong news can come from the same family of the died person,it gets a definition that I don't say for respect to all of you. :-X
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on March 31, 2008, 07:33:33 am
*RGNAAARGHHH*..  >:(

FFS! What's all that for?? And if they have to fight, don't do it in public!!!

I don't want to be disrespectful, but I think Michelle has wealth of her own and I don't think Matilda will miss out on anything (a part from growing up with her dad ..  :'( ). I would only wish that she gets a few personal things (clothes, private pictures, books, CDs, a jewel or so) that belonged to her father and that will give her the possibility to remember him by and connect with him.

I never knew my grandparents (a part from one) and I tend to crave owning something (a table cloth, a picture, a watch, a letter, a book, a story - whatever) that belonged to them. I don't need half their wealth (which none of them had much of anyway).

I did say something in a previous post about hoping that no woman would come forward claiming to have a child fathered by Heath...  :-\ Ah.. whatevva.. I just hope that the feud between the Legder brothers won't escalate..

j. U. d. E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on March 31, 2008, 11:31:44 am
I think Heath would be mortified.  The uncles should just give it a rest.  Even if the father mis-handled a previous estate, that doesn't mean he won't now do right by Michelle and Matilda.  And as for the other purported child, that is neither here nor there if it is just being talked about by the uncles.  I don't think the mother has come forward to ask for anything.


Agrred 100%
For someone as publicity shy as Heath,this would be the last thing he wanted.It never ceases to amaze me what comes crawling out the woodwork when someone dies and there is even a sniff of money.When my mothers adopted mother died,she was as upset about the "long lost" frinds relatives, who packed the church a she was about the death.
I remember going to the funeral,and it was like a flock of vultures.Even at the age of 13 I can still remember being disgusted.Some of them even had the nerve to say to my mum,you probably don't know me but!!!!! Then followed a heated discusion in the church as to whether she had been buried with all her diamonds(she had) and if not who woud get what.This went on in the pew,right behind my mother.
The pain my mother suffred was terrible.She had lost both her real parents in WW2,been in an orphanage and then was finally adopted.Her father died,then her mother.So she lost in effect 2 sets of parents.
In death where money is involved,people are capable of the most despicable behaviour,so I do not think anything would shock me anymore.Who knows what or who else will crawl out.of the sewers.Personally I am just going to ignore it now.
His death is painful enough without all this a well.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on April 04, 2008, 04:00:54 am
I don't know how reliable this is.....(sorri, I can't cut and paste it for some reason    ???)


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,346008,00.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on April 04, 2008, 10:42:19 am
Happy Birthday Heath!

All over the world, we wish you that!

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 05, 2008, 09:49:48 pm
A person called Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, where the Ledgers have a family plot, wanting to lay flowers for Heath, but sources there tell PEOPLE that his ashes have not been interred.

And that person is our very own Meryl  :-*

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on April 05, 2008, 10:14:15 pm
A person called Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, where the Ledgers have a family plot, wanting to lay flowers for Heath, but sources there tell PEOPLE that his ashes have not been interred.

And that person is our very own Meryl  :-*

I'd like to think so, even if it was the florist who made the call.  Surely we're not the only ones who wanted to remember him that way?  At any rate, it's the loving thought that counts.  :-*

I wonder if he's sitting on the mantel at home.  My Dad's ashes reposed in a drawer for 10 years til my Mom passed away; then we scattered their ashes together.

Heath, wherever your ashes are, were they even on the grieving plain, we know that's not where YOU are.  All our love goes out to your sweet spirit.  :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 06, 2008, 01:40:19 am
Today was not the best day for me for some reason-probably hung over from yesterday. so, to get away from myself I went to a  bday party for a friend of a friend. I walked in the house, thinking about Heath as I almost always am turned on the TV and there he was. The Patriot-which I have never seen start to finish.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on April 11, 2008, 08:55:20 pm
Lawsuit Alleges Ledger Used Cocaine

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/11/ledger.video.ap/index.html

 LOS ANGELES, California (AP)  -- A lawsuit against a photo agency and two paparazzi who allegedly filmed Heath Ledger in a hotel room where drugs were being taken claims that the late actor was also using cocaine that night.

Actor Heath Ledger, 28, died January 22 in an apartment in New York's Manhattan borough.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who was not named, alleges that two Splash News paparazzi lured Ledger to her room at the Chateau Marmont Hotel on January 29, 2006. It says they gave him cocaine and secretly filmed the actor, who also had some of his own cocaine.

The woman is listed as Jane Doe in the court documents for "fear of consequences and repercussions," but it identifies her as a People magazine freelance reporter covering a Screen Actors Guild Awards afterparty at the West Hollywood hotel.

The lawsuit names Splash News, managing partner Gary Morgan and paparazzo Eric Munn and Darren Banks, whom the lawsuit says the woman was "occasionally dating." Her claims against them include fraud, negligence, trespassing and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others.

A People magazine representative confirmed that the woman was freelancing for the magazine at that time and they were aware of the alleged encounter with Ledger, but there were too many questions surrounding the circumstances for People to write about it. The representative said the woman has not been associated with the magazine since last year.

Calls to Splash News and Ledger's representative were not immediately returned Friday.


The lawsuit says that Ledger found out he was being taped and was very upset about it throughout the evening but that the paparazzi calmed him down several times, supplied him with more cocaine and insisted the tape would be destroyed. A cocaine dealer arrived in the hotel room later in the evening, the lawsuit adds.

The woman, who the lawsuit says appears in the video with her face blurred, claims she forgot about the tape until "Entertainment Tonight" began advertising footage. After airing a preview of the video in January, "ET" and sister show "The Insider" decided against broadcasting the footage.

At that time, they said the video did not show Ledger using drugs.

The video later surfaced internationally. On it, Ledger said that he was "going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend" for being in the hotel room. The video also showed Ledger rolling cigarette paper and saying, "I used to smoke five joints a day for 20 years."

The 28-year-old actor died January 22 in his Manhattan apartment after taking six types of painkillers and sedatives.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on April 11, 2008, 10:22:48 pm
Did she date Heath?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 12, 2008, 12:02:14 am
Did she date Heath?

nope
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Artiste on April 12, 2008, 12:03:58 am
I admire her towards the thruth!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on April 12, 2008, 07:09:54 am
re new lawsuit *Sigh* he's dead for goodness sake. Why don't they just let him be huh?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 12, 2008, 10:35:35 am
re new lawsuit *Sigh* he's dead for goodness sake. Why don't they just let him be huh?

Exactly! And I'm not quite getting what this women is suing for/about. What is the basis of the lawsuit?? Is it because she is in the video-with her face blurred out thus unrecognizable and feel her reputation has been damaged? Because going public with a lawsuit certainly won't do that  ::)

fraud, negligence, trespassing and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others.

ooohhhhh, now I get it - everyone wants a piece of the Ledger cash cow before it dries up. Disgusting.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on April 12, 2008, 01:30:01 pm
Exactly! And I'm not quite getting what this women is suing for/about. What is the basis of the lawsuit?? Is it because she is in the video-with her face blurred out thus unrecognizable and feel her reputation has been damaged? Because going public with a lawsuit certainly won't do that  ::)

fraud, negligence, trespassing and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others.

ooohhhhh, now I get it - everyone wants a piece of the Ledger cash cow before it dries up.  Disgusting.

I don't think so, she's suing a paparazzo (or two) and Splash News, Heath (or his estate) is not named in the suit.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 12, 2008, 09:17:35 pm
A piece of the cash cow in the sense that he is in the news and a hot topic-not that his estate is party to the suit- and people are coming out of the wood work to take advantage of that. I suspect that had he not died (if only) there would be no lawsuit, there would be no love child, there would be no cocaine tape...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on April 20, 2008, 06:16:39 am
*sigh*

The national papers here have these glossy weekend magazines. Especially the one (Dagbladet) is trying to be - I don't know - cultural, with an unexpected edge, deep-digging into serious societal issues, not just gossip and movie stars and silly fashion tips?

Well they shot themselves firmly in the foot this weekend with a portrait story on Naomi Watts and her current "Funny Games" film.
The very visible, big-font text inset into a pic of Naomi from King Kong has the following to say: For actress Naomi Watts grief and evil were parts of life long before her ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger committed suicide. (Their actual words are: ...took his life", but in Norwegian that would have only one meaning, ie. a conscious and deliberate act on Heath's part).

I'm afraid that's a false story that'll follow many a mention of Heath in future news stories to come. Journalists don't have time for and don't remember anything but the early wild speculations - when the eventual fact of the matter emerged they had apparently long since glomped onto something new and juicier.

 :(



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on April 21, 2008, 12:55:31 am
Oh dear, that is upsetting.  I hadn't thought that it would become so set in people's minds that even a newspaper, which should know better despite its pop culture bent, would get it so wrong.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on April 23, 2008, 03:06:12 pm
from the New York Daily News:

Michelle Williams stars in first movie since Heath Ledger's death


By ERIN HICKS
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Wednesday, April 23rd 2008, 1:11 PM

Michelle Williams is back on screen, just three months after ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger, the father of her daughter, was found dead in his SoHo apartment.

Her new film, "Deception," opens in theaters on Friday, April 25. It also stars Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor.

In the movie, Williams plays S, a sexy singer/songwriter, who seduces McGregor's character, Jonathan, a Manhattan corporate auditor so immersed in his business, he has no time for pleasure. That all changes after he meets Wyatt, played by Jackman, who introduces him to a mysterious sex club. Soon Jonathan finds himself the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist.

Part thriller, part murder mystery, part fight club, Williams has never looked better in her role as a sexy temptress. First widely acclaimed for her role as Jen Lindley in the teen series, "Dawson's Creek," she also stared in the films "Dick," "Prozac Nation," "The Hottest State," and "Brokeback Mountain," which also earned her an Oscar nomination and a relationship with Ledger.

Williams recently spoke about Ledger for the first time since his death, telling Interview magazine in their April issue, "He had uncontrollable energy. He buzzed - his mind was turning, turning, turning - always turning."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2008/04/23/2008-04-23_michelle_williams_stars_in_first_movie_s.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on April 23, 2008, 03:14:54 pm
there was  news report today saying that she had been quoted as having been 'haunted' by Heath twice and she felt at peace from his visits... I cant get a hold of the actual article at the mo tho
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on April 23, 2008, 03:37:07 pm
Here it is, Kelda. I found it on the Showbiz spy:

Michelle Williams ‘haunted by Heath Ledger’s ghost’


Heath Ledger’s former fiancee, Michelle Williams, claims she is being haunted by the tragic actor’s ghost.

Williams told friends that Heath, who died aged 28 of an accidental drug overdose in January, had twice visited her as a “shadowy apparition”.

The first time, she was woken at night after hearing furniture move.

In another “visitation”, she said the ‘Brokeback Mountain’ star apologized to her for not being there to help raise their two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

Williams, 27, claimed the hauntings helped her grieve.

http://www.showbizspy.com/2008/04/23/michelle-williams-haunted-by-heath-ledgers-ghost/
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MaineWriter on April 23, 2008, 03:48:20 pm
From the Sydney Morning Herald. Alert readers will pick up on what I consider some erroneous information. Oh well...

Alone again, naturally

April 21, 2008

A tragic tale brought them together but real-life tragedy tore them apart. Now Michelle Williams must face up to a future without Heath Ledger - and is doing it the way she knows best. Alone.

The girl from country Montana who left school early, divorced herself from her parents at 15 and scratched out a living after fleeing to Los Angeles to follow her dream, is on her own again.

It's a theme that has run through her life. This time, though, she is rich, famous and a mother, but racked with a pain still raw from her ex-lover's lonely death in a Manhattan apartment last January.

She summed up the agony simply, soon after Ledger's accidental overdose of prescription drugs: "My heart is broken."

This week she is inevitably thrust back into the limelight once more as her latest movie, Deception - filmed before Ledger's death at 28 - goes on worldwide release this Thursday.

But this time there is no globetrotting media whirl, no skipping around the world, smiling for the cameras and telling everyone what a delight it was to work with the cast and crew.

Instead she will be alone at home with their daughter Matilda - a treasured reminder of the man who slipped into her life and transformed it before slipping away silently forever, in the dead of night.

Just two years ago it all seemed so different, although it must feel like another lifetime to Williams. The cuddling couple were the toast of Hollywood: showbiz royalty, second only to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - but with more acting credibility.

They had plaudits from the critics, awards in their back pockets, youth, good looks, bright futures and a beautiful new baby daughter. As she said herself back then: "It's hard to imagine things really getting much better."

They met on the set of Brokeback Mountain, the doom-laden tale of gay cowboys where the couple played on-screen husband and wife. While the characters' lives are wrecked by Ledger's sexual confusion, the real-life attraction between the two was immediate and clear.

"That memory of when I first met him and first saw him is so dear and personal that I don't want to give it away and I don't want to lie about it," she said at the time.

"It's tricky because you're talking about someone you love, so you want to bubble over about it. But it is very vivid in my memory and I just want to keep it in my memory."

Almost overnight, though, she later admitted, she felt as if she and Ledger had met before and known each other for years.

"The more I know him, the more I have a sense of a deeper past than two years together," she said.

"I don't know - I feel like a split cell when I'm with him. It's weird, really."

The romance didn't go unnoticed by their co-stars on the movie. "I remember being in rehearsal and the two of them had googly eyes with each other," Jake Gyllenhaal said of the couple. "There were sparks immediately," added Anne Hathaway. "It was adorable."

By the time the movie finished, Ledger and Williams were not only an item but parents-to-be. By the time it premiered, Matilda had been born and they were both nominated for Oscars.

"It will be forever special because of meeting Heath and having Matilda," she admitted. "It is probably not often in your lifetime that you are part of a film that means so much to so many people."

For both of them it had been a long journey - but one that had finally led to success and happiness at a young age. Williams was just 25 when Matilda was born, Ledger only 26.

Like Ledger - who had left his family home in Western Australia to head east to become an actor, leading him eventually to LA - Williams had given up everything to pursue her acting dream. "It was there like the air," she said. "Like breathing or drinking water. It was just something I always wanted."

At the age of 15, for "legal and emotional reasons", she won a court's approval to officially separate from her wealthy parents and struck out on her own.

"I was stubborn, I wanted to be alone," Williams explained. "I wanted to do everything by myself.

"I was living in LA, going to auditions, getting little jobs every now and then, living in this town of predators. I was bull-headed. I didn't know there was anything to be scared of. It was the brazenness of youth.

"I was a stubborn, wilful 15-year-old who got her way. Who wouldn't want to live on their own when they're 15? I marvel that things have turned out as well as they have, not just the success but the survival. That's what I'm most proud of."

The bit parts finally led to a regular role in the teen TV drama Dawson's Creek that first brought her fame, but it wasn't until she moved into art house movies and theatre that she began to be taken seriously.

She admitted it was hard: "I've kept my nose to the grindstone and kept working. I feel like a plough horse - diligent, dedicated and tireless."

The workload paid off - at 25, after 10 years of working solidly, she had a CV and reputation to match many veterans and that experience won her the role in Brokeback Mountain ... and her meeting with Ledger.

She instantly saw a kindred spirit, a youthful overachiever who was taking on the world on his own terms.

"We talked about that a few times," she said once. "About how it can be difficult when you start acting as young as we both were. But I don't regret it. I learned a lot."

For Williams the transition from single gal to one-half of an engaged couple in the media spotlight was life-changing.

"I like to take a lot of stubborn pride in my independence," she said at the time.

But from being a capable independent soul, she was now under the protection of the fiercely private Ledger. When he wasn't hugging Williams protectively in front of the cameras, he was standing in front of her, clearing a safe pathway for her through flash bulbs and life.

The couple became notorious with paparazzi for not playing the game, refusing to pose and angrily lashing out. The one time they did play to the cameras - on a red carpet in Sydney - they were rewarded with a spray from water pistols from fed-up photographers.

They fled the goldfish bowl of life at their beachside home in Bronte in Sydney's eastern suburbs for the anonymity of New York's Brooklyn and faded into the background of day-to-day NY life, apparently blissfully happy.

"[He's] a really excellent, devoted, diaper bag-toting father," Williams said of Ledger, while he added: "I love my neighbours - we're left to live. I like everything. I adore it."

But, while Ledger could protect his new family from the evil paparazzi, he could do nothing about the demons inside himself.

Just months after they both missed out on Oscars, Williams was reportedly trying to persuade Ledger to seek help for a growing drink and drug problem. When that failed they struggled on until Williams could take no more and they split.

Ledger spiralled out of control in a descent that eventually led to his death. Williams was in Sweden working on another film, Mammoth, when she heard the news.

Devastated, she flew back immediately and later attended the seaside memorial service at Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia which celebrated the star's life and concluded with a fully dressed, high-spirited dunk in the ocean.

Williams paid tribute to the star after his death, saying: "He had an uncontrollable energy. He buzzed. He would jump out of bed. For as long as I'd known him, he had bouts with insomnia. He just had too much energy. His mind was turning, turning, turning - always turning. He had a talent for everything that he put his mind to. He didn't know limits."

Just days after the star's death, an interview pre-dating the tragedy was published about her split with Ledger but which contained an ominous prediction of her future.

She told the UK's Wonderland magazine: "For so long I felt like a walking open wound everywhere I went.

"There's this Joan Didion quote about being afflicted from an early age with a presentiment of loss. Did I come into the world like that? Or was I kind of gifted that?"

She added: "Obviously, so much has changed for me in the last few months that I don't really have an idea of what my life is going to be.

"'I thought I knew certain things and it turned out that I didn't, so I don't really try and anticipate so much any more. I'm not making any bets on the future."

She added: "I love domestic life. There's been a lot going on in my personal life and part of me is ... I don't know. I shouldn't talk about it, but it's like I'm re-emerging back into the world or something."

And as a plus, she had said, there has been less attention from the paparazzi.

"When you're in a relationship with somebody who is also a public personality, then it doubles the attention from the media," she said.

"When you minus that equation, it's just less enticing. That's been a real bonus. It's the plus side of the break-up for me."

The silver lining didn't last long, though. Ledger's death has only increased press interest in her to levels even beyond that when their relationship was alive.

For now, though, Williams is focusing only on herself and her daughter.

As she once said: "It's me, the baby and the breast pump ... I like to do things for myself, by myself."

Michelle Williams is alone again.

Deception, starring Williams, Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor, opens on Thursday. It is rated R.
Source: The Sun-Herald

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/04/19/1208025541065.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on April 24, 2008, 10:51:54 pm
No news-just hate to see the activity die here though I know it's bound to. But not today  :-*
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on April 25, 2008, 09:25:30 am
Heath's Australian cowboy friend walks great wall of china for cancer - in memory of Heath

http://www.afterelton.com/bgwe/4-25-8?page=0%2C3 (http://www.afterelton.com/bgwe/4-25-8?page=0%2C3)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on April 25, 2008, 09:31:18 am
Heath's Australian cowboy friend walks great wall of china for cancer - in memory of Heath

http://www.afterelton.com/bgwe/4-25-8?page=0%2C3 (http://www.afterelton.com/bgwe/4-25-8?page=0%2C3)

I made a donation yesterday, thanking him for doing this in Heath's memory. I got a thank you email this morning. It's quite an effort and all for a good cause.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on April 25, 2008, 09:54:00 am
I made a donation yesterday, thanking him for doing this in Heath's memory. I got a thank you email this morning. It's quit an effort and all for a good cause.

Very true! :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on April 25, 2008, 06:16:40 pm
The EW article ...

The Dark Knight, July 18th

It's impossible to know how Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight might have been perceived had the actor lived to see the film's opening.  His wildly different approach to the Joker - "totally fearless" is how director Nolan described it in an interview on the set last year - would surely have drawn attention anyway, if only for the deeply creepy clown makeup splattered all over Ledger's face.  But the star's death adds a tragic resonance to the turn that nobody could have anticipated.  Already there is talk in Hollywood about a posthumous Oscar.

