Topic: Heath Ledger - News Articles and Tributes

[lancecowboy]

I started reading the article but had to stop halfway through, when they described Heath's death and the way Terry found out about it. I just started crying and had to stop, I can't deal with it now. It's like going through it all over again and I can't, sorry.

  Keren  no worries. I couldn't keep reading straight through either and had to skip the last page or two. I  kept reading some parts because I was fascinated with the description of Heath's relationship with fellow actors on set. It's truly tragic that Heath did not get a chance to direct. I think he would have been another Ron Howard, actor-turned-director, that gave the world so many insightful movies. Eric Bana said Heath was robbed of the productive years in one's thirties. I say the world was robbed of the creative genius that was unique. It is why the loss still resonates with so many after so long. Heath was a giant sequoia in the forest of humanity. The absence of him left a huge space in the middle. 

[keren_b]

That's true Andrew. and this huge space is too hard to bear because it leaves such emptiness.

[lancecowboy]

That's true Andrew. and this huge space is too hard to bear because it leaves such emptiness.

It took me a long while but now I see not the emptiness of the huge space, but the space filled with sunlight filtering through, the space to roam and dance and celebrate what was, what is, what will be.

  Keren  I hope you find your way, too.

[jackster]

from the West Australia News:
Ledger’s dad blames his son for his death
8th July 2009, 19:15 WST

Racing car driver Kim Ledger believes the late star – who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January last year, aged just 28 – is accountable for his own passing because he was not carefully monitoring his medication.

He said: “We’re all responsible for what goes into us and I blame Heath for not being responsible.”

At the time of his death, it is believed the actor was mixing medication prescribed to him by three different doctors.

Ledger’s father also admitted the star’s family – including the late actor’s mother Sally, sister Kate and half-sister Olivia - had been affected by the news Michael Jackson had died from a suspected cardiac arrest possibly caused by an accidental prescription drug overdose.

Mr Ledger told Australia’s Women’s Day magazine: “On the day that Michael died I spoke to my daughters and former wife Sally and we all had such a down day.”

Mr Ledger has offered his condolences to the late pop star’s family - whose life was celebrated at a star-studded memorial service yesterday - and admits he can empathise with what they are going through.

He said: "Heath and Michael were both very private and as the closest people to them, you want to protect that. We found ourselves asking each other, ‘Would Heath have done it this way?' If not, then we weren't going to either.

"It's not for me to advise the Jackson family how to get through this, but what I will say is the saddest times are now, one-and-a-half years later. The media interest has died down, so I'm no longer surrounded by Heath and all I want to do is pick up the phone, but I can't."

Ledger is survived by his young daughter, Matilda Rose – now aged three – with his former girlfriend, actress Michelle Williams.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=5&ContentID=153706

[keren_b]

When I heard about Michael Jackson's death it had the same affect on me - it just reminded me of how I first heard the news about Heath, and that was hard. There were so many similarities in the way they died, I just couldn't bear to listen to the news. I imagined that it was very hard for the Ledger family to hear about it because of the memories it brought them, it just hit too close to home.

Just to point out, this article was about the Ledgers' reaction to MJ's death, and Kim's remark about Heath was just one little sentence in it, but look at what the editor chose to be the title. There are no limits to what these newspapers will do to get the most sensational headlines.

[jackster]

For myself, it is curious and difficult to believe that MJ was almost twice the age of Heath, 50 vs. 28. I always saw MJ as a teenager, a young man refusing to grow old, whereas HL seemed an man matured beyond his age.

[christie wood]

For myself, it is curious and difficult to believe that MJ was almost twice the age of Heath, 50 vs. 28. I always saw MJ as a teenager, a young man refusing to grow old, whereas HL seemed an man matured beyond his age.

I never thought of it quite like that before, but it's true.

It doesn't surprise me what the newspaper chose to be the title of that article - as you say Keren, whatever they can pick out to make the most most sensationalist headline, that's the one they'll go for every time.

