2008 Woodie Awards
Ledger's death leaves many questions unanswered
By Chris Bashore
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Entertainment
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Ledger was found naked, lying face down in the bed of his fourth floor apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Teresa Solomon, Ledger's housekeeper, discovered the 28 year-old actor at 1 p.m. in his bed snoring. At 3 p.m., masseuse Diana Wolozin, who arrived at 2:45 p.m. for a massage appointment, attempted to rouse Ledger, who was unresponsive.
After phone calls were placed to Mary-Kate Olsen, Wolozin called emergency services that arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m. After attempting to resuscitate Ledger through CPR, Ledger was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m.
What then occurred was a media circus, as both fans and paparazzi arrived to witness the removal of Ledger's body. Speculation soon began to mount as word spread that prescription sleeping pills were found near his bedside. Was it suicide or an accident? This question has loomed for the past week and a half.
An initial autopsy of Ledger's body was inconclusive in determining the cause of the actor's death, so there will be no quick answers to the question. But where will Ledger's image stand in the gambit of young Hollywood taken in their prime? Will he be remembered in the same light as James Dean? Or will he be forgotten? These are questions that also remain unanswered.
Born Heathcliff Andrew Ledger, he was named after one of the main characters in Emily Bronte's book "Wuthering Heights." He became a well-known actor in his native Australia with such films as "Blackrock."
Ledger was introduced to the United States in the modernization of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew"; he played Patrick Verona in "10 Things I Hate About You." Ledger then starred opposite Mel Gibson in "The Patriot" and played the lead in the medieval film "A Knight's Tale."
It was, however, in low-key films in which Ledger shined. His performance in "Monster's Ball" as Billy Bob Thorton's son was what got Ledger noticed as more than just a teen heartthrob. Later, he would display this powerful demeanor when he took on the role of Ennis Del Mar in Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain." Ledger became the youngest person ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
At the time of his death, Ledger had just completed the role which would have propelled him into the Hollywood mainstream. Already a bankable and well-respected actor, Ledger had avoided big-budget Hollywood fair, preferring to act in roles that allowed him to showcase the breadth of his acting. Notably, he turned down the chance to play the lead role in the "Spider-Man" films. In such films as "Monster's Ball" and "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger showed that he was more than a one-note actor. These films allowed Ledger to create deep, haunting characters.
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