Of course, The Dark Knight was intended to be one of this summer's biggest sequels.  Picking up the story line from Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins - and revisiting that film's gloomy, contemplative tone - it once again stars Bale as the brooding caped crusader, with Caine returning as butler Alfred, Morgan Freeman as inventor Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as Lieut. Gordon.  This time, though, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes (a.k.a. Bruce Wayne's love interest) and Eckhart enters the picture as DA Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face).  Expect the usual eye-popping Bat-action, including a chase scene with a sleek new Bat-pod, much of it shot the old-fashioned way, with real actors and real explosions.

Still, there's no denying that Ledger's death has made The Dark Knight an Event Movie of an altogether different sort - one of the last screen performances by a young actor who had already earned one Oscar nomination (for Brokeback Mountain) and who seemed destined for a career filled with more.  Even before his death, Ledger's casting in Jack Nicholson's former role was one of the most intriguing aspects of this production.  "I knew from the first day on the set that Heath was going to totally redefine the Joker," says Eckhart.  "He just really got into it and took the character to the limit.  He went for it.  I know the film is going to be perceived differently now, but that could be a good thing.  You know, maybe it'll just make people think about Heath's talent."




I do not think I will be able to go and watch it.I find just the makeup disturbing enough,particularly combined with all the speculation about Heaths' frame of mind.I think it would possibly be a step too far fro me at the moment.
I am ambivalent about a posthumous Oscar as well. Part of me thinks it would just be Hollywood throwing a panacea to the fans.He deserved the Oscar when he was alive for BBM and awarding one when he is gone,seems a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

However I guess it would be nice for his daughter and family to have some tangible recognition of his enormous talent.
It still does not let the idiots off the hook who ignored him after BBM. I despise cowardice and pandering to the masses.I find it equally distasteful when all of a sudden there is a whole host of sycophants.

It's just all a bit too late, and funnily enough I actually think an award for his acting talent would have been one thing that Heath would really have appreciated.I think he was far more concerned about being thought of as a good actor,than any of the money and media attention.He lived for his daughter and his work.
Oh dear all this is making me miserable all over again.I think that is going to be a definite no to the Dark Knight !!!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on April 26, 2008, 12:32:24 am
The EW article ...

The Dark Knight, July 18th

It's impossible to know how Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight might have been perceived had the actor lived to see the film's opening.  His wildly different approach to the Joker - "totally fearless" is how director Nolan described it in an interview on the set last year - would surely have drawn attention anyway, if only for the deeply creepy clown makeup splattered all over Ledger's face.  But the star's death adds a tragic resonance to the turn that nobody could have anticipated.  Already there is talk in Hollywood about a posthumous Oscar.

Of course, The Dark Knight was intended to be one of this summer's biggest sequels.  Picking up the story line from Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins - and revisiting that film's gloomy, contemplative tone - it once again stars Bale as the brooding caped crusader, with Caine returning as butler Alfred, Morgan Freeman as inventor Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as Lieut. Gordon.  This time, though, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes (a.k.a. Bruce Wayne's love interest) and Eckhart enters the picture as DA Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face).  Expect the usual eye-popping Bat-action, including a chase scene with a sleek new Bat-pod, much of it shot the old-fashioned way, with real actors and real explosions.

Still, there's no denying that Ledger's death has made The Dark Knight an Event Movie of an altogether different sort - one of the last screen performances by a young actor who had already earned one Oscar nomination (for Brokeback Mountain) and who seemed destined for a career filled with more.  Even before his death, Ledger's casting in Jack Nicholson's former role was one of the most intriguing aspects of this production.  "I knew from the first day on the set that Heath was going to totally redefine the Joker," says Eckhart.  "He just really got into it and took the character to the limit.  He went for it.  I know the film is going to be perceived differently now, but that could be a good thing.  You know, maybe it'll just make people think about Heath's talent."





I haven't had this in a while, but every sentence in the past tense about Heath is causing me to jump - What?  What??  Finding out all over again...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on April 26, 2008, 12:14:51 pm
I haven't had this in a while, but every sentence in the past tense about Heath is causing me to jump - What?  What??  Finding out all over again...

I know.  It's never going to make any kind of sense.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on April 26, 2008, 01:26:10 pm
I do not think I will be able to go and watch it.I find just the makeup disturbing enough,particularly combined with all the speculation about Heaths' frame of mind.I think it would possibly be a step too far fro me at the moment.

I can certainly understand how some Heath fans would find it too painful to watch this movie, but I'm not going to be able to stay away.  Kind of ironic -- I have had, and have, absolutely no interest in any of the Batman movies otherwise.

Quote
I am ambivalent about a posthumous Oscar as well. Part of me thinks it would just be Hollywood throwing a panacea to the fans.He deserved the Oscar when he was alive for BBM and awarding one when he is gone,seems a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

I'd be happy to see Heath get an Oscar but it won't raise my opinion of AMPAS at all -- his possible nomination will be the only reason for me to watch it next year. It's kind of reminiscent of an exchange at the beginning of Doctor Zhivago (movie version) years after Zhivago's death:

Aide: We all admire your brother [Yuri Zhivago] very much.

Evgrav: Yes, everybody seems to.  Now.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on April 26, 2008, 01:50:25 pm
I can certainly understand how some Heath fans would find it too painful to watch this movie, but I'm not going to be able to stay away.  Kind of ironic -- I have had, and have, absolutely no interest in any of the Batman movies otherwise.

I'd be happy to see Heath get an Oscar but it won't raise my opinion of AMPAS at all -- his possible nomination will be the only reason for me to watch it next year. It's kind of reminiscent of an exchange at the beginning of Doctor Zhivago (movie version) years after Zhivago's death:

Aide: We all admire your brother [Yuri Zhivago] very much.

Evgrav: Yes, everybody seems to.  Now.

It is an all too familiar thing isn't it.Artists of all genre only really being appreciated after their death.It nauseates me. I think the classic example is Van Gogh.

I love your quote,how incredibly apt it is.Just the right balance of wit and cynicism.
If Heath did get an Oscar I would love whoever accepts it for him to stand up and use a modified version of that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on June 16, 2008, 12:43:56 pm
An item I ran across today, which ran on Gawker.com.

Quote
Christian Bale: 'The Joker' Did Not Kill Heath Ledger

The stress of playing one of the most legendary characters ever in one of the most hotly anticipated sequels ever didn't contribute to Heath Ledger's death in January, says the Dark Knight star. "Christian Bale has called rumours that Heath Ledger's role as The Joker contributed to his death 'ridiculous.' Ledger, who died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January, was urged to seek help by crew on The Dark Knight after he reportedly became too involved in his character."

    Bale rubbished the speculation in an interview with Total Film, saying: "It's not for me to tell anybody or to pretend to have insights beyond what I absolutely know, but my instincts are that the idea Heath was disturbed by playing The Joker is ridiculous.

    "Heath was somebody who, like myself, acted for that immersion in a character. It's not an unusual thing. And from working with him and knowing him, I don't think that was unusual for him at all.


(http://gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/06/2qwea91.jpg)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: mariez on July 11, 2008, 02:21:15 pm
I also posted this link in the HHH thread, along with some accompanying pictures.  A wonderful article.

http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/film/heath-ledgers-final-days-among-the-masses/19241/?page=1 (http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/film/heath-ledgers-final-days-among-the-masses/19241/?page=1)


Marie
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 04, 2008, 12:21:30 pm
Consider the source when reading this.

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/article/mary-kate-to-feds-lets-make-a-deal/115832?icid=100214839x1207082867x1200355834

Mary-Kate to Feds: Let's Make a Deal
AOL posted: 1 HOUR 28 MINUTES AGO

(Aug. 4) -- According to a report in the New York Post, Mary-Kate Olsen is refusing to talk with federal investigators about the death of 'The Dark Knight' star Heath Ledger unless she's given immunity. On the day of Ledger's death, Olsen was the first person called when her masseuse discovered the actor's body.

The Post reports that Olsen's lawyer has rejected several attempts for the former 'Full House' actress to be questioned, and that she may be subjected to a grand-jury subpoena to discuss what she knew about Ledger's life and death.

"Everyone has been very eager to help, saying what a great guy Heath Ledger was, everyone except Mary-Kate, who has refused to speak," a Post source said.

Ledger died in January due to an accidental overdose of prescription medication. His final acting role as The Joker in 'The Dark Knight' has earned him Oscar buzz, and propelled the movie to nearly $400 million in ticket sales.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 04, 2008, 12:28:26 pm
Again, consider the source.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/08/marykate-olsen-demands-immunity.php

ON THE DOCKET
MARY-KATE OLSEN DEMANDS IMMUNITY

Mary-Kate Olsen was never interviewed by police regarding her involvement in the death of actor Heath Ledger, despite the fact that Ledger's masseuse bizarrely alerted Olsen of Ledger's lifeless body before she called the police, and the fact that Olsen's bodyguards may have arrived at Ledger's apartment three minutes before paramedics did. Now, the New York Post reports that federal drug agents are trying to get Olsen to cooperate in their investigation into how Ledger managed to finagle a bottle of the painkiller Oxycotin—also known as "hillbilly heroin"—but that Olsen is refusing to talk unless she's granted immunity from prosecution.

Ledger, who died after accidentally overdosing on a cocktail of prescription drugs, had prescriptions for all the pills from two physicians except for the Oxycotin. One possible theory for Olsen's refusal to talk to the cops is that Ledger's masseuse called Olsen after discovering her name on the bottle of Oxycotin, prompting the diminutive actress to dispatch her bodyguards to the scene to clean up any evidence. (Olsen's people never actually called the police themselves, which doesn't particularly help her case.)

The Post has called for Olsen to be interviewed ever since the NYPD denied the paper's scoop that the former Full House star received a series of frantic calls from the masseuse. "We confirmed this story with an impeccable source inside the NYPD, and we stand by our reporting," the paper's editor Col Allan said in the aftermath, adding, "we find it odd that the chiefs at the NYPD appear to be terrified of 4-foot 11 inch, 90-pound Mary Kate Olsen." (In a separate editorial, Andrea Peyser claimed to be "astonished" that the "Teflon midget" has been given a free pass.) Given the paper's thirst for justice in this matter, is it any surprise that the feds leaked them the story? Could M-K be the victim of a vicious case of press harassment because a paper blew a scoop? Whether her refusal to talk without immunity is simply her lawyer's call, or if it's because she is actually hiding something, remains to be seen.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 04, 2008, 12:53:41 pm
The sad fact is, no matter what is or is not uncovered/discovered, what is done can not be undone. I always found it curious that the first call was not a 911 one.
Personally I wish they would let it rest, as I fear what could be discovered may be more damaging to Heaths' reputation, as the masses once again speculate whether he was self medicating or not. For me I would rather just let him RIP.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 04, 2008, 05:56:02 pm
Again, consider the source.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/08/marykate-olsen-demands-immunity.php

ON THE DOCKET
MARY-KATE OLSEN DEMANDS IMMUNITY

Mary-Kate Olsen was never interviewed by police regarding her involvement in the death of actor Heath Ledger, despite the fact that Ledger's masseuse bizarrely alerted Olsen of Ledger's lifeless body before she called the police, and the fact that Olsen's bodyguards may have arrived at Ledger's apartment three minutes before paramedics did. Now, the New York Post reports that federal drug agents are trying to get Olsen to cooperate in their investigation into how Ledger managed to finagle a bottle of the painkiller Oxycotin—also known as "hillbilly heroin"—but that Olsen is refusing to talk unless she's granted immunity from prosecution.

Ledger, who died after accidentally overdosing on a cocktail of prescription drugs, had prescriptions for all the pills from two physicians except for the Oxycotin. One possible theory for Olsen's refusal to talk to the cops is that Ledger's masseuse called Olsen after discovering her name on the bottle of Oxycotin, prompting the diminutive actress to dispatch her bodyguards to the scene to clean up any evidence. (Olsen's people never actually called the police themselves, which doesn't particularly help her case.)

The Post has called for Olsen to be interviewed ever since the NYPD denied the paper's scoop that the former Full House star received a series of frantic calls from the masseuse. "We confirmed this story with an impeccable source inside the NYPD, and we stand by our reporting," the paper's editor Col Allan said in the aftermath, adding, "we find it odd that the chiefs at the NYPD appear to be terrified of 4-foot 11 inch, 90-pound Mary Kate Olsen." (In a separate editorial, Andrea Peyser claimed to be "astonished" that the "Teflon midget" has been given a free pass.) Given the paper's thirst for justice in this matter, is it any surprise that the feds leaked them the story? Could M-K be the victim of a vicious case of press harassment because a paper blew a scoop? Whether her refusal to talk without immunity is simply her lawyer's call, or if it's because she is actually hiding something, remains to be seen.



I'm very glad they are pursuing this.  Always seemed odd that she wasn't talked to.  I hadn't realized people are allowed to say "No, thank you," when questioned by law enforcement.  Thanks for posting, Fran.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on August 04, 2008, 11:50:44 pm

I just saw this article pop up in yahoo news this evening and figured it might have already made it's way to BetterMost.


I'm very glad they are pursuing this.  Always seemed odd that she wasn't talked to.  I hadn't realized people are allowed to say "No, thank you," when questioned by law enforcement.  Thanks for posting, Fran.


I totally agree Elle... I feel like there are so many unanswered questions about what exactly went on.  And, she seems like someone who might have some valuable insight or at least some ideas about what the circumstances really were.  In any case, it certainly seems like the authorities have more work to do in terms of figuring out what happened to Heath.  Not only with Mary-Kate but with doctors who may or may not have been prescribing things recklessly, etc.
:(



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on August 05, 2008, 06:57:21 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7542260.stm


I don't want answers for me, I just want to know that full and detailed investigations have been made.  Even if the outcome of those are not made public, at least we can be satisfied that an answer was found.  I don't think it can be right that someone can withhold potentially important information in this type of investigation.  Whilst I don't invite responses to this (for fear of trouble), it begs the question of why would she need immunity.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 05, 2008, 10:14:15 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7542260.stm
I don't want answers for me, I just want to know that full and detailed investigations have been made.  Even if the outcome of those are not made public, at least we can be satisfied that an answer was found.  I don't think it can be right that someone can withhold potentially important information in this type of investigation.  Whilst I don't invite responses to this (for fear of trouble), it begs the question of why would she need immunity.

My thoughts exactly, Sandy.

I think she should have been questioned months ago, even if the New York City police had to do it in California. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Marge_Innavera on August 05, 2008, 10:16:48 am
it begs the question of why would she need immunity.
Can't help but wonder what she'd want immunity for.  Of course it could be something that doesn't directly relate to Heath's death, like any history of 'recreational' drug use she might have.

I'm also wondering what she'd need immunity for.  Of course, it could be something rather mundane, like any history of 'recreational' drug use she might have.

Count me in as being glad they're pursuing this.  Since TDK came out I've been hearing people refer to Heath as being a suicide, as if it's an undisputed fact and the coverage has been emphasizing that the cause of death was accidental and not an overdose.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 05, 2008, 10:24:07 am
Can't help but wonder what she'd want immunity for.  Of course it could be something that doesn't directly relate to Heath's death, like any history of 'recreational' drug use she might have.

Good point, Marge.

If, say, she does (or did) use drugs recreationally, I imagine her suppliers might be very nervous about her being questioned by law enforcement.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on August 05, 2008, 11:01:48 am
Maybe she's worried about being blamed for delaying the arrival of the EMT by telling the masseuse to wait for her security guys.  One report had suggested Heath was still alive when he was found.  Hard to know.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 05, 2008, 12:11:48 pm
All I know is that I would love to be a fly on the wall if she ever does gets questioned.  (And, of course, I'd give you guys a full report.)  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 05, 2008, 02:20:24 pm
Maybe she's worried about being blamed for delaying the arrival of the EMT by telling the masseuse to wait for her security guys.  One report had suggested Heath was still alive when he was found.  Hard to know.

That has been the hardest thing for me to process.We know for sure he was alive when the housekeeper went to change the bulb as she heard him snoring.The fact that he passed while people were in the house is really really hard to accept.Who knows what difference a few minutes might have made.I know when I overdosed as a teenager, my mium was told we were down to the wire.Thank goodness for whatever reason she went into my room when she did.Another 10 mins. I would not be writing this.
I would like proper investigation, but I don't think I want to know the results.Didn't the Olsen girl get admitted to rehab shortly after Heaths death?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on August 05, 2008, 02:41:44 pm
That has been the hardest thing for me to process.We know for sure he was alive when the housekeeper went to change the bulb as she heard him snoring.The fact that he passed while people were in the house is really really hard to accept.


I don't think we know this for sure. I remember those reports from pretty early, but also remember later reports saying he was already dead (omg, this is STILL hard to type :() when the housekeeper came into the apartment and that she could not have heard him snore.
I don't know which version is true, and I doubt we'll ever know it for sure.
Remember all those stories and rumours from the first hours/days, like for example there were allegedly pills scattered around him, and other details which turned out wrong.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on August 05, 2008, 10:27:57 pm
Mary-Kate To Be Subpoenaed In Ledger Investigation
By Access Hollywood


NEW YORK, New York -- As the investigation surrounding Heath Ledger's accidental overdose continues, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration office in New York has confirmed to Access Hollywood that they have issued a subpoena that would force Mary-Kate Olsen to testify in front of a grand jury.

continued at http://omg.yahoo.com/news/mary-kate-to-be-subpoenaed-in-ledger-investigation/11639?nc
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 06, 2008, 01:48:35 am
Mary-Kate To Be Subpoenaed In Ledger Investigation
By Access Hollywood


NEW YORK, New York -- As the investigation surrounding Heath Ledger's accidental overdose continues, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration office in New York has confirmed to Access Hollywood that they have issued a subpoena that would force Mary-Kate Olsen to testify in front of a grand jury.

continued at http://omg.yahoo.com/news/mary-kate-to-be-subpoenaed-in-ledger-investigation/11639?nc


Thanks for posting this, Bel.  I keep noticing inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the reporting - this says there were five drugs in Heath's boday, not six.  The one Fran posted kept spelling it "Oxycotin," not "Oxycontin."  I can't believe it took over six months to get around to insisting on questioning Mary-Kate Olsen though.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on August 06, 2008, 01:54:25 am

Thanks for posting this, Bel.  I keep noticing inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the reporting - this says there were five drugs in Heath's boday, not six.  The one Fran posted kept spelling it "Oxycotin," not "Oxycontin." I can't believe it took over six months to get around to insisting on questioning Mary-Kate Olsen though.




I've been wondering about this myself. Why is this taking so long?  ???
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 06, 2008, 01:16:32 pm
I've been wondering about this myself. Why is this taking so long?  ???

And I suppose one could ask why the police initially issued a statement saying that they had all the information they needed and there was no need to question M-K.  Why say anything at all, especially at the beginning of an investigation?

Unless... maybe they wanted M-K to let her guard down.  (Yes, I've watched too many crime shows on TV.)  :)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on August 06, 2008, 01:50:39 pm
Pauly Shore said Mary Kate Olson was EVIL when asked by paps to comment shortly after Heath's death.   And he meant it.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone say something nice about that skanky freak.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on August 06, 2008, 02:02:45 pm
Why taking so long?  IIRC, it was determined that Heath had died about an hour before he was found by the masseuse.  (And even if that weren't the case, Mary-Kate —in LA at the time— couldn't have been culpable for his death in any direct way.) 

So since she wasn't suspected of direct responsibility for his death, it wasn't necessary to do this in the course of the immediate investigation.  But since that's over, a larger, more general investigation is underway of how he got the drugs, etc.  So now is the time to subpoena her.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 06, 2008, 02:17:40 pm
Thanks for the explanation, Laura.  Now it makes perfect sense.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on August 06, 2008, 02:32:35 pm
The sad fact is, no matter what is or is not uncovered/discovered, what is done can not be undone. I always found it curious that the first call was not a 911 one.
Personally I wish they would let it rest, as I fear what could be discovered may be more damaging to Heaths' reputation, as the masses once again speculate whether he was self medicating or not. For me I would rather just let him RIP.

I agree!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on August 06, 2008, 09:11:16 pm

Federal investigators drop Ledger drug inquiry By TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_en_ot/heath_ledger

I can't help but blame yahoo (and whoever else) for reviving an old wound, when maybe there was so reason to do so in the first place.