[tizi17]

despite the fear of being heretical here...
but somehow it's not completely wrong...
MJ had been pressed by everyone lately, to do the concerts etc. and surely he has been overdrugged for years by his so called personal physicians..
but heath was not one the be pressed by anyone, he pressed himself. and to take medications by different doctors without doublechecking...
he pressed himself, too  much...

[lancecowboy]

I don't know about heretical, tizi, but I also don't see the connection between Michael Jackson and Heath except for the prescription drug involved in their deaths.

Heath's death was tragic and accidental with many contributing factors, pneumonia, smoking, insomnia, jet lag, anxiety, etc.

Michal Jackson's death is still unknown at this point until there is a definite answer from a coroner's inquest. Perhaps many factors contributed as well. We simply don't know for sure.

In any case, as tragic as it is, the difference between an aging star who left behind a volume of his best work from decades ago, and the death of a young and rising star with his most productive years still stretched out before him, being cut short, is incomparable.  :\'(

Media will do anything to get publicity. I am sure this will be in the news for many months yet.

[keren_b]

I'm not saying that it's not true, Heath was responsible for what he took and his father has every right to be angry with him that he wasn't careful enough. What irritates me is that the article is basically about the Ledger family's reaction to Michael Jackson's death, but still the editor chose this one sentence of "I blame Heath" to be the title. why? I think we know why.

[tizi17]

In any case, as tragic as it is, the difference between an aging star who left behind a volume of his best work from decades ago, and the death of a young and rising star with his most productive years still stretched out before him, being cut short, is incomparable. 

Media will do anything to get publicity. I am sure this will be in the news for many months yet.

i absolutely agree with both of you....
it's always what media make out of it... 

[babytammy7]

The Vanity Fair article (everthing scanned):

http://www.imaginariumofdrparnassus.com/vanityfair

I don't like lots of things said in this article, and I think that Heath wouldn't have liked them either. And I bet that Michelle is not very happy with some things Terry said there. Private life should remain that, private. Terry and that other guy should have only talked about Heath's films and work and his relationship and friendship with them, not about drugs, how different he was from Michelle, what he did or liked to do at home, how he had to change for Michelle, again the mention of that damn vid with Heath doing drugs, or all those details about the separation and the custody of Matilda. More material for the sharks to bite and tear apart. I feel sick.

I am truly disappointed.

[lancecowboy]

I don't like lots of things said in this article, and I think that Heath wouldn't have liked them either. And I bet that Michelle is not very happy with some things Terry said there. Private life should remain that, private. Terry and that other guy should have only talked about Heath's films and work and his relationship and friendship with them, not about drugs, how different he was from Michelle, what he did or liked to do at home, how he had to change for Michelle, again the mention of that damn vid with Heath doing drugs, or all those details about the separation and the custody of Matilda. More material for the sharks to bite and tear apart. I feel sick.

I am truly disappointed.

  Tammy  No worries about the sharks. They already had their feast last year...the video, the rumors, ad nauseum. They will likely circle around the Michael Jackson story for a while yet.

The only think I don't like is as I said, things said about Heath and Michelle, alone or together, will inevitably get back to Matilda when she gets older. I am sure she will have the good sense that Heath had to ignore most of the media crap, but it still hurts if the hurtful words come from a family friend. Although I am also disappointed, considering how much Heath regarded Terry Gileam, I also understand his intentions, to give Heath's last movie the best publicity possible to launch it successfully. He has good intentions at least.

[keren_b]

I don't believe that Terry Gilliam said what he said about Heath and Michelle in order to bring publicity to the movie. I think he spoke out of pain and bitterness because he really loved Heath and he hated seeing him so hurt and suffer through what he did. The article and the mentions of Heath were enough publicity without bringing Michelle into this, and I just don't believe that Terry would use their relationship on purpose in such a cynical way. I think he just wasn't thinking too much about what he said and it was an error in judgement. This man will never hurt Heath's memory on purpose.

