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Jack Nicholson on drugs death of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger: 'I warned him'
Last updated at 00:58am on 24.01.08The news of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger's death in a New York apartment has caused shockwaves around the world, but it didn't come as a surprise to one Hollywood star.
A revealing – if ambiguous - comment made by Jack Nicholson hints he was aware Ledger was battling personal demons.
The acting veteran, who played the Batman's most famous Joker, said in London last night: "I warned him.”
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Shock: Hollywood star Heath Ledger (right) cut a tragic figure in his last days on set of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in London over the weekend. Left: the last picture of the star, also taken on set
The comment came as it emerged that police had recovered a rolled-up $20 note from the apartment.
Warning: On hearing of Heath Ledger's death, Jack Nicholson said in London last night 'I warned him'
A source told CBS 2 that several drug packets containing an unknown substance had also been found but Kelly refused to elaborate on this, saying only, "Some of them were sleeping pills, in essence, and some other drugs there as well. ... We are going to wait for the toxicology report."
His family have rejected speculation that he committed suicide earlier.
An initial autopsy carried out by the New York City Medical Examiner was "inconclusive", according to U.S. reports.
The official investigation was launched after a police spokesperson confirmed that presciption anxiety drugs Valim and Zoloft as well as sleeping medication Ambien were found in the vicinity of the actor's body.
In Perth, his home town, Ledger's father Kim read out a statement in which he insisted the death was an accident.
Surrounded by his ex-wife Sally and their sobbing daughter Kate, he said: “We confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda.”
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Last days: Heath, in east London on 6 January, filming a Terry Gilliam fantasy adventure with model Lily Cole
He went on to describe his son as "a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many."
Kim continued: "Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him."
Ledger's ex-fiancée Michelle Williams and their two year old daughter Matilda flew from a film set in Sweden to their home in Brooklyn following the tragedy.
"You can't begin to imagine the state she's in," an executive on the film told the Mail Online.
It has been revealed Ledger made a friend promise to call and “wake me up” hours before his death.
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Tragic: Ledger's body is carried from his New York apartment last night under the media's gaze
Scene: Officers removed the actor's body three hours after he was found dead in his apartment
Film director Shekhar Kapur said Ledger had asked him to call the next morning during a conversation on the eve of the tragedy.
Kapur, who directed Ledger in The Four Feathers, telephoned him on Monday after arriving in New York from London.
“I last spoke to him the night before he died. He said he could not see me that night but really wanted to meet me the next day. He made me promise that I would call him in the morning and wake him up. I tried. Little did I know that his soul had already left his body,” he said.
He added: “He was one of the most gentle, most honest, most caring, and most compassionate persons I had met.”
The actor was found dead at a SoHo, Manhattan residence, where he had been staying on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile Naomi Watts, who dated Ledger for two years after they met on the set of Ned Kelly in 2002, has cancelled all her press at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where she was set to promote her upcoming thriller Funny Games.
The actress is said to be devastated by his death and will not attend her film premiere tonight reports Usmagazine.com.
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Heartbroken: In a statement, Heath's family, including father Kim and mother Sally with his sister Kate outside their home in Perth today, described the star as 'generous, kind-hearted and life-loving'
Sources told Mail Online today that Ledger had been battling substance abuse problems - including an addiction to heroin - for some time.
"He had a stint in rehab last year when he was treated for heroin," a source told The Daily Mail, adding that Ledger was increasingly introverted at the time of his death.
There are claims the strain of playing the Joker in the new Batman film may have proved too much for the star – in a recent interview, he told how the role of a “murderous psychopath” had left him “sleepless and exhausted”. He is also said to have recently suffered pneumonia.
He was only sleeping around two hours a night, with reports speculating his reliance on sleeping pills led to his "accidental overdose".
A housekeeper at Ledger's New York City apartment made the shocking discovery of his body face down on a bed at 3.20pm local time on Tuesday afternoon.
Minutes earlier, the housekeeper had opened the door to a masseuse, who had an appointment with the actor.
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Father: Heath with his two-year-old daughter Matilda
The Hollywood website TMZ.com reported that Ledger was in cardiac arrest when emergency services arrived on the scene.
The actor's body was moved to the floor but subsequent attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at 3.35pm, at the scene.
His remains were removed by police in a body bag from the apartment three hours after his death.
Her father Larry Williams said: “It has just broken everybody's heart in my family. I think Tennyson got it right in the poem he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends. And oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath.”
He said Ledger was devoted to his daughter Matilda.
