I'm extremely sorry to hear of the death of Heath Ledger, a remarkably talented performer who was making consistently interesting choices in his film career. And that's all I've got to say about it, except that looking at the cable TV talking heads, with their fake sympathy and fake sanctimony and grotesque speculations and oh-so-pertinent musings about what Warner Brothers is going to do about the release date of The Dark Knight, makes me really loathe this business I'm in.
I can't really get my head around this. And, yeah, the newsfolk are awful.
Posted by: bill | January 22, 2008 at 05:35 PM
The blogosphere people are also gross and asshole-ish. When did it become en vouge to be snarky and mean and disrespectful about people dying? The anonymity of the web makes it so much easier but it's just disgusting nonetheless.
This is truly sad news. I wonder how many paparazzi are waiting for Michelle Williams to try and escape Park City?
Posted by: don lewis | January 22, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Oh my god, first of all, thank you very much because thanks to you i've known the new.
It's really sad that we can't ever see a new Heath Ledger movie. I'm so shock that I can't even write English.
Posted by: Oleia | January 22, 2008 at 07:16 PM
Seriously, I don't know which is worse - shallow news-memorials-turned-into-cheap-commercials, or nasty bitter celebrity-themed blogs full of comments about how he should have known that drugs are bad or how we shouldn't feel sorry for celebrities because they're rich and famous. It's a relief to read something that just has simple heartfelt commentary about it!
Posted by: oakling | January 22, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Like I said at The House: this is kinda devastating me and I don't know why exactly. I know that I will miss his presence, yes, but what, really, was it that triggered this intense sadness? Simply that we won't have him any more? Or is it that the bigger practice of art is less? Why is art this substantive to my existence? I mean, I think I know, but do I? Always learning, hoping to live well, signing off. Pub Quizzing tonight will be a little more somber...
I sure hope Michelle Williams doesn't get mobbed too hard. And that baby... ah, heck, need some smiles! If only I could watch _Darjeeling_ again. Guess I'll have to pop in that new DVD of _Syndromes and a Century_.
Posted by: Ryland Walker Knight | January 22, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Heath Ledger brought humanity, grace, and soul to the screen. When Ennis Del Mar held Jack Twist's shirt and held to his face, you could feel the image almost tear apart. I intend to see both "The Dark Knight" and the new Gilliam picture and remember what a damn fine actor he was.
Posted by: Mike De Luca | January 23, 2008 at 09:41 AM
I hope this is the last death we have to hear about for a while. But let's say someone else famous dies, but it's an accident, like, say, oh, I don't know, Wes Anderson is in a car accident and is killed. That would suck. And I think we would all agree that if something like that happened to Wes Anderson the first thing we should do is put Ryland Walker Knight on suicide watch.
Posted by: Paul Spencer | January 23, 2008 at 12:56 PM
You know, I was originally going to tell Paul to go back to the comments section at Gawker, but re-reading his clunky snark, I realized that that would actually be unfair to Gawker commenters...
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | January 23, 2008 at 04:52 PM
What a tradgedy! He will be missed
Posted by: sharon D | January 25, 2008 at 07:49 PM
I don't know why I've been so moved.. affected.. distraught over Heath's death... feeling it like he was a relative of mine. He was, after all, a complete stranger. Someone I've never met and in my wildest dreams never would have. I don't even know what kind of person he really was... but something tells he was one of the good ones. And the thought that I will never get to grow old with him (in the movies) leaves me heartbroken. It is strange to write that for someone I don't know... the only true facts I have of him are his characters on the screen... and how talented and gifted he was portraying them all. I guess his untimely death makes us question our own mortality and slaps us in the face when we need it the most... if that's the one thing we can learn from this. I never thought I'd be capable of mourning for a stranger, but my tears are real... and he will truly be missed.
Posted by: Veronica A. | January 28, 2008 at 12:48 AM
to spin every event no matter ho sad and tragic...no news is good news...at the other end of the spectrum is the obit already written for the free falling britney...Mr. ledger took us by surprise...sadly that was the only way a celeb can shock us in death, by being unobtrusive...otherwise what are celebs for...taking drugs, having affairs and spitting on paparazzi...vicarious dogs we are all
Posted by: astralwicks | January 29, 2008 at 12:59 AM
mabe it is because of his movie caracers personality, his handsome looks, silent presence and wellspoken meetings with the press, that make all of us feel kind of sad left behind. Suddenly we all miss a person witch we did not think that we would have this feelings for, two weeks ago.
Well, that is mabe a lesson to all of us. To show the people we care about, even if we are not aware of the feelings in our everyday life, that we really apriciate their presence.
Posted by: pippin | January 30, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Celebrities become like extended family, I think. We feel we know something about them, and maybe, even some of their vulnerabilites as well as their talents. I, too, along with many of my friends(middle aged), was deeply affected by Heath Ledger's death and have sent many prayers to his loved ones. For one so young, he leaves a very special legacy...
Posted by: Dinah | February 01, 2008 at 02:29 PM