Who knows.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 06, 2008, 09:33:10 pm
And from the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/08062008/news/regionalnews/heath_ledger_case_closed_123308.htm):

FREE PASS
MARY-KATE OFF THE HOOK AS FEDS CLOSE LEDGER PROBE
By MURRAY WEISS, Criminal Justice Editor

Last updated: 8:47 pm
August 6, 2008
Posted: 8:20 pm
August 6, 2008


Twin troll Mary-Kate Olsen, whose role in the accidental drug overdose death of actor Heath Ledger has been vexingly unclear, has been given another free pass from an official inquiry, the Post has learned.

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office closed its probe into Ledger's Jan. 22 death without any charges being filed - and won't enforce a grand jury subpoena against the diminutive 22-year-old actress, a source told The Post today.

"They're closing down the case – at least their part of it," the source said of the agency's extraordinary move.

The decision by the U.S. prosecutors will force the Drug Enforcement Administration to find another agency to investigate if it wants to get to the bottom of Ledger's accidental drug overdose death in Manhattan, the source said.

It's a huge victory for Mary-Kate and her lawyer.

The DEA was trying to find the source of the drugs that killed Ledger; most were legally prescribed in El Paso, Texas, and Los Angeles, sources said.

Everybody connected with Ledger and his death has been interviewed and cooperated - with the exception of Mary-Kate Olsen.
Instead, she's declined to cooperate and has insisted on immunity in return for talking to the feds.

The source said the feds might approach the city's Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

The NYPD also gave Mary-Kate a skate.

Once the death was ruled an accidental overdose, cops decided not to try to talk to Olsen - despite the fact that the original panicked calls from Ledger's apartment had gone out to her, and that she was dating him at the time.

It was Mary-Kate, who was in LA at the time, who called her bodyguards and had them race to the scene to see what happened.

The cops felt that they had all the information they needed to deal with the ruling in the death, the source said - but the decision surprised many.

The DEA was not so bashful and opened an investigation to see where the drugs came from.

The DEA even obtained a grand jury subpoena, but hadn't served it, hoping she and her lawyer would speak to them in a less confrontational atmosphere.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sandy on August 07, 2008, 05:23:52 am
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/7546599.stm


Ledger inquiry 'is to be dropped'

US investigators are to drop a criminal case into how Heath Ledger obtained two powerful painkillers that contributed to his death, an official has said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had suspected oxycodone and hydrocodone found in Ledger's system were obtained with false prescriptions.

But an official in New York told the AP news agency prosecutors now thought there was not "a viable target".

Ledger was found dead at his home in January after an accidental overdose.

DEA subpoena

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Ledger's friend, actress Mary-Kate Olsen, was demanding immunity from prosecution before she would speak to the DEA about the death and the actor's drug use.

At the time, Olsen's lawyer Michael C Miller said his client had told the authorities all she knew and that she "does not know the source of the drugs Mr Ledger consumed".


The actress was the first person contacted by the masseuse who discovered Ledger's body.

The DEA had obtained a subpoena that could have forced Olsen to speak out.

But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told AP that was no longer valid because the case was being dropped.

The case could still be revived if evidence of a crime emerged, the official added.

Other potential witnesses had all answered questions voluntarily, including doctors, Ledger's ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, and anyone who was in his apartment around the time of his death, the official said.

Other drugs taken by Ledger, including sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, were prescribed legally by doctors in Texas and California.

Police say the masseuse who discovered Ledger's body spent nine minutes making three calls to Olsen before dialling 911 for help, then rang the actress a fourth time after paramedics arrived.

At some point during the calls, Olsen, who was in California at the time, summoned her personal security guards to the apartment to help.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 08, 2008, 01:42:06 am
SHE’S FREE! DEA IS NO MATCH FOR MARY-KATE’S OLSEN POWER
Thursday August 07th 2008, 8:47 pm

(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/Ellemeno_2006/bstockd_mkolsendea.jpg)

Mary-Kate Olsen already issued a statement on Monday claiming she’s told all she knows about the shady circumstances surrounding Heath Ledger’s death. As of yesterday, the Feds remained unconvinced. They were so unconvinced that they subpoenaed our girl MK, requiring her to testify in front of a grand jury. Now, throughout the past few days we remained neutral like Switzerland, but we’re happy to report that MK’s off the hook!

Hooray, because we love us some MK. For starters, sister has personal style coming out her yum-yum; she rocked her role in The Wackness; and who can forget Full House? We know we can’t. Even though the best show of our childhood ended over ten years ago, we still watch the reruns. Michelle Tanner has come so far since the end of Full House in 1995…and so have we! (And by ‘we,’ we mean society in general.) To think that back in 1995, MK would have had a hard time finding eco-friendly clothing that didn’t look like a droopy sandbag. Now, while MK herself dabbles in fashion design with sister Ashley, she can purchase green goodies from the likes of fashion giants Stella McCartney and Rogan Gregory. And while we can’t necessarily afford all the eco-friendly fashion we covet, we love that MK shows us how to repurpose our big bro’s hand-me-down plaid flannel from 1995.

http://www.beanstockd.com/beanstockd/2008/08/07/she’s-free-dea-is-no-match-for-mary-kate’s-olsen-power/1104
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Shakesthecoffecan on August 08, 2008, 08:29:30 am
I don't like her.  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 08, 2008, 08:52:39 am
I don't like her.  >:(

Me neither.

And I think it's a shame that she will forever be linked to Heath.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 08, 2008, 12:56:43 pm
Oh dear, I'm hoping people recognized the tongue in cheek quality of the last thing I posted.  Not positive about MKO.  Not.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on August 08, 2008, 01:13:00 pm
Yes it was definitely tongue-in-cheek and wicked funny!   :laugh:

(But some of the funniest stuff also tends to be so subtle as to be easily mistaken for serious. The line about the flannel from 1995 clinched the sarcasm for me.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 08, 2008, 01:29:35 pm
Oh dear, I'm hoping people recognized the tongue in cheek quality of the last thing I posted.  Not positive about MKO.  Not.




I loved it, thought it was biting sarcasm at its best. Very very clever.
Nothing whatsoever that the midget or her attorneys could prove directly and so launch a defamation case.Just the right touch to get the point across but without really saying much at all.
 What is the saying, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, highest form of intelligence.!!!!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 08, 2008, 01:50:37 pm
On the subject of any involvement by the small one, I remain cynical.I can see no reason why she would need immunity if she was as innocent as a new born babe.
However, if there is some involvement I don't want to know.It would confer some guilt on Heath and I just want the whole thing dropped. I have already driven myself nuts by wondering about the wasted 9 or however many minutes elapsed before 911 was called.I have never heard, that an exact time of passing was put out in the public domain.I just don't want to go there again.Nothing will ever bring him back and I can't bear to think of any more what ifs. It is way way too painful.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 08, 2008, 02:04:05 pm
And if she was involved in any way, shape, or form, even to the slightest degree, hopefully she will experience enormous pangs of guilt every time she sees a photo of little Matilda, the one who undoubtedly suffered the greatest loss of all.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 09, 2008, 12:58:57 am
FREE PASS
MARY-KATE OFF THE HOOK AS FEDS CLOSE LEDGER PROBE

By MURRAY WEISS, Criminal Justice Editor

Twin troll Mary-Kate Olsen, whose role in the accidental drug overdose death of actor Heath Ledger has been vexingly unclear, has been given another free pass from an official inquiry, the Post has learned.
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office closed its probe into Ledger's Jan. 22 death without any charges being filed - and won't enforce a grand jury subpoena against the diminutive 22-year-old actress, a source told The Post today.
"They're closing down the case – at least their part of it," the source said of the agency's extraordinary move.
The decision by the U.S. prosecutors will force the Drug Enforcement Administration to find another agency to investigate if it wants to get to the bottom of Ledger's accidental drug overdose death in Manhattan, the source said.
It's a huge victory for Mary-Kate and her lawyer.
The DEA was trying to find the source of the drugs that killed Ledger; most were legally prescribed in El Paso, Texas, and Los Angeles, sources said.
Everybody connected with Ledger and his death has been interviewed and cooperated - with the exception of Mary-Kate Olsen.
Instead, she's declined to cooperate and has insisted on immunity in return for talking to the feds.
The source said the feds might approach the city's Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.
The NYPD also gave Mary-Kate a skate.
Once the death was ruled an accidental overdose, cops decided not to try to talk to Olsen - despite the fact that the original panicked calls from Ledger's apartment had gone out to her, and that she was dating him at the time.
It was Mary-Kate, who was in LA at the time, who called her bodyguards and had them race to the scene to see what happened.
The cops felt that they had all the information they needed to deal with the ruling in the death, the source said - but the decision surprised many.
The DEA was not so bashful and opened an investigation to see where the drugs came from.
The DEA even obtained a grand jury subpoena, but hadn't served it, hoping she and her lawyer would speak to them in a less confrontational atmosphere.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08062008/news/regionalnews/heath_ledger_case_closed_123308.htm


Clarissa's two cents on one point:  I dunno - it's one thing for you and me to malign her, but for a significant newspaper's criminal justice editor to call her a troll in the first sentence, that doesn't seem right.




Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on August 09, 2008, 01:05:57 am
Yeah.  Troll don't look right.

(Sorry, had to do it)  ;)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 09, 2008, 05:24:23 am
Yeah.  Troll don't look right.

(Sorry, had to do it)  ;)


Now the "doesn't" in my last sentence really don't look right.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on August 20, 2008, 11:21:38 pm
I was caught off guard today at work when Heath's beautiful smiling face (from the SAG awards I think) was front and center on yahoo.com earlier this afternoon.  Anyone else catch this?  It was a blurb about how Depp, Law and Farrell were going to donate their salaries from Imaginarium to Matilda.

(Well, I think that is sort of an odd thing to do, but that's neither here nor there...)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on August 20, 2008, 11:45:11 pm
I was caught off guard today at work when Heath's beautiful smiling face (from the SAG awards I think) was front and center on yahoo.com earlier this afternoon.  Anyone else catch this?  It was a blurb about how Depp, Law and Farrell were going to donate their salaries from Imaginarium to Matilda.

(Well, I think that is sort of an odd thing to do, but that's neither here nor there...)

Yes, I saw that on Yahoo today.  I feel like that's sort of old news, so I was curious about why Yahoo decided to feature that info today.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 21, 2008, 01:34:08 am
Yes, I saw that on Yahoo today.  I feel like that's sort of old news, so I was curious about why Yahoo decided to feature that info today.






Seems like oldish news to me too, but it's been in many papers and websites just in the last few days.  How did we hear about it sooner than they did?


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on August 21, 2008, 06:35:32 am

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/08/matilda_ledger_looks_just_like.html (http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/08/matilda_ledger_looks_just_like.html)



8/20/08                                                Photo Op                                                5:08 PM

Matilda Ledger Looks Just Like Heath,
Gives Suri Cruise a Run for Her Money

(http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/intel/08/08/20_ledgers_lg.jpg)

We've been obsessing over Suri Cruise a little bit lately, which we realize is a little bit unfair. Suri isn't technically a New York kid — she's just visiting while her mom is on Broadway. And we have our own celebrity tykes here! Like Liv Tyler and Royston Langdon's baby Milo, Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson's baby Ryder — not to mention dozens of other half-famous children. But the child most famous in her own right is Matilda Ledger, daughter of the late Heath and actress Michelle Williams.

So we went to look today for pictures of Matilda in her element: Brooklyn. And we were not disappointed. Look at the above picture! Is she not adorable? And does she not look exactly like her father?

We know we just said that we can't tell which parent a baby's supposed to look like, but Matilda is almost 3! By the time she's in high school, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is totally going to be bribing her to go on a date with Julia Stiles. Just you wait and see.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 21, 2008, 10:19:21 am
There is a whole seriies of pics. of Matilda on Jared ,I think and she even has Heaths' mischievous grin, it tears me apart when I see them, yet I can't stop myself from looking. Work that one out.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on August 21, 2008, 10:24:41 am
There's something about following celebrity children — especially toddlers for Christ's sake — that really bothers me.

Celebs complain about media intrusiveness, and rightfully so, but they have some idea what they're signing up for with success in entertainment.  But kids?  They didn't sign up for this.  (When I see links to this on the People site or something, I never click.  Paps are paid according to the worth of the pics, and click-count factors into that.  It only encourages hounding of children and splashing their images across the media for god-knows-who to see and obsess over.)

 :-\


(And who were they expecting her to look like?  Stevie Wonder?)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Fran on August 21, 2008, 10:34:00 am
Matilda is just too cute!  

I hope Matilda and Michelle can get some space from the paparazzi in Brooklyn.  I do admit that I like seeing an occasional photo of Matilda at the playground or riding her scooter (wearing a helmet because her mom is smart!) because it reassures me that she's having a normal life, doing the fun things kids do.

As for Suri Cruise, I hope she's having a normal life.  (On a fashion note, to me it always seems like her clothes are too big for her.)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 21, 2008, 10:56:01 am
There's something about following celebrity children — especially toddlers for Christ's sake — that really bothers me.

Celebs complain about media intrusiveness, and rightfully so, but they have some idea what they're signing up for with success in entertainment.  But kids?  They didn't sign up for this.  (When I see links to this on the People site or something, I never click.  Paps are paid according to the worth of the pics, and click-count factors into that.  It only encourages hounding of children and splashing their images across the media for god-knows-who to see and obsess over.)

 :-\


(And who were they expecting her to look like?  Stevie Wonder?)

I know I should not click as the paparazzi on the whole are lower forms of life than amoeba. I am still at the stage though, where any connection to Heath seems irresistible.
I understand what you are saying.I should know better than most. In  a slightly different vein, we chose to move here to the states on an E visa, and unless we have green cards by the time the kids are 21, they are all sent back to England.We are still allowed to stay here.I feel ill every time I think about it.My youngest 2 in particular are now American through and through.They had no choice in moving here, yet they  will be the ones to suffer.
The route to a green card we were originally going to take has had the goal posts moved.So we have to look at other ways now.When we left England the situation was different.The goal posts have moved since we have been here.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on September 04, 2008, 03:23:17 pm
Well here's a fairly yucky story that I just stumbled across on Yahoo's main page.  It's one of the highlighted stories there right now.
 :P

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_en_mo/people_heath_ledger_video_lawsuit (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_en_mo/people_heath_ledger_video_lawsuit)
Judge nixes claims in Heath Ledger tape lawsuit

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer
Wed Sep 3, 6:57 PM ET
 


LOS ANGELES - A judge on Wednesday dealt a serious but possibly temporary blow to a lawsuit filed by a celebrity magazine reporter who has accused a paparazzi agency of secretly filming Heath Ledger doing drugs in her hotel room.
 
Superior Court Judge John S. Wiley Jr. tentatively dismissed 11 of 12 claims filed against the agency and two photographers, saying most of the allegations lacked legal standing.

He allowed attorneys to file an amended complaint that could restore some of the claims.

The woman, identified in court documents only as "Jane Doe," sued Splash News & Picture Agency and two of its photographers in April, alleging fraud, intrusion, unjust enrichment and other claims over the filming of Ledger in 2006.

The woman was on assignment for People magazine at the time.

According to the lawsuit, the tape was made after the Golden Globe awards in January 2006 and wasn't revealed until after Ledger's death from an accidental prescription drug overdose earlier this year. "Entertainment Tonight" and its sister show, "The Insider," had planned to air the footage, but canceled those plans after feeling pressure from publicists and other Ledger supporters.

The video later surfaced online.

The lawsuit states the video was shot from a balcony of the reporter's hotel room, and that Ledger became upset when he realized he was being taped. The photographers placated Ledger by telling him they would destroy the tape, the suit claims.

Mara Buxbaum, a publicist who represented Ledger, did not return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment.

Ledger — who has been celebrated this summer for his role as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" — was already an established actor when the tape was made. Indeed, the suit claims the video was shot hours after Ledger appeared at the awards show, where he was nominated as best actor for "Brokeback Mountain."

The lawsuit claims the video shows Ledger doing cocaine and that some of the drugs were supplied by the photographers.

The reporter's likeness is blurred on the video.

That element, and the woman's assignment for People, were key reasons for Wiley's decision to remove most of the claims from the suit.

"Jane Doe is as far as the Heath Ledger public is concerned, a complete unknown," Wiley said. "She's not a feature. She's some blurry bystander."

Wiley also noted that the reporter had dated one of the photographers, and that the alleged intrusion of her privacy took place in a hotel room she had apparently rented to conduct interviews in. "It's a professional setting, not a personal setting," Wiley said.

The judge sided with defense attorneys, who argued that the woman could not make many of her claims on behalf of Ledger. "The tape's valuable because of Heath Ledger, not because of Jane Doe," Wiley said.

Neville Johnson, who is representing the reporter, told Wiley his client was also harmed by the video.

"It ruined her," he shouted at one point during the hearing. "She didn't get a story out of it."

The woman's suit claims her inclusion on the tape has damaged her ability to work.

"Just because she's a member of the press, she has the same rights as anyone else," Johnson said.

He said after Wednesday's hearing that he thinks a revision of the lawsuit will restore many of the reporter's claims.

An attorney for Splash News and its photographers declined to comment after the hearing.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on December 30, 2008, 04:53:54 am
How's this for an unfortunately worded title of an article?


Ledger's death voted top 2008 entertainment story


By JAKE COYLE
Heath Ledger's death was voted 2008's top entertainment story by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jAly4d5wjCHvsEBaup7Jl_JJKvcwD958NNBO0
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on December 30, 2008, 12:35:01 pm
How's this for an unfortunately worded title of an article?


Ledger's death voted top 2008 entertainment story


By JAKE COYLE
Heath Ledger's death was voted 2008's top entertainment story by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jAly4d5wjCHvsEBaup7Jl_JJKvcwD958NNBO0

Oh dear.  Unfortunate in the extreme.  :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: RouxB on December 31, 2008, 02:38:09 am
I wasn't much entertained by it  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: SFEnnisSF on December 31, 2008, 01:05:48 pm
Yeah, that's really kind of in poor taste.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on December 31, 2008, 01:24:34 pm
Well that would win the award, for the "Poor Taste Article Heading".....

I couldn't even "quote" it again here, because seeing those words printed once is enough.

Enuf said........
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on December 31, 2008, 04:19:38 pm
Well that would win the award, for the "Poor Taste Article Heading".....

I couldn't even "quote" it again here, because seeing those words printed once is enough.

Enuf said........

I agree, surely someone who is paid to write for a living could manage a more appropriate heading. Most read news story, etc etc. I still cannot even manage the D word and it is nearly one year.I hope he is somewhere happy and peaceful.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 02, 2009, 09:32:13 am
Not sure if this has been posted yet. Heath was included in Time magazine's end of year "Farewell" section, for those who passed away during the year . . . .

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%201/HAL-TIME.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 02, 2009, 01:54:52 pm
Not sure if this has been posted yet. Heath was included in Time magazine's end of year "Farewell" section, for those who passed away during the year . . . .

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%201/HAL-TIME.jpg)



Thanks for bringing this to our attention Kerry.  I really like the brief description of Heath's role as Ennis as "a rich portrait of emotional incoherence."  What an apt way to describe Ennis in so few words.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 02, 2009, 07:51:18 pm
I love that phrase, "emotional incoherance" an incredibly apt and snappy description.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Love on January 02, 2009, 09:11:24 pm
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/pattinsons%20fury%20over%20ledger%20joke_1090535

TWILIGHT star ROBERT PATTINSON reportedly blew his top at a comedy club in Los Angeles - when a funnyman performed a routine about HEATH LEDGER.
An unnamed act at the Improv in Hollywood shocked the audience with his impersonation of the late Dark Knight star, which included collapsing onstage and faking convulsions, according to reports.
A witness at the event on December 16 (08) insists Pattinson and his pals booed the comic, yelling out: "F**k you! You suck! Leave Heath Ledger alone!"
A source tells Us Weekly magazine, "Robert and his friend went nuts yelling at him... The comic didn't know who it was, but I'm sure he found out later!"
Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at his Manhattan home in January (08).
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on January 02, 2009, 09:27:10 pm
Well, it's nice to know the Vampire is a Heathen.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: oilgun on January 02, 2009, 10:01:17 pm
Well, it's nice to know the Vampire is a Heathen.