[babytammy7]

I know I am quite the bitch here, and I am sorry for being mean, but I am always honest or at least I try to be, and I have this powerful need to speak my mind right now so I won’t lie just to be gentle.

I still have mixed feelings about this all.

Andrew, friend, you say that Terry had good intentions and I don’t have doubts about that, but, babe, you English speaker people have a saying that goes “hell is paved with good intentions”, right?

You also say that he wanted to give Heath's last movie the best publicity possible to launch it successfully, but I wonder if he wanted to do that for Heath’s movie or for HIS movie. We can not forget that it’s his movie, he is the director, so maybe he is doing this for himself and his own work, don’t you think?

Anyway, I don’t wanna believe that he did it to give The Parnassus publicity. I want to believe Keren’s words. Because if he did it to get publicity, now that’s plain stupid. I mean, I went to see BBM because I read what it was about, I read that it was genius Ang Lee last movie, I saw the trailer, and not because I read that Jake G had a hard time after breaking up with KD, the Spiderman babe. People go to see a film or buy a book if they hear good things about them, or even if the plot or the characters are controversial and can awake some kind of polemic or discussion. But no one goes to see a film just because one of its actors, here Heath, had a hard time dealing with the custody process of his daughter. What kind of publicity that can give to a film? It’s not gonna make people go and see the film. I am not gonna see Russel C new film just because I read in a magazine that he likes to throw cell phones to paps and he does drugs too!!!!! And sure I didn’t watch Tom C last film even if I read that he had serious issues in his marriage because he kinda wanted his wife to do things the way that church of his tells him!!! How crazy and totally stupid is that? That’s why I don’t think that Terry did that to give the film publicity, because he’d have lost his mind if he thinks that speaking about Heath smoking marijuana could make people go and see his film.

And I honestly think that Heath’d never have talked about his private life to give his film the opportunity to get a distributor.

I know I am being very intolerant right now, but I can’t help it. This is how I feel. You can make that kind of mistakes if Heath had spent his life giving mixed signals about what he thought about work and private life, you can do that if Heath had talked to the media more about his life and marriage and stuff. But, damn, Heath spent his life refusing to talk about his private relationships, his family life, and he showed lots of times what he thought about paps and aggressive media, so Terry knew/knows well enough what Heath had thought about that VF article, and still he did it, he said all that. And, yeah, he can speak out of pain and bitterness, but he’s talking about other people business, not his, he’s talking about Michelle and Matilda, and they are not his family, so he had not right to talk about if Michells and Heath were different or what kinda life they had. And what about Heath and drugs? Is it out the pain too? I mean, for Christ sake, what kind of image of Heath is gonna have some people now? Were those two guys making Heath a favor talking about the stuff Heath smoked? My ex boss called me after he read the article (he clicks in the Parnassus forum because I asked him to help us) and he said to me “told you, he was a junkie. When he died I told you so and you refused to believe it, now you have the proof”. See?  What Terry and that guy have done is not good for Heath.

You can have a slip, say something out of desperation and sadness, I do that, but A THING, or two, but a whole article saying things that Heath wouldn’t have liked?

Sorry, Keren, but I can not buy that. And I know that he'd never hurt Heath's memory on purpose. I don't think that he wanted to hurt his friend. But I think he was just only thinking about himself and HIS movie when he did that. He was not thinking about Heath at all. He ignored what Heath'd have felt if he could read the article. THAT is what have me this mad and disappointed.

[keren_b]

Every one has the right to believe what they think. I just want to correct some things you mentioned in your post Tammy: It was not Terry Gilliam who said that Heath smoked marijuana, it was Nicola Pecorini. and it was not Terry who mentioned the nasty drug video, that was the reporter (and no one from the people who were interviewed mentioned that). There were other people who talked there and it wasn't just Terry who said everything, but ever since this article was published everybody's been bashing Terry Gilliam like it all came from his mouth. I feel that he's become everybody's scapegoat in this story and I'm sick of that. I don't think he should've said what he said. But right here in your post you accused him of saying things that he didn't say. and then other people who read your post can go and say "oh, Terry Gilliam said this or that about heath" while he didn't say it. this is exactly how things get distorted along the way, and eventually a person finds himself accused with saying stuff that he didn't say.

