January 22, 2008

A Waste

It's such a shame to see reports that Heath Ledger died. Unknown and probably unknowable if it was a suicide or an accident, but it seems he overdosed on sleeping pills. Young, good-looking, the world at his feet. He had some build-up-the-career roles, then he really showed some substantial acting chops, and jerked real tears, in Brokeback Mountain. He'd just finished playing the Joker in the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, and that would have taken his career to a whole new level. He had everything imaginable going for him. Maybe it was more success than he wanted, and this was the only way out that he could see. Such a shame.

6 comments:

Sheila Tone said...

Maybe it was more success than he wanted, and this was the only way out that he could see.

Well, we've had this argument before, so I won't rehash it. ;)

I think it's much more likely he just had a pill problem. Miscalculated, probably. Or was depressive/bipolar like a lot of creative people, and had a bad swing.

zzi said...

Sorry to pile on.


I wonder if Clarence Darrow ever wanted to off himself?

Orange Phantom said...

as for me, I'm a little tired of all the publicity surrounding the deaths of pop icons. Never saw Brokeback Mountain, but maybe he was good in it. Never saw any of his movies, so I can't judge his impact on our society etc.

But geez, 3 days of this story? GImme a break. I can only imagine if someone important died (like Anna Nicole Smith).

Burt Likko said...

I tend to agree that the coverage has been gushy and excessive. Spungen first grew irritated with this when River Pheonix died, and that process seems to be repeating all over again. With macabre amusement, one reads Scott Adams' prediction that the media would kill celebrities if it could.

Sheila Tone said...

Spungen first grew irritated with this when River Pheonix died,

Really, I did? Did we even know each other when River Phoenix died? I mean, I could see myself getting pissed off, but I just don't remember. I do remember liking him as an actor.

I wasn't the type to get pissed off at lots of media coverage, but maybe the whole bemoaning thing ...

Now, I do remember talking lots of smack when JFK Jr. died. We were at Lilith Faire, and I remember you telling me to keep my voice down while I ranted about what a spoiled twit he'd been. Also Princess Diana, I'd never understood the idolization.

Burt Likko said...

I recall a lengthy discussion about Natalie Merchant's dirge to River Phoenix; I thought the song had some musical merit but you couldn't get around the morbidly saccharine lyrics.