Rising Young Star Falls

By Elizabeth Bailey, staff writer
Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Heath Ledger's life was cut short on January 22 when a housekeeper and his masseuse found the actor lying naked, facedown on the floor in his Manhattan residence. After attempts to wake him, police were called and shortly thereafter, the 28 year-old actor was pronounced dead.

Prescription medication and sleeping pills found in the apartment indicated that Ledger's death was accidental and not a case of foul play. No trace of drug residue was even found on the twenty dollar bill found near his body.

Ledger is survived by his daughter with former fiancée Michelle Williams, two year-old Matilda Rose, and his family in Australia . He never married and was not officially dating anyone at the time of his death.

Ledger starred in his first American movie, 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999. Not wanting to be typecast as the high school hunk, he chose to pursue grittier roles such as Monster's Ball , but perhaps his most well-known role was the homosexual cowboy, Ennis, in 2005's drama Brokeback Mountain . Ledger had just finished his role as the Joker in this summer's new Batman movie, The Dark Knight , prior to his untimely death.