Also, Heath said more than once that sometimes he gave interviews but by the time they were printed there was such a big difference between what he said and what was actually published. Editors don't always stick to truth when they want to get a sensational article. I said from the beginning, I didn't like that part of the article (correction again: it wasn't the whole article) and the private stuff should'nt have been discussed. but the way people on the internet have been bashing Terry Gilliam has blown out of proportion in my opinion.

[babytammy7]

If you re read my first post, Keren, you'll see that I mentioned the other guy too (I didn't remember his name back then) when I talked about that bit about drugs, because I know that Terry didn't say that.

In my second post I didn't make distinctions between who said one thing or another. Sorry, my fault. But I was talking about Terry and the other people too, not only Terry, but since I didn't remember Nicola's name I was talking about all the things said in the article, about it in general. True that I used Terry's name, but I did it because I was replying your and Andrew's post where you both were talking about Terry. And it was Terry who talked about the custody of Matilda and about Michelle. Still, my bad. But I stick to what I said. I don't think that I am bashing Terry, and it hurt me deeply that you or another person think that I am doing that, because it says a lot about what you think about me.

I am only being honest and trying to give my opinion, because, as you said, everyone has the right to believe and express what they think. But if sharing my personal vision of something that did upset me and confused me, and trying to understand the whole thing and figure my feelings out is bashing, well, then this is not a place for me anymore.

[keren_b]

Tammy, if you read my post again you'll notice that I said that people on the internet have been bashing Terry Gilliam. I wasn't accusing you of doing it, I was referring to something that's been going on on certain sites on the internet ever since this article came out, and you might not have been aware of it. I've heard about this thing and it's been pissing me off for quite a while, I'm sorry if you thought that I was refering to you personally. You're the last person on earth that I think is capable of bashing anyone.

Like I said, every one of us is entitled to think and believe what we want, and certainly we are all entitled to express what we think here when things upset us, even if we disagree with each other. Lets not make it into something personal.

[Tony]

  I haven't posted for awhile, and maybe shouldn't now, but all of you have been like family to me and so I will take the risk of being my usual foolish self.
  How long ago was it?  Gee, I can't remember, it's been so long.  But, sometime after Heath died, I drifted into research into what Heath was really like, and developed sources, and got my heart broken.  It seemed there were villains, and I also had to rethink who Heath really was, as a person, and accept a different Heath, someone who, in the long run, was flawed, but probably much more worth our love and good will.  In short, I had to separate from the Brokie community on many issues, and largely, to spare people's feelings, stay quiet.
  The sources were good.  I don't know if Michelle or Barb remember that far back, but I had warned them of a very bad article likely to be published, that would rattle our sense of peace.  The magazine:  Vanity Fair.  Well, they did publish, but from a different direction, scuttling what could have been much worse.  But the Wall of Silence has been cracked.  People are beginning to talk, and we could be even more sorely tested, in the future.
  It was easy, so long ago, when the only person who seemed to be wrongful (and that based on little information) was Mary Kate Olsen.  She took the hits and we all supposed everybody else around Heath was perfect.  They weren't.  Nobody is.  Now, based on new articles, some will find they are not so happy with Terry Gilliam, or Michelle Williams, or even Kim Ledger.  My own research caused me to have considerable anger in other directions.
  But I think we should have known that hurtful articles would start showing up, and that we would have different reactions, and our unity as a family would be tested.  And that has happened and we need to pass the test.  Respect each others point of view, express our own hurts, but stay....family.
I understand completely why Tammy is troubled and hurt.  And also what Keren wrote, about being cautious in our judgments.
  These articles will continue to show up, from time to time, and we can survive them and our different reactions to them.  Tammy - don't go nowhere.
This is a very good place to be.

