Heath Ledger: 1979 - 2008

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Wednesday afternoon in his SoHo apartment, the New York Times reported. He was 28 years old.

According to the NYT, a masseuse arrived at the SoHo apartment at about 3:30 p.m. for an appointment with Ledger. A housekeeper led the masseuse upstairs to Ledger’s door, where the two knocked repeatedly but received no response. Upon entering, they found Ledger lying unconscious on the bed.

They shook him and immediately called emergency authorities when he did not wake up. Although the cause of death has not been confirmed, police suspect a drug overdose. Prescription sleeping pills were found nearby Ledger in the apartment.

A New York Police Department spokesman announced this morning that an autopsy had been performed, but the results were inconclusive. Additional tests will be performed, and the spokesman said the investigation will probably take about ten days to complete.

The actor's father Kim Ledger spoke to reporters in Perth, Australia, calling his son "down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish" and said that his death was tragic, untimely and accidental.

The Australian actor received an Oscar nomination in 2005 for his role in the critically acclaimed Western drama Brokeback Mountain. He appeared last year in Todd Haynes’ Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There, and recently completed shooting Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Batman prequel The Dark Knight, in what many anticipated to be a star-making turn as the Joker.

Ledger met actress Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain and the two began a relationship shortly after. They moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., and welcomed their daughter Matilda Rose in October of 2005 before separating last year.

Our best wishes go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

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