Ledger's Early Days
Ledger was born on April 4, 1979, in Perth, Australia. He rose to fame after starring in the 1999 film, 10 Things I Hate About You, making him a household name in America.
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It was on the set of the movie Brokeback Mountain that he fell in love with Michelle Williams, the actress who played his wife. They eventually got married and had a child.
A Deep Passion for Acting
After his role in Brokeback Mountain, he met with movie director Christopher Nolan. Ledger was Nolan’s first choice to play the role of The Joker in the Batman movie, The Dark Knight.
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He had a serious case of insomnia, and became hooked on sleeping pills. However, he did not let it deter him as he buried himself in his role. He and Williams split in 2007, just before he wrapped up filming The Dark Knight. He immediately moved on to another film but became sick.
An Unlikely Chain of Events
He constantly complained of a chest infection, but since he wasn’t taking care of his body, it developed into pneumonia. After a while, he eventually passed away. He was found unconscious on his bed, but something weird happened.
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His masseuse, one of those who found him, first called his friend, Mary-Kate Olsen, before calling the cops or paramedics. Olsen was not close by, but she sent her private security guard, who got there just as the paramedics did. They pronounced his death within three minutes.
Unsolved Mysteries
An autopsy report showed he had a lot of medications in his body, including some for colds, anxiety, and insomnia, which was bad for his chest infection. An accidental overdose was ruled as the cause of death. Olsen was a suspect but her lawyer gave a statement saying she knew nothing about the substances he took.
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Further investigation showed that none of the medications Ledger used were prescribed by a doctor, and even today, no one knows how he got them.