[keren_b]

Tony, as always I value your opinion very much. Thank you for writing this.

[Tony]

  You're welcome, Keren, and many thanks, as always, for the very good work you have done here.  We all love Tammy so much, I just hope time heals some of those hurts.  Until then, I just also want her to know, we'll all do just fine if we hang together. All of you are wonderful people.  We'll ride the troubles out, and stay true to the memory of a fine man, who was and is worthy of our keeping him with us, along the way.

[lancecowboy]

I don't believe that Terry Gilliam said what he said about Heath and Michelle in order to bring publicity to the movie. I think he spoke out of pain and bitterness because he really loved Heath and he hated seeing him so hurt and suffer through what he did. The article and the mentions of Heath were enough publicity without bringing Michelle into this, and I just don't believe that Terry would use their relationship on purpose in such a cynical way. I think he just wasn't thinking too much about what he said and it was an error in judgement. This man will never hurt Heath's memory on purpose.

You are probably right. I don't question his motivation, Keren.  I don't know him well enough to speculate on his motivation. I hope I didn't give them impression. I am only saying he is human, and makes mistakes. In pain or not, he should know better when talking to the press. He can be forgiven when the error is committed out of ignorance or pressure due to overwork etc.

[lancecowboy]

[...]
My ex boss called me after he read the article (he clicks in the Parnassus forum because I asked him to help us) and he said to me “told you, he was a junkie. When he died I told you so and you refused to believe it, now you have the proof”. See?  What Terry and that guy have done is not good for Heath.

You can have a slip, say something out of desperation and sadness, I do that, but A THING, or two, but a whole article saying things that Heath wouldn’t have liked?
[...]

  Tammy  no worries, babe. I know you are easily upset and I rather you speak your mind and let it all out.

I am glad you understand the complexity of the situation and not blindly point fingers. As you said, Terry probably has good intentions, but the publicity media is paved with mine fields that sometimes a single misstep results in blowing off arms and legs. Don't let your EX-boss get to you. I am glad he is your EX boss. The guy sound like a mean-spirited bully. I had one like that and I am glad to be rid of that kind of mean-spiritedness. It is poison to the soul. A sensitive person like you and me need more peace and quiet. Just ignore the bastard and move on. Not everyone thinks like that.

  Tammy 

[lancecowboy]

[...]There were other people who talked there and it wasn't just Terry who said everything, but ever since this article was published everybody's been bashing Terry Gilliam like it all came from his mouth.
[...]
Editors don't always stick to truth when they want to get a sensational article. I said from the beginning, I didn't like that part of the article (correction again: it wasn't the whole article) and the private stuff should'nt have been discussed. but the way people on the internet have been bashing Terry Gilliam has blown out of proportion in my opinion.

That's the publicity media minefield. Reporters in the best of times take quotation out of context and people read into them anyway they can. It's not Terry's fault and he probably already feels fairly bad about the whole thing. Unfortunately, that's part of the business. It's apparently a part that he does not do very well, according to his past experience. I am sure Heath sympathized with that since Heath also had trouble handling some of the media spotlights.

As I said, I trust Heath would simply smile, shrug, and move on. He was never one to hold a grudge, complain. The sooner we leave it alone, the sooner the media will climb on the Michael Jackson bandwagon and move on. The more we respond to the critics on the net, the more they revel in the pain and anguish of others. Yes, there are these sick people out there on the web, unfortunately. Surfers beware.

[lancecowboy]

Tony, I am glad you posted and I hope you will continue to return to the community with your insightful comments. Please.

You hit the nail right on the head when you pointed out the source of a lot of disappointment and pain comes from our image of Heath being shaken by how other people portray him. Frankly, I know he was not perfect, and he had issues. Also, I don't mind what other people think because it is what I think that defines my relationship with the memory of what he gave me. That's unshakable.

I like what you said, that we need to say what we feel, but respect what others say, and stay together in our community of peace and friendship.   

