Tributes pour in for Heath
2008-01-23 21:09
New York - The sudden death of Hollywood heartthrob Heath Ledger was shrouded in mystery on Wednesday after an initial autopsy was inconclusive, as tributes poured in for the Australian star.
A spokesperson for the New York City's medical examiner's office said more tests would be undertaken to determine what killed Ledger, 28, found dead in his apartment on Tuesday.
"The autopsy is inconclusive," spokesperson Ellen Borakove said.
"We have to do additional testing which will include toxicology and tissue testing. It will take about ten days."
Police said prescription pills bearing the name of the Australian actor were found in the apartment.
Ledger rocketed to fame in his role as a gay cowboy in the Oscar-winning movie Brokeback Mountain. He had been engaged to actress Michelle Williams, and the two have a two-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, but the couple separated in September.
Ledger's family in Australia said the death was "accidental."
'Life-loving'
"We, Heath's family, can confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda," said the actor's father Kim Ledger, reading a statement outside the family home in Perth. "He was found peacefully asleep in his New York apartment."
"He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual who was extremely inspirational to many."
Numerous Hollywood stars, including fellow Aussies Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman, expressed shock at the death.
Gibson, who used Ledger to play his son in 2001's US war of independence epic The Patriot said the death of the versatile actor was a "tragic loss."
"I had such great hope for him," the Oscar-winning actor and director said.
"He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."
Kidman called Ledger's death a "tragedy" and said her heart went out to his family, while veteran US film star John Travolta described him as "one of my favorite actors."
Massage appointment
Ledger was found dead at 15:26 on Tuesday in an apartment in the posh district of SoHo, a police spokesperson said. Neighbours said Ledger had been renting the loft apartment for the past several months.
New York City deputy police commissioner Paul Browne said a masseuse and a housekeeper discovered the actor's body after the masseuse arrived for an appointment.
They were "waiting for him to come out of the bedroom. When he didn't come out, they checked on him and found the body at the foot of the bed," Browne said.
"There was prescription medication that included sleeping pills that were taken from the apartment. The reports that they were scattered around the body were untrue," said Browne.
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was "tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life".
Great performances
"Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor," he said.
"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news," Warner Brothers chief Alan Horn and Warner Bros Picture Group president Jeff Robinov said in a statement. "The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent."
Ledger was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in Brokeback which co-starred Williams.
Williams, in Sweden wrapping up a film shoot, was reportedly distraught and refused to speak to the press.
She was planning to fly to New York, the Aftonbladet daily reported.
Ledger had been working this month on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam, which was due out next year. He also portrays The Joker in the upcoming Batman movie Dark Knight.
Swedish Director Lasse Hallstrom, who directed Ledger in the 2005 film Casanova, said he was in shock.
'A very wise guy
"We had four to five fantastic months together in Venice. It was an unforgettable experience to work with him. He was very intelligent, a very wise guy," Hallstrom told Aftonbladet.
The flaxen-haired heartthrob first came to prominence by acting as a homosexual athlete in a little-known Australian soap opera, Sweat, in 1996.
The creator and writer of the series, John Rapsey, once said it was clear even then that Ledger, then a 16-year-old sports champion and high school dropout, possessed an unusual talent.
"What was noticeable about him was he was concentrated, very quiet, and you could see that he was really observant of other people."
Ledger never attended acting school and left his home for Sydney as a teenager.
"The one thing that's got me to where I'm sitting is my instincts, you know, and I'm impatient. I didn't want to wait for years to work. I wanted to just get out there and do it," he told Australian television in 2001.
At 19, Ledger left Sydney for Hollywood. His first major Hollywood starring role was in teen comedy Ten Things I Hate About You.
Ledger was then spotted by by Gibson when auditioning 500 actors for the role of his son in The Patriot - a break that led to his leading role in A Knight's Tale.