Damn, why didn't I think of that!  Good one!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 02, 2009, 11:34:13 pm
Yay for Robert Pattinson!  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 03, 2009, 01:48:45 am
Yay for Robert Pattinson!  8)
[/quote

and so say all of us, or all of me anyway.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: loneleeb3 on January 03, 2009, 03:33:26 pm
Quote
when a funnyman
Doesn't sound very funny to me.
Y'all would be visitin me in the pokey cause I'd a beat his ass. What a jerk. >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 04, 2009, 10:27:41 am
On 2nd Jan, Celebrity Big Bro started in the UK.

Mini-me from the Austin Powers movie - Verne Troyer - is in it.

Anyway. I had been out for food with my family and got home late. Callum and I often watch tv for 5 to ten minutes when we get into bed, just for noise mostly. Anyway. the channel it had been on earlier came on when we switched on the tv and it was live streaming of the new big brother house (I don't know if they do that in the US but its just streaming of the cameras and its innane chat and they switch back and forth on different cameras)

so we were like - oh we'll keep it on this to see if we actually KNOW the celebs, ha ha!

An mini me was talking about Heath with another guy. It stayed on him for about 2 minutes and then moved on. I was like NOOOO stay on him!

Apparently they worked togther on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He was explaining to another contenstant how they managed to get Jude, Jonny Depp and Colin Farrell into the script with the use of the magic mirror and how they donated their earnings to Matilda. He said he would have done the same if he could have afforded to.

He was extremly complementary about Heath. What a lovely, personable down to earth guy and what an amazing actor he was - he spoke about darl night an the the contestant was like I saw the dark nght with my kids and he was really good. And verne was like yup - he deserves and oscar nomination and the other guy was like folk will just say its cose hes dead, and verne was like yeah ofcourse there will be those whispering but he was amazing he deserves at least a nomination. And then he said I mean - Brokeback Mountain - he was absolutely robbed by not getting the Oscar for that blah blah and was going on to talk about how good the film was when it moved to another camera.

I was like NOOOOOOOO!!!

So who knew, Verne Troyer - aka mini me - is a) a serious actor b) with serious points of view and c) has good taste in films & friends!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 04, 2009, 12:33:00 pm
On 2nd Jan, Celebrity Big Bro started in the UK.

Mini-me from the Austin Powers movie - Verne Troyer - is in it.

Anyway. I had been out for food with my family and got home late. Callum and I often watch tv for 5 to ten minutes when we get into bed, just for noise mostly. Anyway. the channel it had been on earlier came on when we switched on the tv and it was live streaming of the new big brother house (I don't know if they do that in the US but its just streaming of the cameras and its innane chat and they switch back and forth on different cameras)

so we were like - oh we'll keep it on this to see if we actually KNOW the celebs, ha ha!

An mini me was talking about Heath with another guy. It stayed on him for about 2 minutes and then moved on. I was like NOOOO stay on him!

Apparently they worked togther on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He was explaining to another contenstant how they managed to get Jude, Jonny Depp and Colin Farrell into the script with the use of the magic mirror and how they donated their earnings to Matilda. He said he would have done the same if he could have afforded to.

He was extremly complementary about Heath. What a lovely, personable down to earth guy and what an amazing actor he was - he spoke about darl night an the the contestant was like I saw the dark nght with my kids and he was really good. And verne was like yup - he deserves and oscar nomination and the other guy was like folk will just say its cose hes dead, and verne was like yeah ofcourse there will be those whispering but he was amazing he deserves at least a nomination. And then he said I mean - Brokeback Mountain - he was absolutely robbed by not getting the Oscar for that blah blah and was going on to talk about how good the film was when it moved to another camera.

I was like NOOOOOOOO!!!

So who knew, Verne Troyer - aka mini me - is a) a serious actor b) with serious points of view and c) has good taste in films & friends!

Kelda, that's great that you tuned in at just the right moment to hear Verne talking about Heath.  Someone posted an interview with Verne Troyer not long after Heath passed, it must be somewhere in the Remembrance Forum, and his grief was incredibly moving.  He and some other cast members got a tattoo of a heart (it was part of a note Heath wrote) in honor of Heath's memory.  I also remember seeing him on one of the specials about Heath, and he was really torn up over it.  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 05, 2009, 09:14:52 am
Kelda, that's great that you tuned in at just the right moment to hear Verne talking about Heath.  Someone posted an interview with Verne Troyer not long after Heath passed, it must be somewhere in the Remembrance Forum, and his grief was incredibly moving.  He and some other cast members got a tattoo of a heart (it was part of a note Heath wrote) in honor of Heath's memory.  I also remember seeing him on one of the specials about Heath, and he was really torn up over it.  :'(

I remember seeing that interview, it is on youtube as well and Verne is actually crying, when he talks about how amazing Heath was. It is such a lovely tribute he pays him and before seeing that, I really had not thought much about him. I felt ashamed when I saw what a kind and sensitive guy he is.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on January 08, 2009, 09:46:14 am
TDK won 5 People's Choice Awards.


Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7817279.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7817279.stm)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on January 08, 2009, 09:47:31 am
Quote
Ledger's friends to judge new actor's scholarship

An esteemed panel made up of Heath Ledger's close friends and peers has agreed to judge the winner of a US scholarship named in honour of the late Australian actor.

The Heath Ledger Scholarship will give an emerging Australian actor a boost in making it in Hollywood.

As well as $US10,000 ($14,000) and a return Qantas airfare to Los Angeles, the scholarship, organised by LA-based non-profit Australians in Film (AIF), will open doors for the actor to Hollywood studios and powerbrokers.

The judging panel includes Gregor Jordan, who directed Ledger in Ned Kelly, leading Hollywood casting agent Ann Fay, Australian actress Rachel Griffiths, and Hollywood producer and Ledger's first US-based agent, Steve Alexander.

Two of Ledger's high-profile exes, Naomi Watts and Michelle Williams, have thrown their support behind the scholarship.

Hugh Jackman, Deborra Lee Furness and Nicole Kidman also contributed as benefactors, along with corporate donors Qantas, Branding Iron, Loeb and Loeb, Showcast, and World Nomads.

"We are fortunate to have a judging panel and benefactors comprised of such leaders in the entertainment community who add immeasurably to the integrity and prestige of the scholarship," AIF president Susie Dobson said.

Nominations have closed and the winner will be announced next month.
"Because Rachel, Ann, Gregor and Steve worked with and knew Heath well, their presence adds a special personal dimension to the panel," said AIF board vice president and scholarship committee chairwoman Paula Paizes.

Ledger, 28, died from an accidental prescription drug overdose a year ago.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/08/2461916.htm?section=entertainment  (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/08/2461916.htm?section=entertainment)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 08, 2009, 10:18:44 am


So who knew, Verne Troyer - aka mini me - is a) a serious actor b) with serious points of view and c) has good taste in films & friends!
I second that. I just watched the clip (can´t find when where he mentions BBM though) on youtube. It was very moving when he mentioned the tattoo.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 08, 2009, 03:09:09 pm
I second that. I just watched the clip (can´t find when where he mentions BBM though) on youtube. It was very moving when he mentioned the tattoo.

can you pint me towards the clip?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 08, 2009, 03:26:55 pm
can you pint me towards the clip?
here you go
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 09, 2009, 07:49:48 am
TDK won 5 People's Choice Awards.


Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7817279.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7817279.stm)


Thanks MiLan for posting. Here's the youtbube of the TDK tribute at the People's Choice Awards:


[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUwsQa4KgNM[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 09, 2009, 02:24:41 pm
and here's a clip from The Critics Choice Awards
I really liked the those big pics of him, but it was hard to watch. I keep imagining him standing there with the rest of the crew with an embarrassed smile on his face.
[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="
&hl=sv&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="
&hl=sv&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 09, 2009, 03:17:36 pm
I really liked the those big pics of him, but it was hard to watch. I keep imagining him standing there with the rest of the crew with an embarrassed smile on his face.

Yes.
So hard to believe.
How much happier was the awards season 2006, Oscar snub or no. Who'd care about prizes, if only the man were still here.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on January 09, 2009, 06:32:29 pm






                                               :'(                                                    :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on January 09, 2009, 10:16:53 pm





                                               :'(                                                    :'(

I agree.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on January 10, 2009, 08:16:25 pm
OMG.......I had not seen any clips of the recent awards, and I just watchd that one of the Critics Choice..

OMG.....what a reception the announcement, of Heath winning, got from the audience, OMG.....made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Oh dear......Heath would be a little embarrassed by all the attention and focus on him, and humbled by such a rousing reception, but Im sure he would be proud of himself, as we all are.

There will be more of this during the awards that are yet to come.....How dignifed the acceptance speech was, just another reflection on the effect he had on those who worked with him.

What more can I say.......
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on January 10, 2009, 11:02:07 pm
From the Jan 11 edition of Sydney's Sunday Telegraph newspaper:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24896772-5001021,00.html

Gemma Ward Gains Weight
Since Heath Ledger Death


(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/GemmaWard.jpg)

By Brenden Hills

January 11, 2009 12:00am

GEMMA Ward, the strikingly thin model who once captivated the international fashion scene, has piled on weight as she continues to struggle with the loss of friend Heath Ledger.

Ward, seen last week on a Byron Bay beach, is due back on the runway in February and is believed to be madly exercising.

The Sunday Telegraph understands her weight gains have been exacerbated by the shocking death of the actor, rumoured to have been her lover, a year ago.

"I was really surprised when I saw her, considering what she used to look like - I had to do a double-take after I saw how much weight she had put on,'' one onlooker told The Sunday Telegraph.

After Ledger's death, Ward announced that she planned to take a year off to go trekking in Nepal and spend time with friends and family.

"She knows she did let herself go during the year, but she had fun doing it, just being herself and doing whatever she wanted,'' one friend, who did not want to be named, said.

Ward's older sister, Sophie, also gave up modelling after Ledger died.

"I can't speak for Gemma, but I did stop (modelling) when Heath died because death really makes you re-evaluate what's important in your life,'' she said when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.

In 2007, Ward earned $3 million from her doll-face looks and was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 11th most highly paid model in the world.

Ward, who divides her time between Australia, Los Angeles and New York, has spent the past few weeks renting a beachside mansion at Suffolk Park with fellow West Australian model Nicole Trunfio.

Although Trunfio has been spotted partying with Cheyenne Tozzi, Jason Dundas and Sneaky Sound System's Daimon Downey, Ward has kept a low profile, staying indoors and swimming at a private beach in front of her rented house.

Ward, 21, was photographed at Tallow Beach on Friday morning, looking very different to the "alien chic'' supermodel that secured 24 Vogue covers in Australia, the US, Britain, China and India.

Braving a wind storm, she emerged from the water in a conservative black one-piece.

Onlookers said Ward was barely recognisable as the supermodel who, at the age of 16, became the youngest female to grace the cover of US Vogue.

Ward has been exercising daily with the help of a personal trainer, but the pair have remained indoors.

A fashion insider explained that Ward would have to keep a low profile if she wanted to protect her future earnings.

"Every kilo a model puts on costs them thousands in potential advertising dollars,'' the insider said.
 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 11, 2009, 08:30:52 am
From the Jan 11 edition of Sydney's Sunday Telegraph newspaper:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24896772-5001021,00.html

Gemma Ward Gains Weight
Since Heath Ledger Death


(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/GemmaWard.jpg)

By Brenden Hills

January 11, 2009 12:00am

GEMMA Ward, the strikingly thin model who once captivated the international fashion scene, has piled on weight as she continues to struggle with the loss of friend Heath Ledger.

Ward, seen last week on a Byron Bay beach, is due back on the runway in February and is believed to be madly exercising.

The Sunday Telegraph understands her weight gains have been exacerbated by the shocking death of the actor, rumoured to have been her lover, a year ago.

"I was really surprised when I saw her, considering what she used to look like - I had to do a double-take after I saw how much weight she had put on,'' one onlooker told The Sunday Telegraph.

After Ledger's death, Ward announced that she planned to take a year off to go trekking in Nepal and spend time with friends and family.

"She knows she did let herself go during the year, but she had fun doing it, just being herself and doing whatever she wanted,'' one friend, who did not want to be named, said.

Ward's older sister, Sophie, also gave up modelling after Ledger died.

"I can't speak for Gemma, but I did stop (modelling) when Heath died because death really makes you re-evaluate what's important in your life,'' she said when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.

In 2007, Ward earned $3 million from her doll-face looks and was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 11th most highly paid model in the world.

Ward, who divides her time between Australia, Los Angeles and New York, has spent the past few weeks renting a beachside mansion at Suffolk Park with fellow West Australian model Nicole Trunfio.

Although Trunfio has been spotted partying with Cheyenne Tozzi, Jason Dundas and Sneaky Sound System's Daimon Downey, Ward has kept a low profile, staying indoors and swimming at a private beach in front of her rented house.

Ward, 21, was photographed at Tallow Beach on Friday morning, looking very different to the "alien chic'' supermodel that secured 24 Vogue covers in Australia, the US, Britain, China and India.

Braving a wind storm, she emerged from the water in a conservative black one-piece.

Onlookers said Ward was barely recognisable as the supermodel who, at the age of 16, became the youngest female to grace the cover of US Vogue.

Ward has been exercising daily with the help of a personal trainer, but the pair have remained indoors.

A fashion insider explained that Ward would have to keep a low profile if she wanted to protect her future earnings.

"Every kilo a model puts on costs them thousands in potential advertising dollars,'' the insider said.
 
she looks healthy, so good for her.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 11, 2009, 10:07:22 am
here you go


it says is been removed by user.  >:(

Oh and regarding Gemma ward, its not the most flatering photo I bet she aint put as much weight on as it looks, bu yeah she ooks healthy no fat
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 11, 2009, 10:25:55 am





                                               :'(                                                    :'(

Can not add to that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: chefjudy on January 12, 2009, 12:32:35 am
 :(
tonight Heath won best supporting actor at the Golden Globes but what a bittersweet
moment it was - i surprised myself and burst into tears, I thought how much of a loss there is
now in the film world - I hope that the award eventually ends up with Matilda so she
can know that her daddy was loved by people from all over the world - Christopher Nolan
gave a wonderful little speech while accepting the award on Heath's behalf (I hope someone
caught it on YouTube)  :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 12, 2009, 11:01:28 am
:(
tonight Heath won best supporting actor at the Golden Globes but what a bittersweet
moment it was - i surprised myself and burst into tears, I thought how much of a loss there is
now in the film world - I hope that the award eventually ends up with Matilda so she
can know that her daddy was loved by people from all over the world - Christopher Nolan
gave a wonderful little speech while accepting the award on Heath's behalf (I hope someone
caught it on YouTube)  :'( :'(

It is on youtube  and I too burst into tears. I loved the speech by Chris. Nolan, about a huge hole in the future of cinema. He is a gentleman and an eloquent one at that.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on January 12, 2009, 11:21:45 am
It is on youtube  and I too burst into tears.
Could you post the link please?  :-* :-*

j.U.d.E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 12, 2009, 11:35:24 am
Could you post the link please?  :-* :-*

j.U.d.E.


Here Jude:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYjfsR-wWg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYjfsR-wWg)


Thanks to Eric who posted the link on HHH.


Edited to embed it here:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYjfsR-wWg[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on January 12, 2009, 11:38:43 am
Granted, she may be hormonal, but Angelina Jolie's eyes brimming with tears (in the Critics' Choice clip) gave me a bit of respect for her.  Not usually a fan, but it does comfort me in a perverse way when other stars are shown to be missing or at least respectful of Heath.  I was also impressed by Tom Cruise's reaction to his winning the Golden Globe - he was nominated in that category, too, and actually seemed embarassed that he was nominated for such a small, fluffy role (in Tropic Thunder, I believe it was).  He was the first to stand up and sincerely applaud after Heath's name was read at the Golden Globes.  Considering all the Scientology anti-drugs crap he believes in, that was really big of him.

Poor Christian Bale looked extremely sad, too.   :'(

Yes, even more than the tributes at the awards last year, these wins bring it all back, don't they?   :'(   :'(

However, I'm so glad he's winning.  I really believe that he deserves it and should have/would have won had he still been with us, too.  Whenever he was not on the screen in "The Dark Knight," I wished he was.  THAT'S what that calibre of powerful acting does and that's what most deserves the awards.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 12, 2009, 11:54:09 am
Granted, she may be hormonal, but Angelina Jolie's eyes brimming with tears (in the Critics' Choice clip) gave me a bit of respect for her.  Not usually a fan, but it does comfort me in a perverse way when other stars are shown to be missing or at least respectful of Heath.  I was also impressed by Tom Cruise's reaction to his winning the Golden Globe - he was nominated in that category, too, and actually seemed embarassed that he was nominated for such a small, fluffy role (in Tropic Thunder, I believe it was).  He was the first to stand up and sincerely applaud after Heath's name was read at the Golden Globes.  Considering all the Scientology anti-drugs crap he believes in, that was really big of him.

Poor Christian Bale looked extremely sad, too.   :'(

Yes, even more than the tributes at the awards last year, these wins bring it all back, don't they?   :'(   :'(

However, I'm so glad he's winning.  I really believe that he deserves it and should have/would have won had he still been with us, too.  Whenever he was not on the screen in "The Dark Knight," I wished he was.  THAT'S what that calibre of powerful acting does and that's what most deserves the awards.



I agree with you about Tom Cruise. I have  literally just finished telling someone he had gone up in my estimation 100 fold. You cannot fake that degree of sincerity.I also thought Kate Winslet had a tear in her eyes.

I am finding this round of awards truly horrendous, I simply cannot stop the tears falling. I now know the Oscars will be dreadful. It is simply all wrong.

The one  thing Heath really wanted from acting, was recognition from his peers. Now he has it in spades and is not here to witness it. Too little, too late. It somehow seems worse that he is winning all these awards for the joker, albeit an incredible tour de force, yet he did not for Ennis, which IMHO was an even more astounding performance.

The joker was exceptionally well acted no doubt. It did not however change my life, Ennis did, for ever.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on January 12, 2009, 12:19:23 pm
Here Jude:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYjfsR-wWg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYjfsR-wWg)

Thanks to Eric who posted the link on HHH

Ah, thank you Chrissi (and Eric). I'll watch it tonight at home.

j.U.d.E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 12, 2009, 12:32:53 pm
...all these awards for the joker, albeit an incredible tour de force, yet he did not for Ennis, which IMHO was an even more astounding performance.

The joker was exceptionally well acted no doubt. It did not however change my life, Ennis did, for ever.


You won't get any agument over this.



I thought the same about Tom Cruise as Barb and Fi described. I can't help but like him a bit for that. I know he's an actor, he could make us believe what he wants when he knows he's likely to be on camera. But yet, to me he seemed sincere.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Dobie1018 on January 12, 2009, 02:32:20 pm

I agree with you about Tom Cruise. I have  literally just finished telling someone he had gone up in my estimation 100 fold. You cannot fake that degree of sincerity.I also thought Kate Winslet had a tear in her eyes.

I am finding this round of awards truly horrendous, I simply cannot stop the tears falling. I now know the Oscars will be dreadful. It is simply all wrong.

The one  thing Heath really wanted from acting, was recognition from his peers. Now he has it in spades and is not here to witness it. Too little, too late. It somehow seems worse that he is winning all these awards for the joker, albeit an incredible tour de force, yet he did not for Ennis, which IMHO was an even more astounding performance.

The joker was exceptionally well acted no doubt. It did not however change my life, Ennis did, for ever.

You are so right optom.   The tears fell for me too, when they announced Heath's name as the winner of the award, and then listening to the acceptance speech.  I was so hoping that, for some reason, they would show Jake's face during the acceptance speech. . . . . .  but it was not to be I guess.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ednbarby on January 12, 2009, 03:29:36 pm
On a lighter note, I wish they would have shown Tom Cruise again after they showed the scene with The Joker doing the impression of him in 'Jerry Maguire'.  Maybe that would have been in poor taste somehow, but I'm sure he laughed in a good-natured way.