[FlwrChild]

I haven't been to this thread for quite a while and I'm sorry to have missed this discussion.

Tammy, Keren, Tony, Andrew, I appreciate all your words and the feelings you expressed. That goes for everyone else here as well. I agree with Keren that we need to be careful not to make this personal between ourselves. Clearly no harm or disrespect was intended in any of these posts. Tony, you're quite right that we need to stick together as a family and remember that even in the closest families, siblings won't always agree about everything. One of the best things I've learned from being a part of this community is the value of accepting and celebrating people for who they are without a need for them to be exactly like me in every way. And I value each of you for your special and unique gifts and personalities.

As to this article, I too was disappointed by the discussions of personal issues, not because of their content but simply because, as Tammy pointed out, Heath was a very private person who preferred that his private life remain just that - private. I do understand though that for his friends and colleagues there may be a desire still to share some of their feelings and memories of someone they obviously admired and cared about. So I am able to give them the benefit of the doubt that they meant no harm, even while wishing they had kept some of those thoughts to themselves.

Tony, I do remember talking about some of this back in the day. And I want to be clear about one thing regarding my own personal view on this subject. I am vehemently opposed to public discussions of Heath's (or any other public figure's) private life  Not because of the content. Or because I need to maintain any particular image of him. Or any of his associates. My sole reason for avoiding such discussions is that I believe in everyone's right to privacy and I feel, quite simply, that it's none of my business. So as curious as I admit that I am about a lot of things, I do not pursue knowing or verifying them because they were never my business or right to know in the first place.

And I will not judge those who do discuss these things, especially since I know that a lot of them (my friends here included) do not mean any harm or to distort any truths about anyone. In fact usually just the opposite. I just won't engage in those discussions myself. It's a personal choice and I respect yours as you respect mine.

The reason the forum did not allow these discussions is simply that it would not be consistent with the policy we have maintained from the beginning, which was to refrain from any speculation about the private lives of the actors or crew out of respect to all concerned. That was admittedly hard to adhere to in the aftermath of last year's loss and we deeply appreciate the cooperation that everyone extended during that time.

What else can I say but that I am so proud to be a part of this community and to know all of you.

[chameau]

I could only say ditto to the previous post, I second each word you posted Barb, this is how I feel too. Thanks! 

[hpv]

I haven't been to this thread for quite a while and I'm sorry to have missed this discussion.

Me too, and I agree with every single word you said!!        

[lancecowboy]

The company that Heath founded with his friends released a video directed by Heath. The animation is ingenious and mature. Those with a squeamish stomach may want to be aware of the sequence after about 3:30. The slaughter of humans, even in subdued animation, is still very shocking. The genius of Heath's direction is to elicit empathy, to put the audience in the whale's skins, so to speak.  Bravo to the Masses.



The Video:


The Article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE57407T20090805

An animated music video directed by the late actor Heath Ledger debuted on the Web on Tuesday, and it's an attack on the whaling industry set to the song "King Rat" by alternative rock band Modest Mouse.

The six-minute video cartoon uses irony to make a statement against whaling, by showing whales in a commercial vessel "hunting" for humans, which they harpoon, club to death and skin, before turning them into cookies.

Ledger in 2007 presented Modest Mouse lead singer Isaac Brock with the idea for a music video that would take a stand against the whale hunts that take place off the coast of his native Australia, said social networking website MySpace, which presented the video on Tuesday.

The video was fully conceived but unfinished when Ledger died of an accidental prescription-drug overdose in January 2008, MySpace said.

After his death, The Masses, a film and music company that Ledger was involved with, completed the video, MySpace said.

The online video debut was timed to coincide with the Tuesday release of Modest Mouse's latest CD "No One's First, and You're Next," which includes the song "King Rat."

Ledger in February won a posthumous Oscar for his supporting role as The Joker in last year's Batman movie "The Dark Knight."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

[tizi17]

thank you! 

let's say it's not an easy watch... 
but again.. how much talent wasted...  :\'(