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Ex love: After meeting on the set of Brokeback Mountain, Heath and Michelle Williams had a daughter Matilda
"The saddest thing is his daughter whom he just loved dearly. The Tennyson poem is just so true. His years were few but he left a beautiful legacy."
An insider disclosed that the Oscar nominated star had been battling substance abuse problems during the later part of his life.
Perth-born Ledger took his break-up with Williams last September very badly, according to the source.
"Heath was shattered by his split from Michelle," the source told Mail Online, adding: "He became a recluse. He barely slept he was dealing with terrible mood swings."
Ledger spent the past several months mourning the loss of his relationship with Williams and friends say he had become an introvert, who was headed in a downward spiral.
"Heath totally wanted to be on his own these past few months since he and Michelle split in September," says a source. "She was very much in love with him, but the fact he continued to dabble in drugs kept their relationship from being one she could rely on.
"He adored his daughter Matilda, and when Michelle called it quits, he missed Matilda so much that he was thrown into a deep dark depression.
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Taking on The Joker: Ledger's next film is upcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight with Maggie Gyllenhaal (pictured right)
"Heath was living in New York to be close to his daughter. But he hardly ever ventured out anymore.
"His close friend and Brokeback co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal has been worried about him for months. And he knew Heath was sinking further into a depression. Jake is Matilda's godfather, and he and Heath had become really close since they did the film Brokeback together.
"Jake wanted Heath to get help, but he refused, and now it looks as though he may have died of a drug overdose.
"Michelle will be devastated by the news, because she always hoped he would get help and they could manage to work out their relationship for the sake of their daughter.
"Now poor little Matty is left without a father, and Heath has died a senseless death.
"He had so much to live for and he was so talented. He was working on a new film, and he had everything in life to live for. Now, tragically, he has thrown it all away at just 28."
Industry observers spoke last night of the increasingly "unhinged" way that Ledger has carried himself professionally and personally in recent months.
"It's easy to think an actor is just dressing bizarrely and acting weird on the red carpet to try to drum up some interest in themselves. But a picture is fast emerging, through discussions with his friends and work associates, that Heath has really been very out of it for months.
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Being Bob: Ledger played Bob Dylan in I'm Not There
Ledger's former fiancée Williams failed to talk sense into her now deceased former partner.
"She cared for him deeply but his life was unmanageable," said the source. "As much as she wanted to stay together, he was a different person these past couple of years.
"The tragic reality was that he lost his grip on life."
As for Ledger's trip to rehab, the source said: "It was during his filming of The Dark Knight. Heath's addiction was really getting in the way of his ability to act. He went to rehab but left fairly quickly, within a number of days.
"Tragically, he never really faced up to his addictions. Had he done so, he would be alive today."
It was at the Venice Film Festival in September of last year that Ledger first started displaying signs of being floored by his split with Williams and at was then that friends noticed a change of behaviour in him.
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Blockbuster: A Knight's Tale in 2001 was one of Ledger's first blockbuster roles
After behaving oddly during a press junket at the festival on the Venice Lido all day on September 3rd, Ledger went alone to a party thrown by Italian designer Alberta Ferretti on a yacht moored off the main city at 10pm.
Ledger arrived dressed "as if he was homeless", said a source.
"It looked as if he was if he was trying to make some kind of point. He drifted around the party not talking to anyone for half an hour and then just walked off into the night like a lost soul. It was most odd.
"He and Richard Gere were both special guests at the party. But Heath was just like a ghost. It was obvious something awful had happened to him."
In an interview last November, Ledger spoke of the joy of fatherhood; "Having a child changes every aspect of your life – for the better, of course. The sacrifices are large, but what you get in return is even bigger than the sacrifices you make.
"I feel, in a sense, ready to die because you are living on in your child."
Chief among his celebrity confidants during the final stages of his life was fellow Australian Naomi Watts, who dated Ledger for two years after meeting on the set of Ned Kelly.
Ledger was currently in the middle of filming the Terry Gilliam movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death. Last weekend, he was photographed dressed as a clown on set in London.
The fantasy-adventure film about a travelling theatre troupe was scheduled for release next year.
Born in Perth, Western Australia, to race car driver Kim Ledger and French teacher Sally Bell, the actor left school at age 16 to pursue his acting career in Sydney.
After making his TV debut in children's TV series Clowning Around at the age of 13, Ledger made his first big screen outing in Australian drama Blackrock.
Ledger's breakout Hollywood role came in 1999 teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, alongside Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
After high-profile roles opposite Mel Gibson in The Patriot and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball, Ledger was firmly established as a leading man in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain in 2005.