I agree with everyone - I truly believe he was sincere in his reverence for him.

Did anyone else notice that when Jake came out to do his bit, they for some reason shot to Tom Cruise, who looked as if he was saying something like, "Ooh.  I didn't know he was going to be here" and then paid close attention?

Or am I totally anthropomorphizing Tom in general?  ;)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 12, 2009, 04:17:33 pm
damn copy right - I cant view it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 12, 2009, 04:38:47 pm
damn copy right - I cant view it.


Try this link Kelda and all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhPRy0V6-ic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhPRy0V6-ic)


It works for now (9.30PM CET). If it also gets yanked, try searching youtube with the keywords Golden Globes and Heath Ledger. Someone will again put up a version, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on January 12, 2009, 05:53:55 pm
On a lighter note, I wish they would have shown Tom Cruise again after they showed the scene with The Joker doing the impression of him in 'Jerry Maguire'.  Maybe that would have been in poor taste somehow, but I'm sure he laughed in a good-natured way.

I agree with everyone - I truly believe he was sincere in his reverence for him.

Did anyone else notice that when Jake came out to do his bit, they for some reason shot to Tom Cruise, who looked as if he was saying something like, "Ooh.  I didn't know he was going to be here" and then paid close attention?

Or am I totally anthropomorphizing Tom in general?  ;)

Tom knows Jake and Reese. There was a report some months ago that Jake and Reese went to a party Tom hosted.  :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on January 12, 2009, 08:26:50 pm
Tom knows Jake and Reese. There was a report some months ago that Jake and Reese went to a party Tom hosted.  :)
I was wondering about Jake too. Is that bit with Jake on YouTube too?

j.U.d.E.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kelda on January 13, 2009, 04:57:08 pm

Try this link Kelda and all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhPRy0V6-ic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhPRy0V6-ic)


It works for now (9.30PM CET). If it also gets yanked, try searching youtube with the keywords Golden Globes and Heath Ledger. Someone will again put up a version, I'm sure.

That worked, thanks Chrissi  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on January 14, 2009, 03:04:23 am



         I am sure that Angelina's sorrow was totally heartfelt.  Brad said some time back, before Heath's death that when he was asked who
he thought of the new actors was a real stand out.  He mentioned right away Heath Ledger.  He said he thought he was amazing.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 16, 2009, 12:36:55 pm


I just discovered this linked through the CNN website's entertainment section.  I'm at work, so I haven't had time to read through this whole story... so I can't at all vouch for its merits. It looks like it includes a photo gallery.  I thought I'd provide a link in case folks are curious.


Heath Ledger: The Untold Story
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html (http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html)


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on January 16, 2009, 04:51:38 pm

I just discovered this linked through the CNN website's entertainment section.  I'm at work, so I haven't had time to read through this whole story... so I can't at all vouch for its merits. It looks like it includes a photo gallery.  I thought I'd provide a link in case folks are curious.


Heath Ledger: The Untold Story
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html (http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html)

That's the same Entertainment Weekly article MiLan posted over in the "Obituaries" thread, Amanda.  It's really excellent.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on January 16, 2009, 05:36:42 pm
That's the same Entertainment Weekly article MiLan posted over in the "Obituaries" thread, Amanda.  It's really excellent.

Oh! OK, great.  I'm glad it's good.  I hadn't seen the mention of it in the other thread yet when I added my post here earlier today.



Title: Heath´s Nick Drake video on DVD?
Post by: Monika on January 19, 2009, 04:51:08 pm
I hope this info is correct!
http://www.nme.com/news/nick-drake/42158
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on January 19, 2009, 05:26:25 pm
Thanks for posting this.

I'd say this is exiting news, but then, thinking about the bits of the video I've seen and the theme of the song, depression, I'm not sure when I'll be ready to watch this.  :-\

But it's great that Nick Drake's music is getting more attention. He was a very talented artist.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 19, 2009, 07:29:29 pm

I just discovered this linked through the CNN website's entertainment section.  I'm at work, so I haven't had time to read through this whole story... so I can't at all vouch for its merits. It looks like it includes a photo gallery.  I thought I'd provide a link in case folks are curious.


Heath Ledger: The Untold Story
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html (http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20252991,00.html)




What a truly lovely article, so heartfelt, not the usual throw away set pieces. I loved the comment, I have never had any desire to sleep with a man, but if I did, Heath would be the one!!!

I also loved reading the he felt for oncehe would be in charge of his part of the press junket for TDK. Can it really be so nearly a year. It feels like yesterday.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 26, 2009, 05:33:25 am
Heath's sisters gave a statement on the Oscar nomination.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/entertainment/5277975/ledger-family-proud-of-oscar-nod/ (http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/entertainment/5277975/ledger-family-proud-of-oscar-nod/)


Ledger family 'proud' of Oscar nod

Heath Ledger's family say they are very proud of his posthumous Oscar nomination.

Ledger is the hot favourite to win the best supporting actor Academy Award for his performance as The Joker in last year's Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight .

But in a bittersweet twist, the honour came on the first anniversary of the Perth-born actor's death.

On this day in 2008, Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in his New York apartment.

Today the Ledgers returned to the scene of his wake - Perth's Cottesloe Beach.

Sister Kate Ledger says the family is filled with pride, but still overcome by grief.

"Today is the anniversary of Heath's death ... It seems like nearly yesterday [that we were here] and we are all nursing broken hearts," she said.

"Like anyone who loses a family member, it's opened our eyes to the intense suffering and painful journey that is death.

"We feel truly blessed to have Heath's beautiful daughter Matilda and her mum Michelle [Williams] in our lives," she added.

"Michelle is doing an amazing job with 'our girl' and together we will cherish every moment of her steps though life."

Sister Ashleigh Bell says Ledger has left behind an unbelievable legacy for his daughter.

"Today is also a day for us to celebrate with the news of Heath's Oscar nomination," she said.

"Although we would love to have him here with us, we are so proud and so excited on his behalf.

"What an unbelievable legacy he has left for Matilda and our family.

"We will take this opportunity today to honour his wonderful life and take comfort in knowing Heath will continue to touch future generations through this amazing art form."

No actor has won a posthumous Academy Award since 1976, when Australian actor Peter Finch was recognised for his role as a crazed TV anchorman in Network.

Earlier this month, Ledger won the best supporting actor title at the Golden Globes for his frightening turn as The Joker - a role originally made famous by Jack Nicholson .

He has also picked up a Critics Choice and Online Film Critics Society award this season.

The Dark Knight picked up a total of eight Oscar nominations, most in the technical categories. But it failed to earn either a best picture or best director nomination.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button leads the pack with 13 nominations.

Six thousand members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will now vote for who should win the industry's highest honour on February 22 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.





Here's a video it it. It's in the upper right corner. On the same page is an aritcle about Gary Oldman accepting a SAG Award on Heath's behalf.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/emotional-gary-oldman-accepts-sag-award-on-heath-ledgers-behalf_article_13254 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/emotional-gary-oldman-accepts-sag-award-on-heath-ledgers-behalf_article_13254)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 27, 2009, 01:17:05 pm
For those who didn´t watch the SAG Awards
Here´s Gary Oldman accepting the award in Heath´s name

[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="
&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="
&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: LauraGigs on January 27, 2009, 02:25:18 pm
I've been wanting to see that.  And Gary Oldman is such an outstanding actor, as well.  Thank you for posting that, BuffyMon!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 27, 2009, 04:04:10 pm
For those who didn´t watch the SAG Awards
Here´s Gary Oldman accepting the award in Heath´s name


Thank you Monika! I've been searching for it on youtube, but didn't find it (maybe it was too early yesterday).
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on January 27, 2009, 05:24:09 pm
Thanks sweetie  :-* :-* :-*

I looked for it yesterday but didn't find it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on January 27, 2009, 05:41:07 pm
I think all these award ceremonies where Heath is recognized by means of director or co-stars accepting his award with grace and dignity make it more likely he'll get the Oscar too. Everyone in the Academy knows by now it will be a dignified moment if they do vote for him - and it'll be their last chance  :'( :'( :'( to recognize his talent.


Ironically enough, I had the opportunity to watch "Doubt" over the weekend and I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman did an outstanding job in a demanding and nuanced role interpretation that appealed to me in terms of its acting far more than the Joker did, when I'm being honest. It's a dreadfully darn injust thing that Heath didn't win the Oscar for Ennis like he totally deserved, - and then PSH could have won his for Father what's-his-name in Doubt instead.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BelAir on January 27, 2009, 08:55:13 pm
For those who didn´t watch the SAG Awards
Here´s Gary Oldman accepting the award in Heath´s name

[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="
&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="
&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Gary looked up their to heaven, eh?

Thanks so much for the link.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on January 28, 2009, 04:19:27 am
Yes, Monika, I had been looking for it too, so thank you very much for posting it.  Thank you to everyone who posts Heath info.  I read it all.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on January 28, 2009, 09:58:54 pm
Yes, Monika, I had been looking for it too, so thank you very much for posting it.  Thank you to everyone who posts Heath info.  I read it all.


I will also add my grateful appreciation. Even now I still love to read or see anything to do with Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 30, 2009, 04:02:09 pm
EverGreen Retracts Heath Ledger Release Statement
January 30, 2009 - Global | Publishing

By Andre Paine, London

EverGreen Copyrights has issued a statement retracting a claim it made that a Nick Drake tribute project would include a video featuring the late actor Heath Ledger.

The announcement was made Jan. 18 during the MidemNet digital music conference in Cannes. A tribute album featuring covers of Drake songs -- controlled by EverGreen -- is going ahead. The artists involved and track listings have not been finalized yet. It is set for release via for Johnson's Brushfire Records.

However, the publisher has now made clear that a DVD package won't include Heath Ledger's version of "Black Eyed Dog," filmed in late 2007 for a multimedia installation but never officially released.

EverGreen's co-CEO Richard W. Perna expressed "regret" over the making of the "incorrect" statement about the inclusion of Ledger's video.

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment caused to Mr Ledger's estate, Nick Drake's estate, Brushfire Records, or anyone else involved with the tribute album," said Perna in a statement.

English singer/songwriter Drake was little-known when he died of a drug overdose in 1974 aged 26. His influence has grown in the decades since, though, and his profile increased dramatically after his song "Pink Moon" was used in a 2000 Volkswagen commercial.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on February 08, 2009, 06:24:33 pm
Heath won the best supporting actor BAFTA tonight.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5u966OMYyc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5u966OMYyc)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 12, 2009, 07:27:28 pm
Heath Ledger Fans Call for Joker's Retirement From Film

By Scott Thill
February 09, 2009

Heath Ledger's flawless acting, and tragic passing, immortalized his portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight. But should Ledger's killer clown be the last Joker to grace the big screen?

That's what the fanboys over at a new site called The Ultimate Joker are arguing. They've launched a petition calling for studios to withdraw the character for good from any future Batman movies, a somewhat strange request given all the actors who have stepped into the Joker's murderous shoes on screens large and small.

"We truly believe Ledger's performance as Joker is the best an actor could ever do," the site's team leader, Fer Barbella, told Wired.com in an e-mail interview.

"Any other performance will be below expectations for sure, so we want to forever keep Ledger's Joker as the one," added Barbella, who launched The Ultimate Joker site last week with his colleague Nico Pimentel.

From Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero to Larry Storch, Mark Hamill and the underrated Kevin Michael Richardson, Batman's nemesis has been brought to life by some serious talent. Banning Joker from the silver screen might seem like an unreasonable request on its garish face, but the team at The Ultimate Joker is standing by it, and no doubt will be aided if Ledger takes home a posthumous Oscar later this month for his portrayal.

In addition to the online petition, The Ultimate Joker site operators have fired up an Ultimate Joker Flickr pool and posted downloadable web graphics to let others show their support.

Barbella says his crew is only interested in film portrayals, though.

"Television and animation is off our radar," he says. "And we like Jokers like Cesar Romero or Jack Nicholson, and even the voice of Mark Hamill. But we think this psycho in scarred whiteface is the best ever. No one can improve it. So please, Hollywood, use other enemies in the sequels to come."

It is perhaps a plea that Hollywood will ignore in pursuit of profit. After all, the buzz created by the conundrum of who will follow in Ledger's footsteps could be worth hundreds of millions on its own.

But it's a fair question: Should Hollywood retire the Joker from film? Was Heath Ledger the greatest Joker of all time? Why so serious? Shoot us your thoughts in the comment section below.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/02/heath-ledger-nu.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: sel on February 13, 2009, 03:33:50 am
I signed the petition even  if I don't  disagree with the casting of a new Joker. Life goes on, times change, I just think that a long time, many years in actual fact, should go by. IMHO this is what will happen, Heath's Joker has been far too successful, it will be a very big challenge to step in his shoes. 
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: retropian on February 13, 2009, 04:51:12 am
Heath Ledger Fans Call for Joker's Retirement From Film

By Scott Thill
February 09, 2009

Heath Ledger's flawless acting, and tragic passing, immortalized his portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight. But should Ledger's killer clown be the last Joker to grace the big screen?

That's what the fanboys over at a new site called The Ultimate Joker are arguing. They've launched a petition calling for studios to withdraw the character for good from any future Batman movies, a somewhat strange request given all the actors who have stepped into the Joker's murderous shoes on screens large and small.

"We truly believe Ledger's performance as Joker is the best an actor could ever do," the site's team leader, Fer Barbella, told Wired.com in an e-mail interview.

"Any other performance will be below expectations for sure, so we want to forever keep Ledger's Joker as the one," added Barbella, who launched The Ultimate Joker site last week with his colleague Nico Pimentel.

From Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero to Larry Storch, Mark Hamill and the underrated Kevin Michael Richardson, Batman's nemesis has been brought to life by some serious talent. Banning Joker from the silver screen might seem like an unreasonable request on its garish face, but the team at The Ultimate Joker is standing by it, and no doubt will be aided if Ledger takes home a posthumous Oscar later this month for his portrayal.

In addition to the online petition, The Ultimate Joker site operators have fired up an Ultimate Joker Flickr pool and posted downloadable web graphics to let others show their support.

Barbella says his crew is only interested in film portrayals, though.

"Television and animation is off our radar," he says. "And we like Jokers like Cesar Romero or Jack Nicholson, and even the voice of Mark Hamill. But we think this psycho in scarred whiteface is the best ever. No one can improve it. So please, Hollywood, use other enemies in the sequels to come."

It is perhaps a plea that Hollywood will ignore in pursuit of profit. After all, the buzz created by the conundrum of who will follow in Ledger's footsteps could be worth hundreds of millions on its own.

But it's a fair question: Should Hollywood retire the Joker from film? Was Heath Ledger the greatest Joker of all time? Why so serious? Shoot us your thoughts in the comment section below.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/02/heath-ledger-nu.html

Well these reasons alone would discourage any actor:

"We truly believe Ledger's performance as Joker is the best an actor could ever do," the site's team leader, Fer Barbella, told Wired.com in an e-mail interview.

"Any other performance will be below expectations for sure, so we want to forever keep Ledger's Joker as the one," added Barbella, who launched The Ultimate Joker site last week with his colleague Nico Pimentel.

I think the original plan was to bring back Heath as the Joker in the next Batman installment. Since that is impossible now, either another actor steps in or the next film does not reference the Joker at all(except to honor Heath). I hope it is the latter, but if another actor takes up the challenge I'd have to admire his bravery. He'd have to be someone who is energized by the challenge and have a strong desire to put his own stamp on the character. I can't think who that might be. Christopher Nolan said he wanted Heath in the role after watching him embody Ennis. He thought Heath was fearless and without ego, qualities he knew would serve the portrayal of the Joker.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on February 13, 2009, 12:09:36 pm
      I truly loved Heath, still do.  But I think to take this tack is to do hiim an extreme disservice.  He would not
have approved of this, I dont think.  He would never have thought of himself in terms of the be all and end all
for how a character should be played.  He was truly the best ever so far, as far as I am concerned.  I think I
loved the movie and the portrayal as much as anyone.  But I think that the character was an iconic persona, in
the comic venue.  He was one of the people to give his interpretation to that character.  There will be many
others in the future, I am sure.  Probably not soon, but still eventually there will be a time when it is going to
be considered all right, and even a tribute to Heath, to have it done again.  I think that there are many more
productive ways, and reasonable ones as well to pay tribute to him.  I think this is only going to cause a great
deal of people out there, to have ill feelings toward him, for this thing that he has no control over.
     I personally think that getting him a star on Hollywood blvd.  Or to contribute to one of his scholarships that
have been set up since his demise, are much more of a tribute, than this...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 13, 2009, 12:13:27 pm
      I truly loved Heath, still do.  But I think to take this tack is to do hiim an extreme disservice.  He would not
have approved of this, I dont think.  He would never have thought of himself in terms of the be all and end all
for how a character should be played.  He was truly the best ever so far, as far as I am concerned.  I think I
loved the movie and the portrayal as much as anyone.  But I think that the character was an iconic persona, in
the comic venue.  He was one of the people to give his interpretation to that character.  There will be many
others in the future, I am sure.  Probably not soon, but still eventually there will be a time when it is going to
be considered all right and even a tribute to Heath to have it done again.  I think that there are many more
productive ways, and reasonable ones as well to pay tribute to him.  I think this is only going to cause a great
deal of people out there, to have ill feelings toward him, for this thing that he has no control over.
     I personally think that getting him a star on Hollywood blvd.  Or to contribute to one of his scholarships that
have been set up since his demise, are much more of a tribute, than this...
I have to agree. I don´t see the point.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 13, 2009, 03:42:43 pm
      I truly loved Heath, still do.  But I think to take this tack is to do hiim an extreme disservice.  He would not
have approved of this, I dont think.  He would never have thought of himself in terms of the be all and end all
for how a character should be played.  He was truly the best ever so far, as far as I am concerned.  I think I
loved the movie and the portrayal as much as anyone.  But I think that the character was an iconic persona, in
the comic venue.  He was one of the people to give his interpretation to that character.  There will be many
others in the future, I am sure.  Probably not soon, but still eventually there will be a time when it is going to
be considered all right, and even a tribute to Heath, to have it done again.  I think that there are many more
productive ways, and reasonable ones as well to pay tribute to him.  I think this is only going to cause a great
deal of people out there, to have ill feelings toward him, for this thing that he has no control over.
     I personally think that getting him a star on Hollywood blvd.  Or to contribute to one of his scholarships that
have been set up since his demise, are much more of a tribute, than this...

I fully agree, Janice. Well said.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: sel on February 14, 2009, 04:17:19 am
      I truly loved Heath, still do.  But I think to take this tack is to do hiim an extreme disservice.  He would not
have approved of this, I dont think.  He would never have thought of himself in terms of the be all and end all
for how a character should be played.  He was truly the best ever so far, as far as I am concerned.  I think I
loved the movie and the portrayal as much as anyone.  But I think that the character was an iconic persona, in
the comic venue.  He was one of the people to give his interpretation to that character.  There will be many
others in the future, I am sure.  Probably not soon, but still eventually there will be a time when it is going to
be considered all right, and even a tribute to Heath, to have it done again.  I think that there are many more
productive ways, and reasonable ones as well to pay tribute to him.  I think this is only going to cause a great
deal of people out there, to have ill feelings toward him, for this thing that he has no control over.
     I personally think that getting him a star on Hollywood blvd.  Or to contribute to one of his scholarships that
have been set up since his demise, are much more of a tribute, than this...

I find myself agreeing with what you say as well. I signed the petition because  I don't want to see another Joker too soon.  I suppose I am being selfish, and contradictory, but right now I can't help it.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 14, 2009, 05:53:03 am
I find myself agreeing with what you say as well. I signed the petition because  I don't want to see another Joker too soon.  I suppose I am being selfish, and contradictory, but right now I can't help it.

