Leading figures in Hollywood Wednesday continued to mourn the
sudden death of Heath Ledger, a rising star who was hailed as one
of the great hopes among his generation of actors and got an Oscar
nomination for his role in the 2005 film Brokeback
Mountain.
The 28-year-old Australia native was found dead Tuesday
afternoon in his apartment in the Soho area of New York. A cause of
death was not yet determined, although some media reports from New
York indicated that Ledger was found by a masseuse, and sleeping
pills were scattered on the floor.
New York City Medical
Examiners carry the body of actor Heath Ledger from his apartment
in New York Jan. 22, 2008. The Australian-born Ledger, 28, who was
nominated for an Oscar two years ago for Brokeback
Mountain, was found dead by a housekeeper at his apartment in
the trendy SoHo neighborhood.? (photo:
Xinhua/Reuters)
"I had such great hope for him," said actor and filmmaker Mel
Gibson, who portrayed Ledger's father in the 2000 film The
Patriot. "He was just taking off, and to lose his life at such
a young age is a tragic loss."
Ledger was nominated for the best actor Oscar in 2006 for his
work in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, which followed the
complex and tortured 20-year romance of a ranch hand and a rodeo
cowboy.
In a statement released to the entertainment news program
"Extra," Australian actress Nicole Kidman said, "What a tragedy. My
heart goes out to his family."
Hollywood film historian and author Leonard Maltin said, "I
admired him so much... his work was so good."
"From the beginning when it seemed he might just be another
good-looking young guy who came up here from Australia, he worked
film by film, year by year, to prove he was more than that," Maltin
told local TV channel CBS2.
Ledger first gained fame appearing in the teen comedy-romance
10 Things I Hate About You, but went on to appear in
increasingly demanding roles in films such as The Patriot,
A Knight's Tale, Monster's Ball and The
Order.
He most recently appeared in the Bob Dylan homage film I'm
Not There, for which co-star Cate Blanchett has received an
Oscar nomination.
Australian-born actor Heath
Ledger, 28, the co-star of the movie Brokeback Mountain,
was found dead in New York January 22, police said. (file photo:
Xinhua/AFP)
He will be seen later this year in The Dark Knight,
portraying the Joker in the sequel to Batman Begins.
Warner Bros., which is producing The Dark Knight,
issued a statement Tuesday saying that the company "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," said the statement.
(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2008)