Ledger was Oscar-nominated for his acclaimed performance as gay cowboy Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, but missed out to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for Capote.
He can currently be seen in cinemas playing Bob Dylan in I'm Not There alongside Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere.
His performance as The Joker in Batman sequel The Dark Knight has already received a good reception from test audiences. The movie is expected to be a blockbuster when it is released this summer.
Warner Bros. Pictures Group, who produced the Batman movie, has issued a statement: "The studio 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."
As well as his film career, Ledger also had a love for music and started a record company with American musician Ben Harper.
Ledger's demise comes just a week after the sudden death of another young Hollywood star, 25-year-old Brad Renfro. It is believed Renfro died of a suspected drug overdose.
Despite his high-profile relationships with Williams, Watts and Heather Graham, Ledger hated the media attention that came with his fame and had often hit the headlines for altercations with the paparazzi.
As well as his parents and daughter Matilda, Ledger is also survived by his sister Katherine, and half-sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell.
Heath Ledger's filmography
The Dark Knight (2008}
I'm Not There (2007)
Candy (2006)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Ned Kelly (2003)
The Four Feathers (2002)
Monster's Ball (2001)
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The Patriot (2000)
Two Hands (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Paws (1997)
Blackrock (1997)
Clowning Around (1992)
Reader views (36)
such a short life to waste...R.I.P
- Aksharanugraha, Papoj, Bangkok, Thailand
This is a bit like a Kurt Cobain story, leaving behind a beautiful daughter and partner.
Love goes out to all of his family and friends, and my heart sinks at Malida going through childhood without her dad.
- Elizabeth, London, England
My heart goes out to all the family, he was very talented
miss you Heath
- Leanne, sunderland, england
Heath, I never met you or know anyone who ever has. I think I might have seen one of your films once but I'm not sure. Your passing has touched my very soul. Sleep with the angels now.
Heath RIP.
- Dave, Dalston, London
It's not so much the "celebrity" life that makes someone die young, it is because when a celebrity dies for an overdose or else, we hear about it. Everyday a young person dies for an overdose...that's what we might have to 'take note' of. I think people should always have a chance in life, but some people are luckier than others when they have a chance to recover and have a 'normal' life.
I'm really sad about Heath Ledger death; he was an amazing actor and there aren't so many around these days.
- Alice, London
I am shocked by the death of Heath. He was a talented actor who I am sure would have gone on to make more great movies. It is sad that so many young actors/ musicians seem to die this way, the pressures of fame must be unimaginable.
I am sure that he tried to sort himself out but addiction is a terrible problem which in many ways can ruin your life even if you earn millions of $ a year. Friends, family and the people he worked with will undoubtably feel hurt but I can say with 99% certainty that is not what he would have wanted. As yet we still dont know if it was suicide.
The stress of being in the public eye especially during a difficult breakup with a young child involved is not something that can be underestimated.
- Sarah, Portsmouth
I was watching a movie when my aunt called and told me about what happened..I was devastated because he was one of my favorite actors. He was a very good man. I feel as though the police did not look hard enough..he was too good a man and father to have overdosed or killed himself. I just refuse to belive that he died from what they are saying he did. It is just so scary to think that someone that young could die, I mean I'm only 16 and it just makes you think. I give my sympathy and regards to his friends and family so that they know there are people out there who believed in their son, father, and friend. All they have to do is look and they will find someone willing to help take their pain away.
- Alexa, Marietta,PA
Awful and tragic news , my regards to his family
- Sarah Desrosiers, london
Heath, you will be truly missed.
- Lianne, London
Despite his high-profile relationships with Williams, Watts and Heather Graham, Ledger hated the media attention that came with his fame and had often hit the headlines for altercations with the paparazzi. He shouldn't have taken up acting then? If you don't want to be in the spotlight and under constant media attention don't go the celebrity route. It is like someone who is allergic to animals becoming a vet. My sympathy with all these poor so called stars is at an all time low.
I suppose people will soon start saying he was one of the greatest actors in the world. Same thing happened when that other mediocre actor James Dean died.
- Steven Patrick M, London, UK
Never even heard of him until this morning. They only ever become popular when they die.
- Dave, London
I could not believe the news this morning when I heard of Heath's death.
How very sad for his family and friends.
It is hard to believe that someone would suffer in silence the way he did.
I will always remember his amazing role in Brokeback Mountain.
I feel very sad that a rare talented actor is lost.