Oh, that's perfectly fine. I also don't want to see another Joker soon. I don't think it's selfish and contradictory. Or if so, I'm happy to plead guilty ;).
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on February 14, 2009, 11:31:09 am
Oh, that's perfectly fine. I also don't want to see another Joker soon. I don't think it's selfish and contradictory. Or if so, I'm happy to plead guilty ;).

I am in such a quandary over this one.If Heath had not dared to move boundaries and challenge the iconic joker of Nicholson, we never would have see his joker which most feel takes it to a whole new level. He will always now be the joker for me, just as he will always be Ennis . Does that stop someone else taking on the roles, I guess not, but they will never fill Heath's shoes.

I think Heath himself would have been disquieted about the petition. I am the same about the Oscars, bittersweet all over again.Wonderful if he wins but all just too late.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 16, 2009, 04:05:59 pm
Ledger family to accept Oscar
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Daile Pepper
February 16, 2009


Kate Ledger will travel to Hollywood for the Oscars, at which her brother Heath (inset) is tipped to take out the award for Best Supporting Actor.
Photo: Tim Clarke

Other related coverage
Ledgers' high hopes for Oscar Knight of nights
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Heath Ledger's family will accept the late actor's hotly tipped Oscar on Sunday if his posthumous award-winning streak continues.

Father Kim Ledger, mother Sally Bell and sister Kate Ledger will walk the hottest red carpet in Hollywood among the A-list crowd in anticipation of their late son and brother's likely Academy Award win for his portrayal of The Joker in last year's Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight.

Ledger is an almost unbackable favourite to take out the prestigious prize ahead of other Best Supporting Actor nominees Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Shannon.

The Perth-born actor's maniacal and ghoulish performance has so far won best supporting actor at the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards, making an Oscar grand slam a virtual certainty.

The late star is also a strong sentimental favourite to win the award. Oscars host Hugh Jackman has thrown his celebrity weight behind his fellow Australian, while Hollywood stars, some of whom took extraordinary measures to help support Ledger's daughter Matilda following his shock death in January last year, have come out in droves to celebrate his star turn in the Batman flick.

A spokeswoman for Ledger's family said many family members would fly out of Perth for Hollywood on February 18, while Kim, Sally and Kate were confirmed attendees at the ceremony. Younger sisters Ashleigh Bell and Olivia Ledger would also make the trip to Hollywood.

It looked like all three attending the ceremony would accept the award on Ledger's behalf, but the family were still deciding on details including who would address the ceremony if he did win.

Last month, on the anniversary of Ledger's death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, his glamorous sister Kate told of the heart-wrenching journey the family had been on since the unexpected tragedy.

"To us (his family) it seems like nearly yesterday, and we are all still nursing broken hearts," Kate said.

"Like anyone who loses a family member, it has opened our eyes to the intense suffering and painful journey that is death."

His younger sister Ashleigh Bell said at the time that the family were proud and excited on his behalf.

"In Heath's words, he had 'the time of his life' portraying the Joker and said that 'it was the most fun he had ever had making a film'," she said.

The Dark Knight was the most successful comic adaptation of all time, with a global box-office take that has so far topped $US1 billion ($1.5 billion).



http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/ledger-family-to-accept-oscar/2009/02/16/1234632719201.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on February 16, 2009, 04:41:03 pm
The hurt just goes on and on. I feel so selfish grieving for someone I never knew, I cannot fathom the pain that his family are enduring. For a mother to lose a child, to me anyway is just the worst pain imaginable. It is wrong, the parents should go first. It is just all wrong, and what is worse, could have been avoided.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 19, 2009, 12:44:33 pm
(http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f322/buffymon/HEATHSCULPTURE-1.jpg)

A three-piece sculpture in honour of Heath Ledger has been installed on the Applecross foreshore where he played as a child.

Ledger’s family picked a site at Point Heathcote Reserve for the polished concrete and marble sculpture by the internationally renowned Perth-based artist Ron Gomboc. Two pieces incorporating chessboards pay tribute to the actor’s passion for the game and a third piece, featuring a yin and yang design, reflects his spiritual beliefs.

Gomboc, a long-time family friend, said yesterday that the sculpture was a fitting tribute to Ledger, who used to relish playing chess at parks around the world when he had down-time from filming.

Ledger’s family have flown to the US for the Academy Awards on Sunday, when he is widely tipped to win a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

His mother, Sally Bell, issued a statement through the City of Melville saying her son would often walk to Point Heathcote with his friends and “truly loved it there”. She said few people knew that he was passionate about chess and was close to becoming a grand master.

His father, Kim, said the sculpture was simple in keeping with Ledger’s style and would give family and friends a place to visit to remember him.

Source: http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=125649
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 19, 2009, 12:57:34 pm
...same topic, different article

HEATH Ledger's love of chess has been set in stone at a park on Perth's Swan River, where he played as a child.

Ledger's family have given the City of Melville, in Perth's southern suburbs, a polished concrete and marble sculpture in memory of the late actor, comprising two chess boards and a yin and yang symbol.

Ledger's mother Sally Bell said the family had chosen the site at Heathcote Reserve, overlooking the Swan River, because her son had cared about the environment and spent much of his youth in the Applecross area.

Ms Bell said he often walked to the park with his friends.

"He truly loved it there," she said.

"As far as the artwork is concerned, we feel it is in no way offensive to anyone and blends harmoniously into the surrounding environment.

"As for the chess theme, not many people know that Heath was passionate about chess and was close to becoming a Grand Master."

The sculptor Ron Gombac said the yin and yang design reflected Heath's spiritual beliefs.

Father Kim Ledger said Heath's friends and family now had a place to visit that was imbued with his presence.

"People who visit the site can remember him by using and enjoying the tables, as he would want them to," Mr Ledger said.

"We didn't choose anything elaborate as Heath wouldn't have liked that.

"He liked subtlety and was very laidback but extremely aware of who he was."

Visitors can use the sculpture to play chess as they take in views of the river and city. The work was installed on Saturday.

Ledger's family flew from Perth bound for Los Angeles yesterday to attend the Oscars and spend time with his daughter Matilda.

The Perth-born actor is widely tipped to take out the best supporting actor award for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, the last film he completed before his death.

Ledger was working on The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus when he died, aged 28, on January 22 last year in his rented Manhattan loft apartment after consuming a deadly cocktail of prescription painkillers and sleeping pills. His death was declared an accidental overdose.

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on February 19, 2009, 12:59:39 pm
Two pieces incorporating chessboards pay tribute to the actor’s passion for the game and a third piece, featuring a yin and yang design, reflects his spiritual beliefs.


A little off-topic, but not so much: I know Amanda will be pleased to read this.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 19, 2009, 01:06:00 pm

A little off-topic, but not so much: I know Amanda will be pleased to read this.

 :D :D :D :D :D

Yep!  Sure enough!  I was just reading that part in the article about the yin and yang symbol.  I was just about to quote that part myself when I saw you beat me to it!  How wonderful. :)



Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 19, 2009, 01:21:55 pm
I was just very glad they didn´t erect a statue of him or anything. Can you imagine how much that would have made him cringe? :)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on February 19, 2009, 01:24:57 pm
What a beautiful tribute to Heath by his family, and how Brokebackian, too!  8)

This makes me want to visit Perth even more.  Now we have another must-visit location on our round of Heathworthy places to see in Oz.  And this park is a much happier stop than Karrakatta Cemetery, or even Cottesloe Beach.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: southendmd on February 19, 2009, 02:31:19 pm
What a beautiful tribute to Heath by his family, and how Brokebackian, too!  8)

This makes me want to visit Perth even more.  Now we have another must-visit location on our round of Heathworthy places to see in Oz.  And this park is a much happier stop than Karrakatta Cemetery, or even Cottesloe Beach.

Exactly!  Save your pennies, Brokies.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on February 20, 2009, 08:05:42 pm

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/ent?guid=20090220/499e46e0_3421_1334520090220-1260393886 (http://enews.earthlink.net/article/ent?guid=20090220/499e46e0_3421_1334520090220-1260393886)
Ledger's Legacy: A new generation's James Dean?
By JOCELYN NOVECK (AP National Writer)
From Associated Press
February 20, 2009 7:20 PM EST
NEW YORK - It was a decade ago, and director Gil Junger was seeking fresh talent for his upcoming movie, "10 Things I Hate About You." He'd already seen 250 or 300 kids. In walked a young Australian TV actor looking for work.

After a quick line reading and a bit of improv, "I was stunned," Junger says now. Certain he was looking at someone with enough raw magnetism to be a movie star, he turned to his casting people. "Hire him immediately," he recalls saying of Heath Ledger.

Ten years after that teen flick launched his brief but hugely promising film career, Ledger is an overwhelming favorite to become, on Sunday, only the second actor to win a posthumous Oscar. If he does, the words "Oscar-winning actor" will doubtless precede each mention of his name forever.

But beyond that, what will his legacy be?

Will he be remembered by future generations simply as the talented, versatile young actor he was? Or will his sex appeal endure, lumping him with cinematic heartthrobs of the past? Will he be remembered for one role, his leering Joker in "The Dark Knight"? Or will his premature death be the defining memory, making him this generation's version of '50s cult icon James Dean?

It's easy to see why the Dean comparison has been so tempting. Both actors died in their 20s - Dean in a car crash at age 24, Ledger of an accidental prescription-drug overdose at 28. Like Ledger, Dean was known for a provocative kind of charisma, embodied in the famous photos of his misunderstood teenager in "Rebel Without a Cause."

Both were recognized with two Oscar nominations - Dean's were both posthumous, for "East of Eden" and "Giant." And both will remain forever young, with no inkling of how they would have aged or how their careers would have fared.

But in many ways, the two weren't alike at all.

"Dean was a whole different animal," says film historian Leonard Maltin. "He became a cultural icon because of the rebel role he embodied, and even the sort of glamorously grisly way that he died. I'd wager that many young people who have posters of him on their walls haven't even seen his movies."

Ledger, on the other hand, had no singular screen persona - it was in large part his versatility that set him apart. Imagine another young actor playing Ennis Del Mar, the taciturn, confused cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," or the menacing Joker of "The Dark Knight," with the heartthrobs of "A Knight's Tale" and "10 Things I Hate About You" thrown in.

"There wasn't a Heath Ledger personality," says Maltin. "Ledger was a serious actor who will be remembered because he gave several indelible performances. He inhabited each role."

Maltin hopes Ledger will also be remembered for the creative risks he took - for example, taking a small role as a prison guard in 2001's "Monster's Ball," a choice that showed his reluctance to be typecast. "That sent a signal that this was a serious young actor, not a pretty boy looking to score points," Maltin says.

For some fans, it will always be Ledger's Oscar-nominated performance as the tortured ranch hand in Ang Lee's 2005 "Brokeback Mountain" that remains his defining performance, his diabolical Joker notwithstanding. Screenwriting professor Richard Walter hopes that role will be a central part of his legacy.

"He might indeed be a kind of James Dean figure, but I think he was a far, far superior actor to Dean," says Walter, who runs the screenwriting program at UCLA's film school. "Dean's whole persona was kind of a cartoon character." He predicts Ledger will remain a major name in cinema - "maybe not for as long as 20 to 30 years, but for a long while."

Ledger has now won a slew of awards for "The Dark Knight," including the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, and it would be a surprise if he didn't capture the supporting actor Oscar. The award would be a fitting yet bittersweet bookend to his career.

"Winning an Oscar would go a long way toward solidifying the actor's legacy," says Todd Boyd, professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.

But will that legacy be one of an enduring cultural icon like Dean? "I think any time you have a celebrity who dies young while seemingly on the way up the ladder of success, comparisons to James Dean are inevitable," says Boyd. But Dean remains alive in our minds, he adds, because generations born after his death found his rebel image relevant to their own era.

"If future generations discover Ledger and find ways to make his image applicable to their times, then people may one day be asking whether a future celebrity who dies prematurely while on the way up is akin to Heath Ledger," Boyd says.

Ledger's family is celebrating his legacy in its own way. A dozen family members were in Hollywood this week, attending a party thrown by Australians in Film to honor the first recipient of the group's Heath Ledger scholarship, a 29-year-old Australian actor named Oliver Ackland.

It wasn't known who would accept the Oscar on Ledger's behalf should he win, but the Academy has said the statuette will be given to his daughter, Matilda.

For the many still aching to see more of Ledger, he has one movie yet to be released. He died in the midst of production on "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," and director Terry Gilliam has salvaged the unfinished performance by enlisting three other big-name actors - Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell - to complete the part.

After that, Ledger's fans will be left to wonder what else this hugely talented actor might have had up his sleeve.

"The worst thing is we don't know what he would have done," notes Walter, the screenwriting professor. He points out that a similarly magnetic presence in his youth, Marlon Brando, is now remembered for a whole range of performances - the good, the bad, and the bizarre.

Junger, the director, now working on a TV version of "10 Things I Hate About You" for ABC, finds the comparisons to other actors, like Dean, of little value.

"I just think he was an extraordinary young talent whose life was snuffed out way too early," the director says.

"He would have had a shockingly good career."

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on February 20, 2009, 09:00:59 pm
He would have had a shockingly good career. Poignant and past tense. Very, very sad.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 21, 2009, 08:46:55 am
What if Heath Ledger Lost?
Let's face facts. Heath Ledger's going to the win the oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Not only does he deserve it for his performance, but it will be a tribute to a great actor that we lost far too early.

But the guy's screwing all the other nominees, who have no shot at being recognized for their great performances.

If for some reason any of the other actors win, they'll be viewed as that A-hole who deprived Heath of the posthumous honor. Say Phil Hoffman takes home the Oscar: A-hole. The guy's already got one. Great actor he may be, but no matter what his Heath-praising acceptance speech says, the audience will hear "I'm a dick. I'm a dick. I'm a dick. See you next year when I deprive another dead guy of an award that the world wanted him to win." What an A-hole.

Imagine if Robert Downey Jr. beat out Heath Ledger and then couldn't even be there to accept the award? That would be the ultimate slap in the face, sending a pre-recorded message saying "sorry I couldn't be there, but at least I'm alive to accept my award." Via-satelite A-hole.

What if Josh Brolin won? Oh, I bet he really wants to win. I bet he'd love it. He'd say "I'm honored to even be associated with great actors like Heath" and maybe he'd even shed a tear. Pulling-at-our-heart-strings A-hole.

I don't know who Michael Shannon is. Was he the guy from that depressing movie about people being depressed about how good looking they are? Who-the-eff-are-you A-hole.

Luckily none of this will happen. Heath will win. And he should. Even if he had not died, he deserves the award. His Joker was mind-blowingly good. In an A-hole way.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-abramson/what-if-heath-ledger-lost_b_168720.html
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on February 21, 2009, 10:52:12 pm
Heath Ledger - Kid who Conquered Hollywood

Article from: The Sunday Telegraph, Sydney, Australia
By Peta Hellard

February 22, 2009 12:00am


http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25088555-5001021,00.html

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o126/kez4oz/Album%202/HAL-DT1.jpg)

On Academy Awards eve, it is almost too hard to look at these pictures of a 20-year-old Heath Ledger mucking around with actor Rose Byrne in Las Vegas.

They are both on their way to stardom and Ledger, who died of an accidental drug overdose last year, looks like he does not have a care in the world.

It is difficult to remember a photograph of Ledger looking happier. Fame seemed to sap the life out of the young man.

These beautiful pictures have been unearthed ahead of tomorrow's Oscars:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5025684-5010141-1,00.html

He is considered a virtual certainty to win a posthumous award for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

The photos were taken in May 1999, a month after Ledger had his 20th birthday and six weeks after his first US film, 10 Things I Hate About You, premiered.

The actor, who moved to Hollywood three months before the snaps were taken, had his first big acting break - opposite Mel Gibson in civil war drama, The Patriot  - and had stars in his eyes.

Rupert Thorpe, the Los Angeles-based celebrity photographer who took the pictures, said Ledger was ecstatic about his burgeoning career in Hollywood.

" I had never heard of him, but he was full of energy and you could see he was destined for great things,'' Thorpe said yesterday.

"He was a little boy from Australia (who had) come over to big America - he was loving life and he didn't seem to have a care in the world.''

Thorpe, who spent a day shooting Ledger and his Two Hands co-star Rose Byrne in Las Vegas, said the actor was excited about the perks of the shoot.

"We were driving around the Vegas strip in a stretch limo, drinking champagne and taking pictures: Heath got a kick out of that,'' he said.

"We went through four or five bottles of champagne in the limo and then we poured ourselves out of the limo for the pics.

"Heath and Rose asked me to stay and hang out because we were having so much fun, but I ended up flying back to Los Angeles that night, while they stayed on for a couple more days.''

Byrne, who launched her career with Ledger when both starred as teens in Two Hands - which premiered in July 1999 - said she remembered her longtime friend as fun-loving and excitable.

"He was a very lovely, spontaneous, distinctive actor,'' she said. "I was very blessed to have worked with him.''

The relaxed experience was a world away from the micro-managed public moments of Ledger's later career, when he seemed uneasy and awkward, often hunched over and surly in interviews.

Thorpe said he was shocked by the change in Ledger when he bumped into him years later in Beverly Hills, shopping with then girlfriend Naomi Watts.

"He seemed like a completely different person,'' he said.

"He was older and obviously more guarded because he had success and had people running after him because he was now famous.''


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: j.U.d.E. on February 22, 2009, 12:20:09 pm
Ledger's Legacy: A new generation's James Dean?
NEW YORK - It was a decade ago, and director Gil Junger was seeking fresh talent for his upcoming movie, "10 Things I Hate About You." He'd already seen 250 or 300 kids. In walked a young Australian TV actor looking for work.

After a quick line reading and a bit of improv, "I was stunned," Junger says now. Certain he was looking at someone with enough raw magnetism to be a movie star, he turned to his casting people. "Hire him immediately," he recalls saying of Heath Ledger.

"Dean was a whole different animal," says film historian Leonard Maltin. "He became a cultural icon because of the rebel role he embodied, and even the sort of glamorously grisly way that he died. I'd wager that many young people who have posters of him on their walls haven't even seen his movies."

"He might indeed be a kind of James Dean figure, but I think he was a far, far superior actor to Dean," says Walter, who runs the screenwriting program at UCLA's film school. "Dean's whole persona was kind of a cartoon character." He predicts Ledger will remain a major name in cinema - "maybe not for as long as 20 to 30 years, but for a long while."

"Winning an Oscar would go a long way toward solidifying the actor's legacy," says Todd Boyd, professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.

But will that legacy be one of an enduring cultural icon like Dean? "I think any time you have a celebrity who dies young while seemingly on the way up the ladder of success, comparisons to James Dean are inevitable," says Boyd. But Dean remains alive in our minds, he adds, because generations born after his death found his rebel image relevant to their own era.

After that, Ledger's fans will be left to wonder what else this hugely talented actor might have had up his sleeve. Too true, to be good!

"The worst thing is we don't know what he would have done," notes Walter, the screenwriting professor. He points out that a similarly magnetic presence in his youth, Marlon Brando, is now remembered for a whole range of performances - the good, the bad, and the bizarre.

Junger, the director, now working on a TV version of "10 Things I Hate About You" for ABC, finds the comparisons to other actors, like Dean, of little value.

"I just think he was an extraordinary young talent whose life was snuffed out way too early," the director says.

"He would have had a shockingly good career."
I get the comparison to James Dean, but like Junger said, it is of little value. They were young when they died, they were very raw actors. But I think it was different times and they had different reasons to be the way they were. James Dean was tormented because of his past, his life and family, the time he lived in and because he felt he had to be someone he didn't want to be or knew he couldn't be. His raw-ness came from a conflicted self and lack of secureness and searching personality. But I would certainly NOT call him a cartoon character! Heath Ledger was raw, versatile and unpredictable, because of where he came from (I mean from outside the US star-system) and because he did not want to fit in or be type-cast. Out of personal conviction he refused to 'play along' with the big Hollywood machine and he clashed sometimes, but that enhanced his charisma and his bad boy image. In a way he didn't care much about what people thought of him, but he was also extremely sensitive to everything that happened around him and in the world. I think James Dean's torment was much more self-centered. But that too, is understandable, in my opinion.

