The Joker is Dead
by James Roland
Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment less than three hours ago.
I can’t believe this. As an artist and a fan, I’m completely numb.
The once teeny-bopper heartthrob was found on the floor, surrounded by pills. Unlike two-dimensional Hollywood starlets, Australian-born Ledger showed maturity and talent far above the level set by his peers. In a fantastic GQ article, he stated that after his meteoric rise he realized his talent did not equal his fame, and set about taking specific film roles and theater roles that would teach him to act.
After a few years off the radar, Ledger launched a full attack against possible critics with his fantastic performances in Monster’s Ball, Candy, Lords of Dogtown, and Brokeback Mountain.
But the real career tragedy is his Brandon Lee-like demise before the film role that would have turned him into a bona fide superstar. In the case of Lee it was The Crow, for Ledger it was the fan-favorite Batman villain The Joker.
His fans might not have known him personally, but our hearts break at the thought of losing him before he received the worldwide recognition his talent and work ethic deserved. Further investigation might uncover a seedier side to this story, but it will never lessen the absolute waste of talent, youth, and, based on interviews I’ve read, a very good person.
For more information try these links:
http://drudgereport.com/
