Australians in shock over Ledger's death

Jan 23, 2008, 4:51 GMT

Australian actor Heath Ledger poses for a photo, 02 September 2005 in Venice, at the end of the press conference to promote his movie in the Venice Film Festival contest, "Brockeback Mountain" (Canada) by director Ang Lee. New York police reports Heath Ledger was found dead 22 January 2008 at a downtown Manhattan apartment.EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI

Sydney - Australians were in shock Wednesday on learning that Perth-born Heath Ledger had been found dead at the age of 28 in his New York apartment.

Ledger's body was found by his housekeeper Tuesday afternoon. According to a New York Times report, police found a bottle of pills near his body. Foul play is not suspected.

The Oscar-nominated actor had reportedly been in bad spirits since October when he called off his engagement to actor Michelle Williams, with whom he has a 2-year-old daughter, Matilda.

Ledger's parents, Kim and Sally, and his sister Kate told reporters outside his mother's home in Perth that his death was a terrible accident.

'We, Heath's family, can confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda,' father Kim said. 'Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him.'

Distraught fans are leaving flowers and cards at the family's Perth house, where Ledger spent much of December and January.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said 'Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor.'

Noted film critic Margaret Pomeranz, who last met Ledger at the Venice Film Festival, where the actor was promoting the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, described him as 'enormously sweet but very shy' - a troubled megastar who had been awkward and had mumbled through her interview.

'It was so hard to get him to look up,' she told national broadcaster ABC. 'I don't think he was ever very comfortable with that press profile that is so necessary with young performers.'

Pomeranz, Australia's best-known film critic, said it would seem the high-school drop-out was living the life any young actor would envy - the roles he wanted, a swank New York apartment and popular acclaim.

'People may seem to have everything on the outside, but really they are craving some sort of peace inside, and they go about finding it the wrong way,' she said. 'It's just such an incredible waste.'

Ledger's Oscar nomination came for Brokeback Mountain, a story of two gay cowboys. He moved to Hollywood in 1999 and made his breakthrough appearance in 10 Things I Hate About You.

'Working with Ang Lee on Brokeback Mountain was actually a risky film for him to make,' Pomeranz said. 'It took a long time to get up because of the subject matter ... and taking on that role was a real risk for him.'

Neil Armfield, the Australian who directed Ledger in the local drugs-and-sex film Candy, said he was a great talent.

'He was always a complex and complicated man to work with but ... just a master, so passionately concerned to get it right,' Armfield said.

Ledger had a testy relationship with photographers. He was previously romantically linked to fellow Australian actor Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman's best friend.

Ledger claimed paparazzi had driven him out of Australia when he sold his Sydney harbourside house in 2006. Ledger bought the house in the beachside suburb of Bronte for 4.4 million Australian dollars (3.3 million US dollars) in 2004.

'Bronte is scaring me at the moment,' Ledger was quoted as saying. 'I feel like the paparazzi are going to kick me out of that city.'

At the premiere of Brokeback Mountain in Sydney, press photographers squirted him with water pistols in retaliation for being spat at previously.

Ledger also starred in The Patriot, Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale and The Brothers Grimm.

Ledger, who never attended drama school, was criticized for his choice of film roles but said he took what appealed to him.

'I'm not good at future planning,' he was quoted as saying. 'I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day-planner, and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future.'