Anyway, it is still horribly painful, that they had to die so young! I have been a big fan of James Dean ever since I was 12 or so. I had a huge poster of GIANT on my wall and I DID see all his movies several times!  ;) I remember seeing GIANT for the first time at age 13/14 - I was in Portugal on holiday at the beach and was suffering a severe sunstroke. But the local cinema showed GIANT which I had never seen before and I had to go! Sitting through the 3+ hour long film was an ordeal and I don't know how I made it. Afterwards, I only remembered the last scene (where you can see a white toddler and a coloured toddler in the same scene) until I had the chance to watch it again months/years later.

The "the good, the bad, and the bizarre" is maybe truly something that we will be spared of, hmm.. I don't know. I am thinking about Mickey Rourke here.. I loved him in his early movies... now not so much. Same goes for Marlon Brando as is mentioned in the article..

I still don't care much for Oscars and other such awards. I only found out today who is nominated, although I had read about Heath Ledger being nominated. In addition, I feel like his Dark Knight nomination is not heartfelt by those who voted for him. It feels like he’s been nominated to make up for what BBM should have received and because he died so suddenly. I think it would all be quite different, if he were still alive. But again, that's only my very personal opinion.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on February 22, 2009, 12:37:26 pm
(http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f322/buffymon/Oscar-joker2.jpg)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on March 01, 2009, 06:39:46 pm
Quote
FOR Heath Ledger's family, life after the Oscars has been spent bonding with the late actor's three-year-old daughter Matilda and celebrating their late son's win with Hollywood friends at Johnny Depp's mansion.

Ledger's father Kim, mother Sally and sister Kate, who travelled from Perth for the ceremony, joined Matilda and the actor's former partner Michelle Williams at an afternoon party at Depp's Hollywood Hills home last week, along with industry friends.

The private event, which was guarded by security staff, was also attended by Ledger's step-parents, brother-in-law, step-sisters and nieces.

Depp had become friends with Ledger after Terry Gilliam, who directed the Oscar-winner in The Brothers Grimm, introduced the two actors at the Toronto Film Festival several years ago.

After Ledger's death in January last year, Depp and actors Jude Law and Colin Farrell stepped in to replace the Australian in his final unfinished film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Williams' partner Spike Jonze, who started dating her last year, did not attend the event. Williams, who split from Ledger shortly before his death, drove herself and Matilda to the party from Jonze's hilltop mansion in the trendy Los Angeles neighbourhood of Los Feliz.

The couple flew into Los Angeles with Matilda the day before the Oscars for Williams to attend the Independent Spirit Awards, where she was nominated for best lead actress for Wendy and Lucy.

On the morning of the Oscars, Williams and Jonze - whose real name is Adam Spiegel - ate breakfast at an upscale Beverly Hills eatery before shopping in a department store.

Ledger's family also enjoyed some shopping excursions in Los Angeles boutiques.

The group visited designer stores in Beverly Hills' famed Robertson Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, as well as upmarket outdoor shopping centre The Grove, where they wandered in the doll store American Girl.

The family is expected to return to Australia this week.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25120443-5012980,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25120443-5012980,00.html)

Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on March 14, 2009, 06:55:51 am
Excerpt from an interview with Ang Lee on March 10th, 2009. Crossposted on HHH.


Do you remember where you were when you got the news that Heath died?
I was landing at the Tokyo airport when I got an email from James. Heath died during my flight. That’s always strange to think about.


What is your favorite memory of him?
It also happens to be one of my favorite shots of my career: his “barfing” scene in Brokeback, when he was hitting the wall with his fists. We were on the third take, his fists were bleeding, he’d literally spilled all his guts, and something in the background struck me as being perfect. I think it was the clouds. I wanted to do another take, but Heath was totally exhausted. My producer said, “That’s bullshit. The actor has had enough.” But the clouds were perfect! We did another take, and after it was over, Heath said, “Wow. That felt good.”


http://7x7.com/content/e/ang-lee-remembers-heath-ledger (http://7x7.com/content/e/ang-lee-remembers-heath-ledger)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on March 14, 2009, 09:19:38 am

Matilda sole beneficiary of Heath's M$15 . . . . . .

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5390237
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Brown Eyes on May 23, 2009, 07:40:29 pm

Heya,
I wanted to alert folks that Entertainment Tonight did a long bio segment on Heath tonight.  Lots of old interviews and outtakes.  They did a decent job with the segment, but there really isn't any new news in the segment.

Title: Huge Heath Story in Upcoming VF
Post by: LauraGigs on June 29, 2009, 01:29:14 pm
Heath Ledger's Final Days, His Last Role, His Devotion To His Daughter, And His Demons

First Posted: 06-29-09 10:51 AM   |   Updated: 06-29-09 11:03 AM

Vanity Fair has a feature on Heath Ledger's last days working on "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." To read the whole article you'll have to buy the August issue of the magazine, as a short summary is available online.

A press release summarizing its contents is below:


NEW YORK, N.Y.--Vanity Fair contributing editor Peter Biskind writes about the remarkable talent and untimely death of actor Heath Ledger, reporting on the actor's final movie role, his ambivalence about Hollywood, his devotion to his young daughter, and what happened at the end of his life as he was battling chronic insomnia, pneumonia, and exhaustion.
_________________________________________

Cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, who worked with Ledger on his last film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and compares Ledger to "a young Richard Burton," tells Biskind that once Ledger's drug use became an issue--"He used to smoke marijuana on a regular basis, like probably 50 percent of Americans," he says--Ledger "went clean as a whistle." And vocal coach Gerry Grennell, who worked and lived with the actor during the filming of The Dark Knight, says, "Heath would happily go to the bar, buy a round of drinks for friends, and come back and have a soda or juice, never once drinking alcohol."

But Grennell does tell Biskind that Ledger's use of sleeping medication to combat chronic insomnia at the end of his life concerned him. "I'd say, 'If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don't seem to be doing you any good.' He agreed. It is very difficult for me to imagine how close he came to not taking them."

Ledger would typically spend night after night awake, diverting himself with time killers, Biskind reports, such as re-arranging the furniture in whatever space he happened to be living in at the moment. Grennell coached him in the Alexander Technique, which helped him to sleep for a few hours at a time, but he still struggled.

Everyone has a different view of how he passed away," Grennell tells Biskind. "From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication ... and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu. I guess his body just stopped breathing."

Terry Gilliam--Ledger's friend and mentor, and the director of Doctor Parnassus--and Pecorini agree that the romance between Ledger and his former partner, actress Michelle Williams, began to unravel during the Oscar campaign for Brokeback Mountain. "The whole machinery started growing up around them," Gilliam says. "That was the moment when it changed, when he realized, Uh-oh. We perceive the world differently. He didn't care about things like those awards."

According to Pecorini, "Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking, What did I do wrong?" Adds Gilliam, "Because he's a much nicer person than I am, he really thought he could do the right thing. He was trying to be decent and graceful, give her whatever she wanted--the house, every fucking thing. But once it started going south, it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding. I said, 'This is bullshit. Heath, just end it. Get out--it's bad. You've got to just walk away from it.' The stakes kept going up. He wouldn't listen to any of us."

As Ledger's relationship with Williams unraveled, and the pair started dealing with lawyers and custody issues, according to Gilliam, Ledger fell apart. "The thing that really made Heath snap" was legal wrangling over his daughter, Matilda, Gilliam says. "He said, 'Just fuck all of you! I'm not giving Michelle anything.' " Recalls another source, when it came to Matilda's care, "there were definitely heated conversations, and emotions were high." (Ledger's lawyer declined to comment on any aspect of the separation or custody dispute.)

The strife in his personal life coincided with the Parnassus shoot, but rather than distract him from his work Gilliam believes it helped him concentrate on the task at hand, he tells Biskind. Ledger appeared one day on set "clearly bloody sick," Gilliam says. The doctor told him it was the beginning of pneumonia and that he ought to take antibiotics and go home and rest. According to Gilliam, Ledger said, "No way. I'm not going to go home, because I can't sleep, and I'll be just thinking about the situation. I'd rather stay here and work."

Although "he would arrive in the morning completely knackered," Gilliam says, "by the end of the day he was beaming, glowing with energy. It was like everything was put into the work, because that was the joy; that's what he loved to do. The words were just pouring out. It was like he was channeling."

Ledger's friend and agent, Steven Alexander, tells Biskind that Heath "was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies. He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices." According to friends of Ledger's, one of the reasons he agreed to do The Dark Knight was that it would be such a long shoot it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers. Alexander tells Biskind that Ledger had a pay-or-play deal on The Dark Knight--meaning he'd get compensated no matter what--so he felt he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted as the Joker. According to Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so far-out he'd be fired, and thus become the beneficiary of a lengthy, paid vacation.

"He was ready to bust out of the gate, but he didn't want to step on the gas and become something that he didn't want to become: a matinee idol," says Alexander. "He was a private person, and he didn't want to share his personal history with the press. It just wasn't up for sale. That's part of the reason he initially tore down his career. He wasn't motivated by money or stardom, but by the respect of his peers, and for people to walk out of a movie theater after they'd seen something that he'd worked on and say, 'Wow, he really disappeared into that character.' He was striving to become an 'illusionist,' as he called it, able to create characters that weren't there."


The August issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles July 1 and nationally July 7.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/29/heath-ledgers-final-days_n_222282.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/29/heath-ledgers-final-days_n_222282.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on June 29, 2009, 02:54:47 pm
Thanks Laura.


Vanitiy Fair has a portfolio with some well-known and plenty new Heath pics from the Bruce Weber shoot online. I posted the ones which were new to me over on HHH, and here's the link to VF:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/heath-ledger-portfolio200908?slide=1#globalNav (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/heath-ledger-portfolio200908?slide=1#globalNav)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Kerry on July 05, 2009, 03:06:45 am
Michelle Break-Up Made Heath "Snap"

Article from: The Sunday Telegraph

By Claire Harvey

July 05, 2009


http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25734036-5001026,00.html

HEATH Ledger's ugly split with partner Michelle Williams made the actor "snap" in the last weeks of his life, according to American magazine Vanity Fair.

Insomnia and prescription medication turned Ledger to despair before his death in January, 2008, friends and colleagues have told the magazine in a profile that reveals the true depth of Ledger's unhappiness.

The custody battle over daughter Matilda, born in 2005, left Ledger edgy, depressed and unable to sleep to the point where he "snapped", according to Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger's last film, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus.

The magazine also reveals Ledger's insecurity, even suggesting he wanted to be kicked off the set of the Batman film The Dark Knight, deliberately overacting to provoke director Christopher Nolan.

Distress over the break-up and fears about his talent led him to avoid working, and he had told friends one of the reasons he agreed to star in the Batman film The Dark Knight was "that it would be such a long shoot it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers".

"The first thing he would do was pass on almost everything that came to him," said his friend and agent Steve Alexander.

"Or he would commit to things and then walk away from them. As much as he wanted to work, there was a part of him that was always looking for a reason not to work.

"He was always afraid, insecure about could he nail it. Then finally he would come around and embrace the challenge."

Nicola Pecorini, the cinematographer on Doctor Parnassus, said Ledger told him he deliberately went over the top with the Joker character in The Dark Knight.

"According to Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so far out he'd be fired, and thus become the beneficiary of a lengthy, paid vacation," Vanity Fair says. It was exactly that over-the-top performance that won Ledger a best-actor Oscar, awarded after his death.

Ledger was reluctant to be involved in the Batman franchise, according to Steve Alexander.

"He was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies," Alexander says.

The story says the Doctor Parnassus film, to be released in Europe in September and Australia on October 29, will give fresh insights into Ledger's development as an actor.

It has "the added advantage of showing (Ledger) reloaded or, better, unplugged. This final performance, while not the tour de force of weirdness that was the Joker, is good enough - more than good enough - to remind us that Ledger's death has deprived the movies of one of their most accomplished, and promising, talents."

Ledger's character in the film is a conman known as Tony Liar, whose name, Gilliam says, is a reference to former British prime minister Tony Blair.

Until now, little has been known about Ledger's split with Williams, with family members portraying it as amicable. Williams is now in a relationship with director Spike Jonze.

Gilliam reveals that Ledger and Williams fell out of love after the release of the film on which they met, Brokeback Mountain.

Their relationship began to mirror the dysfunctional marriage they portrayed on screen, with Ledger leaving Williams lonely and isolated while he spent time with his own friends.

Ledger came under increasing pressure to woo Oscar votes and discovered that Williams cared more about the accolades than he did, Gilliam said.

"That was the moment when it changed, when he realised, uh-oh, we perceive the world differently," Gilliam told Vanity Fair.

"He didn't care about things like those awards. He was trying to be decent and graceful, give her whatever she wanted . . . But once it started going south it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding."

According to Gilliam, Ledger eventually said: "Just f*** all of you! I'm not giving Michelle anything."

The custody dispute with Williams had one positive effect on Ledger, however: he gave up alcohol and the marijuana he had previously smoked regularly.

"With his chronic insomnia, Ledger would typically spend night after night awake, diverting himself with time-killers like rearranging the furniture in whatever space he happened to be living," Vanity Fair contributing editor Peter Biskind said.

Run-down and exhausted, Ledger turned to prescription drugs, massages and the Alexander Technique, a combination of posture and relaxation therapy.

His instructor, Gerry Grennell, told the magazine he had urged Ledger to give up the medications. "He agreed" in the last days of his life, Grennell said.

"It is very difficult for me to imagine how close he came to not taking them."

A masseuse found Ledger's body in his New York loft. An autopsy revealed drugs including Valium, Xanax, OxyContin, Vicodin and Restoril in his body.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on July 05, 2009, 08:57:55 am
Here are the scans of the whole Vanity Fair article:

http://www.imaginariumofdrparnassus.com/vanityfair (http://www.imaginariumofdrparnassus.com/vanityfair)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on July 05, 2009, 09:40:04 am
Ugh!!!   >:(

(and that's not directed at anyone here, but at Vanity Fair and its interviewees.)

Terry Gilliam obviously has an interest in deflecting criticism that he himself was partly at fault for driving Heath too hard at that Parnassus shoot,- Heath had pneumonia/the flu and he kept on going cause of Gilliam's shoot. Obviously part of the reason he was taking all those pills was exhaustion in connection with the illness and the shoot. If Gilliam was such a good friend perhaps he should have recognized something was amiss while he had the chance? I'm only saying this to point out that anything Gilliam now says should IMO not be taken as the gospel of truth, but to some extent as one party's self-defense.

That aside, neither Heath nor Michelle ever commented on their split and I think it's in the poorest of taste for "friends" to second-guess the events like this and particularly to place blame with Michelle for Heath's death, like these people really seem to go a long way in doing. Obviously the two of them didn't get along after a while since they split. Obviously that would have been emotional and difficult and must have taken its heavy toll on both. Falling out of love isn't ever easy. Obviously there would be discussions and disagreements concerning the best way forward for their daughter whom both of them loved. Nothing of that is uncommon or makes Michelle into some ogress. It's a normal process of splitting up, I'd say - and as much a I dearly love and respect Heath I've never entertained the notion he was easy to live with - especially after there was a baby around who required planning ahead and orderly conditions.

If indeed it is true that Michelle cared more for the Oscar hullaballoo than Heath, that doesn't make her a bad person. Nor does it say anyhing much about her level of Oscar campaigning, for there could hardly have been anyone less comfortable about all that than Heath. In fact, look at how Reese Witherspoon campaigned and fought tooth and nail for *her* Oscar that same season - now that is what I would consider *really* going for the win. Michelle never came remotely close to anything like that. It's normal to want accolades from one's peers. If this is true at all.

I feel really bad for Michelle that friends of Heath would go public with such stories. If they were true friends they would realize that Heath would above else have wanted Matilda to have a good and happy life. You don't make the child happy by malingning her mother and blaming her (indirectly) for her father's death. I hope nothing of this reaches Matilda's ears.

And there can't be any doubt that Matilda has been taken good care of and is a sweet and happy little girl, and that Michelle loves her. That's the one important thing. All this speculation about what exactly led to Heath's death is tasteless and unneccesary.

Ugh.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: KristinDaBomb on July 14, 2009, 02:38:36 pm
I don't really like Terry. He doesn't (from what I have read) treat women with the respect he treats men. Here he is blaming everything on Michelle Williams, and a couple years back, he blamed Lena Heady for the Brothers Grim being a box office failure. He is a dirtbag.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on July 14, 2009, 02:49:30 pm
Gilliam isn't the only source for the opinion that Heath was locked in a frustrating and upsetting legal struggle with Michelle over gaining access to Matilda.  There was at least one story that surfaced shortly right after his death auoting another friend of his that he was frantic with fear over losing visiting access due to legal measure that Michelle was taking against him.  The speculation was that she was denying him access to Matilda due to his drug use.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mikaela on July 14, 2009, 03:22:00 pm
Well, it may be true, every last word, for all I know.... but that still doesn't mean Gilliam or anyone else has any business dishing this dirt on a man who has passed away and his ex who very obviously won't come foward to comment no matter what slander or "truth" these people level at her and her relationship with her daughter's father.

Even if every word is true it reflects extremely poorly on Gilliam that he doesn't just keep his mouth shut - the main thing he risks is hurting Matilda, and whatever went on in Heath's life that was the last thing he'd ever have wanted.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on July 14, 2009, 03:44:33 pm
Oh, I really don´t like that article. What was Gilliam thinking? He only saw what was going on from one side. He has lost all my respect.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: belbbmfan on July 15, 2009, 01:54:28 am
Ugh!!!   >:(

(and that's not directed at anyone here, but at Vanity Fair and its interviewees.)

Terry Gilliam obviously has an interest in deflecting criticism that he himself was partly at fault for driving Heath too hard at that Parnassus shoot,- Heath had pneumonia/the flu and he kept on going cause of Gilliam's shoot. Obviously part of the reason he was taking all those pills was exhaustion in connection with the illness and the shoot. If Gilliam was such a good friend perhaps he should have recognized something was amiss while he had the chance? I'm only saying this to point out that anything Gilliam now says should IMO not be taken as the gospel of truth, but to some extent as one party's self-defense.

That aside, neither Heath nor Michelle ever commented on their split and I think it's in the poorest of taste for "friends" to second-guess the events like this and particularly to place blame with Michelle for Heath's death, like these people really seem to go a long way in doing. Obviously the two of them didn't get along after a while since they split. Obviously that would have been emotional and difficult and must have taken its heavy toll on both. Falling out of love isn't ever easy. Obviously there would be discussions and disagreements concerning the best way forward for their daughter whom both of them loved. Nothing of that is uncommon or makes Michelle into some ogress. It's a normal process of splitting up, I'd say - and as much a I dearly love and respect Heath I've never entertained the notion he was easy to live with - especially after there was a baby around who required planning ahead and orderly conditions.

If indeed it is true that Michelle cared more for the Oscar hullaballoo than Heath, that doesn't make her a bad person. Nor does it say anyhing much about her level of Oscar campaigning, for there could hardly have been anyone less comfortable about all that than Heath. In fact, look at how Reese Witherspoon campaigned and fought tooth and nail for *her* Oscar that same season - now that is what I would consider *really* going for the win. Michelle never came remotely close to anything like that. It's normal to want accolades from one's peers. If this is true at all.

I feel really bad for Michelle that friends of Heath would go public with such stories. If they were true friends they would realize that Heath would above else have wanted Matilda to have a good and happy life. You don't make the child happy by malingning her mother and blaming her (indirectly) for her father's death. I hope nothing of this reaches Matilda's ears.

And there can't be any doubt that Matilda has been taken good care of and is a sweet and happy little girl, and that Michelle loves her. That's the one important thing. All this speculation about what exactly led to Heath's death is tasteless and unneccesary.

Ugh.

I agree with everything you've said here Mikaela. I can't believe the things Gilliam would spread gossip around like that. I think Heath would be horrified that would say such nasty thinks about his personal life, true or not.