RIP Heath
- Claire, Nottingham England
This has has me left flabbergasted with disbelief as to how one of the greatest actors in this modern age has succumbed to such a tragic end. My heart and prayers go out to his family and anyone closely associated with this young man.
- John Hill, Wolves, England
Accident or not, sadly this tragic death seems to be the terrible price paid for the cult of "celebrity" lives. I hope Mr Ledger is at peace and his family will be comforted in the knowledge that he is no longer suffering and free from the pressures of fame. Those aspiring to be "famous" take note.
- Francesca Quine, London, UK
Interesting to read the comments, it shows how people deal with grief and loss, even when it's someone they haven't known personally.
Whatever the reason for his death be it suicide, accidental, planned or a freak accident, he had after all used hard drugs over the past few years, the fact remains, he's hurt his child, estranged partner, friends, family and all those connected with the film he was currently shooting.
I think those obsessed with celebrities need a reality check, he's not 'with the angels', he was a fragile disturbed person, lets not canonise, rather than ask the hard questions, one of them being, why was such a personality allowed to continue on a self destructive path.
- Simon Caleb, London
Best wishes to his family in this difficult time.
- Kirsty Amos, London
So sad, such a waste and all friends and family will ask themselves why they couldn't help him. I imagine he didn't want to help himself with suffering depression ... so sad. May you find your happiness and contentment on the other side Heath
- Mary, london
When I heard about Heath I didn't believe it, I found myself stricken with sadness... confusion. He had so much talent and had so much to look foward to in life- watching his daughter grow up and stuff, and still so very young. Sympathy goes out to all his family and friends.
- Tiffany, aus
We love Heath Ledger
- Frankie And Juliet, london
Who said its a drugs overdose? Its not been confirmed yet! Stop making judgments. Drugs overdose can mean prescription drugs too you know. I suggest you wait passing judgment until you have the full facts of these case!
- Julie, Essex
I find myself stricken with a strange sense of deja vu.
There are echoes of River Pheonix and Kurt Cobain. All three were unhappy with what fame had brought them.
With the recent (almost identical to River Pheonix's) demise of Brad Renfro I'd be watching for one more of these in the near future.
These things always come in threes.
- Sarah Beth, Norwich, UK
Rip Heath
you are with the angels now
- Georgie, victoria
From the information provided in the article, Heath seemed to be suffering from depression. Do you think all suffers of depression are "losers"? I myself have suffered from this horrible, horrible illness and found myself turning to drugs to cope. Just because someone is in the media spotlight, it doesn't mean that they don't suffer from illnesses and problems that others do.
- Natty, London
Just because this dead one was an actor doesn't make any difference. I have little sympathy for such self destructive individuals. The media just glamorises them as ‘rock and roll’ victims. These people are losers that have wasted there talents and lives.
- Ben, London
What a waste and a shock. This man was so handsome. Bless him.
- Natalie Lewis, Milton Keynes
In the arms of the angels now. I hope you find peace. So so sad. I hope you one day meet with your daughter and Michelle again. You died too young, but you will live forever, on screen and in our hearts. God bless.
- Alice, America
Such a sad loss of a young and talented actor. His face will be missed by so many and forgotten by so few. Our prayers go out to his little girl left fatherless.
- Haidee Bourne, Canberra, Australia
RIP Heath
- Kerry Davidson, Musselburgh, Scotland
All the other channels suggest that Heath had messed up his sleep patterns trying to understand the character of the Joker, and the tablets weren't working.
- Helen, UK
What a horrible waste of a life. I hope that Amy Winehouse takes a lesson from this so she doesn't go the same way. Rest in peace Heath.
- Charlie, London
Depression is a terribly misunderstood condition and can strike at any time no matter how wonderful or not your life is. You disappear into a dark tunnel and unless you find a light it is very hard to get out of it. This is an awful tragedy and I am sad for all his family and friends.
- Pat Rennix, Belfast
I am so sad! If I wanted to watch a movie, I would always look for one of Heath's movies because they would make you "feel good" and you felt you were getting your monies worth!
God bless you Health and may God keep you save and in his hands!
I will miss knowing you aren't around any more!
- Bonnie Smit, Benoni, Gauteng, South-Africa
There's something rotten in Hollywood, the excessive drug and alcohol use/abuse is far wider than anyone's willing to admit.
It's high time they (the studios, agents etc) cleaned up their act.
- Simon Caleb, London
Terrible, useless waste.
- Cath, Scranton, PA
Very sad.. RIP Heath.
- Julie, London
Maybe Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse can learn from this?
- Ange, London
