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17 years have passed since then Heath Ledgersudden death and his legacy is still remembered.
The Australian-born actor died at the age of 28 on January 22, 2008 after an accidental drug overdose. A toxicology report released after his sudden death revealed that Ledger died of “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine.”
Ledger was found dead after his housekeeper and a massage therapist entered his New York apartment late in the afternoon. After years, director Stephen Gaghan revealed that he plans to convert Malcolm Gladwell book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking to the movie. But after Ledger (who was attached to the project) died, the film never got made.
Gaghan got a call from Ledger’s father, Kim Ledgeron the day of the actor’s death. (Ledger’s friend was also on the call.)
“They were there with the body and our script was in the bed with it and your book was on the nightstand,” Gaghan recalled, speaking to Gladwell during a February 2024 episode. “Development Hell” podcast.. “I think my number was in the script, like written. These guys, as you can imagine, are shocked and dialed the number and I don’t know why.’
Gaghan said he was at the airport with his wife, Minnie Mortimerwhen he got the call about Ledger.
“The emotions, what they were going through, I wasn’t really supposed to be apart of in any way, and yet as a person or as someone who cares, I was just there listening and my wife was looking at me. ” continued the director. “I remember her face and I was like speechless. I just listened and listened and listened. It was really, really sad. And it’s still sad.”
Ledger rose to fame in the late 1990s after starring Patrick Verona 10 things i hate about you. He proceeded to appear Patriot, Ball of Monsters, A Knight’s Tale and Brothers Grimm before playing Ennis Del Mar Broken mountaina role that earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2006.
Ledger also did a great job playing the Joker Christopher Nolan‘with The Dark Knightwhich was released in July 2008 — months after Ledger’s death. He was an actor posthumously awarded Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in February 2009, exactly 13 months after his death.
Over the years, Ledger has also been fondly remembered by other Hollywood stars. His longtime girlfriend Michelle Williams has long story short about his death. (Ledger and Williams dated from 2005 to 2007, after meeting on Broken mountain file. They have a daughter together, Matilda, who was born in October 2005.)
It stands firm. Michelle Williams is determined to keep Heath Ledger’s legacy alive and make sure their daughter Matilda Rose knows who her father was. Williams and Ledger began dating in 2005 after meeting on the set of Brokeback Mountain. In October of the same year, they welcomed Matilda, but in October they went their separate ways (…)
“Every time I really miss him and wonder where he’s gone, I just look at her,” Williams said Fashion in September 2009, referring to their daughter. “I can talk about grief because it’s mine, about single parenthood, about trying to balance work and children. But what I don’t need to talk about is what happened between me and Heath in our relationship. Brokeback Mountain was a unique moment in time, a very fascinating time in my life. I was in love. I was in a movie I was proud to be a part of, and with a beautiful, brand new baby. Everything was good at that moment.”
10 things i hate about you costar Julia Stiles even remembered his “magnetic presence” in a previous interview.
“He had a zest for life and was like always, never checked out,” recalls the actress. “He was always completely engaged with everyone. A truly interesting, remarkable person and actor.”
It was clear that Ledger’s impact was still big in Hollywood when director Nolan accepted Golden Globe for Best Director for Oppenheimer in 2024.
“The only time I’ve been on this stage before was to accept one of these on behalf of our dear friend Heath Ledger, and that was complicated and challenging for me,” Nolan said in part during his speech. “And in the middle of the speech I looked up and. Robert Downey Jr. he caught my gaze and gave me a look of love and support—the same look he’s giving me now, the same love and support he’s shown to so many people in our community over so many years.”