Is this really the only way Gilliam wants to continue interest in his movie? After having read this article, I'm not sure I'll spend my money on Gilliam!  >:(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on July 15, 2009, 03:34:11 am
Well, it may be true, every last word, for all I know.... but that still doesn't mean Gilliam or anyone else has any business dishing this dirt on a man who has passed away and his ex who very obviously won't come foward to comment no matter what slander or "truth" these people level at her and her relationship with her daughter's father.

Even if every word is true it reflects extremely poorly on Gilliam that he doesn't just keep his mouth shut - the main thing he risks is hurting Matilda, and whatever went on in Heath's life that was the last thing he'd ever have wanted.


I agree with everything you've written in your posts, Mikaela.  It's appalling that Terry Gilliam said those things in public.

Back in the last century, when I was a lass, I used to love watching Monty Python.  I felt warmly toward Michael Palin, and John Cleese, and Eric Idle, and Graham Chapman, they gave off good vibes to me, but Terry Gilliam always creeped me out, and I avoided skits and episodes with him in them.

Heath admired him mightily though.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on July 22, 2009, 04:17:38 pm
Well, we knew it would happen--Heath getting lumped in with other celebrities who died of drug overdoses.  Here's the latest:

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Celeb-prescription-drug-deaths.aspx?cp-searchtext=Celebrity%20prescription%20drug%20deaths

 :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on July 22, 2009, 05:47:47 pm
Well, we knew it would happen--Heath getting lumped in with other celebrities who died of drug overdoses.  Here's the latest:

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Celeb-prescription-drug-deaths.aspx?cp-searchtext=Celebrity%20prescription%20drug%20deaths

 :(


Yeah, we knew it would happen.  :-\
*sigh*
 :(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: MilAn on August 04, 2009, 04:23:17 pm
Modest Mouse's "King Rat" directed by Heath.


http://www.wearethemasses.com/videos/modest-mouse-king-rat (http://www.wearethemasses.com/videos/modest-mouse-king-rat)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on August 05, 2009, 10:03:30 am



[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coay6kEqE80&eurl=[/youtube]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/watch-heath-ledgers-green_n_251353.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/watch-heath-ledgers-green_n_251353.html)


Heath Ledger's Green Video
For Modest Mouse

(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/96981/thumbs/s-MODEST-MOUSE-VIDEO-large.jpg)


The much-awaited Modest Mouse video for "King Rat" directed by Heath Ledger has been released today. And the video is an incredible look at what would happen if whales hunted humans.

All the proceeds from the iTunes downloads in the first month of release will go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which works towards protecting and conserving marine life.  http://www.seashepherd.org/ (http://www.seashepherd.org/)

Directed by Ledger, with Daniel Auber and Norris Houk in charge of the animation, the video is a "visual plea against the legal commercial whale hunts taking place off the coast of Australia," according to the press release.

Unfortunately, Ledger died before he could ever see the finished product.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Ellemeno on August 05, 2009, 12:33:19 pm
It's a great video.  Beautiful, creative, disturbing.  It's a very good legacy.  Thank you for posting, MilAn and John.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 05, 2009, 02:32:25 pm
It's a great video.  Beautiful, creative, disturbing.  It's a very good legacy.  Thank you for posting, MilAn and John.
I will  just echo those sentiments and add my thanks.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: BayCityJohn on August 28, 2009, 05:14:13 pm
Quote from: Miaisland
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/Janssonmamma/heath/GregGormanHeathLedgerVenice2004.jpg)

This photograph is part of a current exhibition in Vienna



Kunsthalle Wien
Museumsplatz 1
+43-1-52189-33
Wien
hall 2
The Portrait.
Photography as a Stage
From Robert Mapplethorpe
to Nan Goldin
July 3-October 18, 2009

http://arttattler.com/austriavienna.html (http://arttattler.com/austriavienna.html)

http://www.kunsthallewien.at/cgi-bin/event/event.pl?id=3218;lang=de;page=2 (http://www.kunsthallewien.at/cgi-bin/event/event.pl?id=3218;lang=de;page=2)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on August 28, 2009, 09:17:56 pm
This photograph is part of a current exhibition in Vienna

(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/Janssonmamma/heath/GregGormanHeathLedgerVenice2004.jpg)

What a stunning picture!  Thanks so much for posting it BCJohn.  8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on August 28, 2009, 10:05:39 pm
Thanks from me too.  :)
I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful photo of him before,he appears almost ethereal. It is so Heath and yet so not Heath, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on December 07, 2009, 06:18:32 am
I hadn´d seen this one before - Heath is being inteviewed on the red carpet during 2006 AFI award. This was released after his death and it turned up on youtube the day before yesterday




Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Berit on December 07, 2009, 06:46:52 am
Thanks Monika. I don't know what to say really....it makes a hole in my heart to see it and at the same time I'm happy.....weird.... ???
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: optom3 on December 07, 2009, 10:06:53 am
Thanks Monika. I don't know what to say really....it makes a hole in my heart to see it and at the same time I'm happy.....weird.... ???


I will echo those sentiments.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: sel on December 07, 2009, 10:25:00 am
Thank you Buffymon!
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on December 07, 2009, 04:19:26 pm
I hadn´d seen this one before - Heath is being inteviewed on the red carpet during 2006 AFI award. This was released after his death and it turned up on youtube the day before yesterday





I hadn't seen this either. From the comments here and on youtube, I guess it's really new. Well, as 'new' as can be :(.
Thank you for sharing :-*.


Thanks Monika. I don't know what to say really....it makes a hole in my heart to see it and at the same time I'm happy.....weird.... ???

I know exactly what you mean. I'm feeling the same.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on December 07, 2009, 04:20:30 pm
Trying to embed the video here:


[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crVknT8XMyM[/youtube]


Looks like it works.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Katie77 on December 07, 2009, 05:42:36 pm
Fantastic to watch the video of a young, somewhat uncomfortable Heath on the red carpet.

But why did he have to chew gum.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on December 28, 2009, 12:12:49 am
OK, I'm just tossing this in here because I have no idea where would really be appropriate. Today I read a newspaper review of the late Dominick Dunne's final novel, Too Much Money. Heath's death gets a passing mention in the novel--that is, if you know it's Heath, and I'm sure it is.

If I remember correctly from the review, one character in the novel has to plan a funeral, and the character asks if a particular embalmer from a certain funeral director's establishment in New York City "worked on that Batman actor who died of an overdose of prescription drugs."

It can't mean anybody else but. ...

(The answer is no, it was the embalmer's day off, and he was upset at having missed the opportunity to work on the actor.)

FWIW. ...
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 22, 2010, 11:55:10 pm
perhaps this has been posted before It´s an aRticle about Heath´s last days with The Masses. It gives a very good insight into the man, not the movie star, Heath Ledger

http://www.laweekly.com/2008-07-10/film-tv/port-in-the-storm/1


And as a Brokeback reference, I found this bit amusing

"Heath just kind of came in one day and said, ‘Let’s get an RV and go to Mexico,’” recounts Cline. “I said, ‘Heath, we have a company to run, and those are working days.’ And he said, ‘But it’s our company, and we can do whatever we want.’”

Over the next week, the dozen camped on the beach, surfed during the day and cooked and talked through the night. Recalls Cline: “It was free. We had only ever existed in L.A. together, and there was always a sort of nervous energy to Heath in the city. Every time he’d walk down the street, he’d get recognized, and he felt maybe a little restricted by that. [Mexico] was a place where nobody knew where the fuck he was, and it was very liberating for him. And I think it was liberating for all of us.”


sounds just like what Ennis would have needed too.
Can´t you just imagine Jack and Ennis cruising around Mexico together in a RV?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on November 05, 2010, 04:08:11 am

Grace Woodroofe describes how Heath Ledger and Ben Harper came knocking at her door

YOU'RE 16, at home in Perth, getting ready for school, when a world-famous movie star calls on the phone. He invites you to come to Los Angeles and hang out. He wants to manage you. Maybe you could meet a few record producers, some Hollywood movers and shakers, A-listers. Bring your mum. Then you wake up.

That's how it happened for Grace Woodroofe, except she wasn't dreaming. The call, four years ago, was from her schoolmate Ashleigh Bell's half-brother, Australian actor Heath Ledger. Bell had sent him a couple of songs her friend had recorded as demos for Triple J's Unearthed competition. He liked them. A lot. He wanted to make things happen.
A few months later, just a week into her Year 12 studies, Woodroofe was in California, meeting the kind of people Ledger had promised, including one of his mates, internationally acclaimed roots performer Ben Harper.

Not surprisingly, the young singer had to keep pinching herself to be sure of what was happening. At home she kept quiet about being groomed for stardom by one of the hottest properties in Hollywood.

"I told my family and some of my closest friends, but I didn't go around screaming it to everyone," she says.

You couldn't make up such a story, but just to prove its authenticity, in two weeks Woodroofe will release the debut album she recorded in Los Angeles, with Harper in the producer's chair. Tragically, it's an album that Ledger, the man who discovered her, did not live to hear. The Perth-born actor died in January 2008, six months before his protege began work on her album Always Want.

The release, 20 months after she finished recording it, completes an incredible first chapter in the burgeoning career of an Australian artist who, when she got that call from Ledger, was an unknown, even to herself. Her only stage experience of note to that point was playing guitar in an all-female punk band at school. Her voice then was a well-kept secret. Even her parents didn't know she could sing.

Woodroofe, now 20, is sitting in a cafe next door to the Ellington Jazz Club, one of the gigs around Perth where she cut her teeth as a teenage performer. She's comfortable with the idea of being a professional singer now, she says, yet admits this with a charming degree of shyness.

Her mild-mannered disposition is at odds with the voice that has emerged on disc, however. Traces of Nina Simone, Julie London and Aretha Franklin shade the melancholy, rootsy creations on Always Want. There's also the less obvious influence of bluesy rockers the White Stripes in among the jazz-roots arrangements.

"It doesn't get any better than that for me," she says of Jack White. "I love everything that he does."

Woodroofe's musical education began at the age of 11 when her father gave her a Beatles CD. Until that point she had no more than a passing interest in music as a listener, and no interest in doing it herself.

"That Beatles CD completely changed my life," she says.

"That was me acknowledging music as a huge force that took over my interests."

Three years later she picked up her dad's guitar. He taught her some chords. She became obsessed with the instrument. One of her earliest influences was Jimi Hendrix.

What prompted adding vocals to her repertoire was another gift, this time from Woodroofe to her mother: a CD of bluesy jazz singers such as London, Sarah Vaughan and others. "I ended up stealing it back," she says.

"They really made me want to sing and experiment with my voice. Blues artists made me acknowledge the different ways you can sing. My voice didn't happen right away. I had to grow into it. It keeps growing. It never stays the same. It gets deeper and the more I sing, the more I learn how to manipulate it."

All of her early experimentation was done in private, however. The breakthrough came when her punk band needed a new song.

"One day I wrote a song for the singer to sing, but to show it to them I had to sing it," she says. "They all said, 'Wow, we didn't know you could sing.' I had kept it very secret for a long time. It was scary for me to sing to someone. Even my parents were surprised. It was something I didn't want to let people into."

Woodroofe did let her best friend, Ashleigh, in on the secret, though, once she had made a demo, and that was the moment that changed her life dramatically, although the relationship with Ledger developed over a long period.

"Ashleigh sent an email to Heath and said 'Check out my friend'. He replied saying, 'She's really good, I want to work with her.' I was in Year 11 at school. I thought I was going crazy. After that he asked for my contact details from Ashleigh and we started emailing and he wrote me a proposal. He was filming in Montreal at the time. He said: 'I want to bring you out to LA and introduce you to people who can help you and I want to make a video for you.' He had an alias name and everything. It was like a joke."

By the time Ledger came home for Christmas in 2006 and paid the Woodroofes a visit, it was clear he wasn't joking.

The singing schoolgirl spent the following month in LA meeting producers and industry executives, then was suddenly back at school in Perth. Only after finishing her Year 12 education did she return to the US to start work on the recording. She describes the gap between Ledger's death and her stint in the studio as "a long few months".

"I was grieving and my own family was having a few problems," she says. "It was a very intense, down period for me, but that's also when most of the songwriting got done."

The recording sessions were another new experience for the young Australian. Until she joined up with Harper and his band at the time, the Innocent Criminals, Woodroofe had only performed her songs by herself, with just voice and acoustic guitar. Suddenly she had a whole assortment of instruments to contend with. "I was taken aback by it at first," she admits, "but they were all great players and really helpful."

A WEEK after our meeting in Perth, Woodroofe is on stage in Sydney, playing a handful of the songs from her album to a gathering of industry executives and music media at the Raval in Surry Hills. It's an assured performance, accompanied by a band with which she has had one rehearsal a few days earlier.

Woodroofe has a commanding stage presence and her voice is as comfortable in a smoky jazz setting, such as on the title song, as it is in the rockier material.

There's little doubt about whom the sombre, delicate closing song was written. "I glance where you sit/ I mean where you sat/ I'm still readjusting/ Still getting used to that," Woodroofe sings, eyes closed. "Though you won't show up at my door/ Wherever you are I hope that you find what you were searching for." The song is called -H.

The show, Woodroofe says, brings her another step closer to the day she has been waiting for, when the work she has been sitting on for almost two years finally becomes available to the public.

The delay in releasing the album is due to a number of factors. She had to find new management in the US, plus a label here. Indie label Modular has signed her. With the album released, she will embark on a period of extensive touring, including summer festival appearances.

Woodroofe's biggest gig so far was at this year's Splendour in the Grass festival at Woodford, Queensland, where she joined headliner Harper on stage to perform the opening song from her album, I've Handled Myself Wrong.

It was another landmark in a career that to some of her friends in Perth is yet to get off the ground, or is already over.

"When we catch up at parties I think they think I'm past it already," she says. "They ask me, 'So how's your music going?' I tell them: 'Just you wait. It's going to happen.' "

Always Want is released by Modular/UMA on November 12.




source:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/make-you-a-star/story-e6frg8n6-1225943633372
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on November 05, 2010, 05:08:34 pm
What a nice story about Heath's reaching out to help a young artist, now two years out from his passing.  I wish her all the good things in the world.   8)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on November 05, 2010, 05:50:46 pm



Grace Woodroofe describes how Heath Ledger and Ben Harper came knocking at her door
There's little doubt about whom the sombre, delicate closing song was written.


I glance where you sit
I mean where you sat
I'm still readjusting
Still getting used to that
Though you won't show up at my door
Wherever you are I hope that you find
what you were searching for


-H.



(http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=16517.0;attach=26429;image)
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/make-you-a-star/story-e6frg8n6-1225943633372



Oh my.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on January 02, 2011, 09:43:05 pm


    Young Heath Ledger singing Hallaluh:


[youtube=425,350] 
[/youtube]
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 03, 2011, 05:07:17 am

    Young Heath Ledger singing Hallaluh:


This isn't Heath.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sason on January 03, 2011, 08:18:25 am

This isn't Heath.

I'm glad you say so, Chrissi.  I was very much in doubt myself.

The guy doesn't look anything like Heath. Cute kid though.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: louisev on January 03, 2011, 09:46:12 am
he really doesn't look like Heath - t0 me.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on January 07, 2011, 02:23:16 pm
Here's something I thought you Heathens might find interesting reading. It's from the review of Country Strong by Carrie Rickey in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer:

"With his assured performance, [Garrett] Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) steps int the worn cowboy boots of Heath Ledger, working furrowed brow and easy smile to suggest a man in conflict. Like Ledger, Hedlund swallows words to near inaudibility and has a gallant restraint that draws others--especially his female costars and audience--to him."
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on January 11, 2011, 02:07:02 am


   He does look like him to me, but I am very doubtful of it.  I do think it is very
funny however.  It was on youtube, but I guess you all are a bit uptight in that
way about Heath humor.  SORRY   I won't ever try and tell a joke that way again.
   I hope that we here are not too straightlaced about the movie and the people
in it, that we can not even say a single negative remark about the people in it
or any one connected with it.  I am very sad to think that we are starting to
be like the people this site was set up to fight against.  The bad minded and
the narrowminded.  We can not disagree with anything without being blackballed or spoken negative to.  I went thru this one time before.
  I love Heath, and Jake and Anne, and all the rest, but they are after all real
people.  Not Gods living on Mt. Olympus.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on January 11, 2011, 03:14:45 am

   I am very sad to think that we are starting to
be like the people this site was set up to fight against.  The bad minded and
the narrowminded.  We can not disagree with anything without being blackballed or spoken negative to.  I went thru this one time before.
 
huh? I don´t think anyone said anything besides that it´s not Heath in the video? I´m sorry if you felt people were being narrowminded
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Penthesilea on January 11, 2011, 03:13:16 pm

   He does look like him to me, but I am very doubtful of it.  I do think it is very
funny however.  It was on youtube, but I guess you all are a bit uptight in that
way about Heath humor.  SORRY   I won't ever try and tell a joke that way again.
   I hope that we here are not too straightlaced about the movie and the people
in it, that we can not even say a single negative remark about the people in it
or any one connected with it.  I am very sad to think that we are starting to
be like the people this site was set up to fight against.  The bad minded and
the narrowminded.  We can not disagree with anything without being blackballed or spoken negative to.  I went thru this one time before.
  I love Heath, and Jake and Anne, and all the rest, but they are after all real
people.  Not Gods living on Mt. Olympus.

Hunh? indeed.
Janice, I think you've gotten something wrong here. Nobody said one critical word about you or about you posting the video. There's nothing wrong with posting it.

Speaking for myself: I was simply stating that it's not Heath in the video, that's all. The video and your post gave the impression it were Heath, but it isn't.
No harm meant at all. I don't see anything critical being said against you in the other comments either. I'm honestly sorry that you feel defensive, but I don't understand why.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: ifyoucantfixit on January 11, 2011, 09:11:13 pm



     If I overreacted, I apologize.  But one time before I made a statement that
simply said "I don't think that is a very good picture of Heath."  You would not
believe the shitstorm that created.  I got all kinds of hate mail from different people and a reprimand from some of the mods, and even a note from Phillip.  I felt like
that was the same thing starting over again.  I will not go through that again.
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: brianr on July 03, 2015, 07:29:53 pm
Not sure where to put this. Is from today's news in Australia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-03/heath-ledger-father-kim-speaks-of-sons-death/6593884
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Meryl on July 03, 2015, 11:24:10 pm
Not sure where to put this. Is from today's news in Australia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-03/heath-ledger-father-kim-speaks-of-sons-death/6593884


Thanks, brian.  So heartbreaking.  Time doesn't make it easier, really, does it?  :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Sason on July 04, 2015, 05:25:11 am
 :'( :'(
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Monika on July 04, 2015, 05:08:37 pm
such a waste, such a waste
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Jolin0521 on February 17, 2016, 02:56:53 am
Condolences to all Heath's family and to all ... everywhere on Earth and in Heaven etui samsung galaxy j1 (http://www.etuicoquesamsung.com/category-coques-samsung-galaxy-j1-598.html) etui galaxy j1 (http://www.etuicoquesamsung.com/category-coques-samsung-galaxy-j1-598.html)
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Mandy21 on May 10, 2016, 10:42:56 am
Did anyone else see "Autopsy... the last days of..." Heath Ledger?

They found unprescribed oxycontin and hydrocodone in his autopsy.  Who do you think gave him these things, and why weren't they prosecuted?
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: brianr on November 12, 2016, 02:07:13 pm
Fans of Heath may find this interesting.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-12/heath-ledger-perth-exhibition-to-feature-memorabilia/8020490
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: brianr on July 14, 2017, 01:53:45 am
May be of interest to some here.. From Heath's Father

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-14/heath-ledger-dad-kim-opioid-addiction-prescription-painkillers/8705292
Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: serious crayons on July 14, 2017, 09:23:27 am
May be of interest to some here.. From Heath's Father

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-14/heath-ledger-dad-kim-opioid-addiction-prescription-painkillers/8705292

That was of interest, Brian. Thanks for posting it! I assume the memorial in that last image was placed there by a Brokie.


Title: Re: Heath Ledger - News Accounts
Post by: Front-Ranger on July 14, 2017, 10:22:37 am
Good article and photos. Thank you, Brian! This scourge has to be ended!