Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger has died.

There will be a myriad of blog posts and articles discussing the event. Mine will be probably one of the least enlightening entries as I have no idea what happened and only knew him through his films. I never knew him as a person.

But I felt a need to post nonetheless.

You see, I'm very very sad.

And I am not exactly sure why.

Yes he was an amazing young actor, with an amazing future and he had a small child. And yes that makes the whole thing really horrible. But I don't know. What I'm feeling is so visceral, so not putting thoughts together like his daughter will never know her father. Just deep, hollow. Emptiness like when someone you know dies. Just . . . sadness.

And I guess it's like that sometimes. I was very little when Jim Henson died, but it struck me quite profoundly and in very much the same way. I know it might sound odd, but there was something about him that made me think he was an uncle or some relative of mine. Someone I had a personal connection with.

Heath Ledger was not even my movie star crush. But he was someone I would talk about often. I think he just impressed me so much in Brokeback, and I hadn't expected such a performance from him, that he just sort of stayed with me. The whole his playing the Joker thing I have talked about with so many people I could write a treatise on the subject.

It's silly. But I can't help how I feel. I didn't know him. I didn't even know much about his background (I only stalk my crushes). But . . . I cared about him.

Anyway, just wanted to post my feelings. I don't typically use this blog as therapy, so please forgive me this one time. I needed to get it out. And of course in this day and age "getting it out" means sharing it with the entire world as if my one opinion on this subject really is that interesting.

But, it does make me feel a bit better having shared it with you guys.

Again . . . silly.

11 comments:

J m mcdermott said...

This really bothered me, too, and I haven't seen any of his movies since I don't know when.

I can only think it's because this one really comes from left field. There was no paparazzi deathwatch. No one - perhaps not even his friends and family - knew the poor guy was in this much trouble.

Someone we care about right now could be down like this, too, who has no reason not to be down. And from left field the darkness in the man swallowed him up.

It's so Richard Cory.

I genuinely feel bad for his family.

Anonymous said...

It is always sad and makes all of us aware of our own mortality when someone so young dies. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, the Kennedys, and others come to mind.

I feel most of all for his little daughter. She lost a daddy.

Steve Davis
http://stamperdad.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

I actually feel the same way. I've never had a "celebrity crush" on him, or even met him in real life or anything (though I think I've seen most of his movies, come to think of it*), but I felt a surprising wave of sadness hit me when I saw the "Heath Ledger dies!" announcement on Yahoo. I think what J. M. McDermott said has something to do with it.

* 10 Things I Hate About You, Casablanca, A Knight's Tale, Brokeback... er... what else is there?

~ Madeleine

. said...

It chills me when it's someone younger who died.

(n.b. A Knight's Tale also stars James Purefoy...)

I've read some really horrible comments on the internet, bordering on the "He was a druggie, who cares?" and this before we know the cause of death.

Not only that, but we don't know his state of mind leading up to his death.

It was out of leftfield; that's why I'm so shocked. He's no Britney, he's no Amy Winehouse. If they died tomorrow I don't think anyone would be shocked but this is so sad because he was young and TALENTED.

Oh, and Australian... ;)

David L. McAfee said...

My blog post on this is less enlightening. I could not think of much to say.

What a shock, to say the least.

The world is a poorer place without him.

Cate Gardner said...

I know how you feel - strange isn't it. It kind of hit the way news of River Phoenix's death did. Such a shame.

Adrienne said...

Thanks all for your comments.

And it looks like we aren't alone. There is a general shock about this event, and everyone is saying the same thing, that they aren't sure what to say or how/why they are feeling what they are feeling, they just know that deep down they are very upset. Daniel Day Lewis spoke on Oprah yesterday expressing just that. Just how sad he was and there was nothing he could really say, but he was obviously very affected by it.

It's like all of us have just been punched in the gut. It hurts, we don't know why it happened, but it did and we just have to feel the pain.

J said...

It made me terribly sad when I found out. Mostly because I have always been a Heath Ledger fan, even before "10 Things..." Back when he was on a TV show called "Roar." To me, I felt like I had just lost a friend I'd grown up with... and what really made me pause and think is the fact that he was my age. It's going to be a long long time before I can watch A Knight's Tale or Brokeback Mountain again. Not even sure if I can go see Batman now...

Adrienne said...

Wow hon! I didn't realise you had known of him for so long!

I agree that it will be tough to watch his movies, but I feel that, especially as it is looking more and more like an accident, we shouldn't stop just because it makes us feel a bit sad. Heath Ledger was obsessed with acting, with being the best actor he could be, it would totally have broken his heart to learn that people now didn't want to see his work because of what happened. That to me would only add to the tragedy.

So I think we should watch his films, remember him fondly, and admire him as we always did. Because he deserves it.

J said...

I suppose you're right. I probably will go see batman anyway lol

Sandra Cormier said...

I had a feeling when I first saw him that he was going to be one of the greats. It's a shame and a waste that he was taken away from us so soon.

I don't usually have such a connection with celebrities when they leave us suddenly, but for some reason Heath's death affected me.

He wasn't a movie star. He was an actor. We'll always remember him in his youth.