StMU Research Scholars

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December 14, 2018

The Joker That Got Away: The Untimely Demise Of Heath Ledger

“Why so serious?”1 A quote from the Joker in the movie The Dark Knight, that many audiences felt run chills up their spine because the actor portraying the character was very serious about his job, art, and life. Heathcliff Andrew Ledger was the international actor credited with passionately immersing himself into the character, the Joker, as well as challenging himself in other films, such as Brokeback Mountain and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Though, Heath Ledger was more than just an actor; he was a passionate artist, who mastered other disciplines like photography and directing. Ledger’s desire to express himself through several different arts was the result of his natural love for life. As a photographer, he was always looking for moments to capture and then bring to life, by editing the photos himself with nail polish, scalpels, and many other interesting tools that would showcase his vision and creativity.2 As a director, Ledger wanted to animate other people’s talents, so that he could help them improve in their art. In one instance, N’fa Forster-Jones, one of Ledger’s childhood friend’s, recalls that “if [Heath] wants to bark at me what to do, imma take it because the best guy in the planet is telling me how to be better.”3 Improving other people’s lives was just a part of who Heath Ledger was, because he had a genuine care for others. Now, that characteristic of being able to improve others can be seen in Ledger as an actor as well, because he would just bring the talent out of other actors and actresses while shooting scenes. Ledger was able to draw out his fellow cast member’s talent because he inspired them with his own commitment to the role. Ledger was able to astonishingly commit himself to a role due to his understanding that his role was a challenge and anything short of a full heart would lead to a poor portrayal of his character. In a short analysis of Heath Ledger, it is clear that he was a fast-paced individual who wanted so much for himself and those around him.4 Unfortunately, the reality is that not even the most agile and high spirited human being, such as Ledger, can hold out forever against the high stresses and expectations of a Hollywood life. In fact, Ledger often told his family that “I’m not going to live ’til I’m very old,” demonstrating his clear awareness of the world around him.5


Now, many of us are not actors and are simply on the outside of the “Hollywood candy store” looking in. At some point, all entertainers were on the outside, but eventually those select individuals decided to walk in and get a taste of the entertainment life. For many actors and actresses that’s how it starts, with a desire for fame and fortune, but for others it starts with a passion and true love for the art of acting. Regardless of the motivation, all actors and actresses soon realize that the industry of entertainment comes at a high price of judgement and intrusion. The negative prospects just come with the territory because many people are left on the outside of the “Hollywood candy store” and just want so badly to see the celebrities fall. Now, as if battling the judgmental vultures outside the industry wasn’t bad enough, celebrities also have to battle competition with those either just entering the industry or with those already established.  Though, where the competition is coming from does not matter, because any competitor will increases the uncertainty of whether not an actor or actress will have any income.6 In fact, an anonymous entertainer has even gone on to express that “the insecurity of not knowing what tomorrow will bring,” is the worst aspect of working in the entertainment business.7 There is no doubt that becoming an actor or actress can be a glamorous life-changing experience, but like anything else that is worthwhile, it does not come easily. So, how do celebrities battle the stresses of the fast-paced industry? Well, there are some celebrities who choose to relinquish their stress through continuous drug use, and then there are other celebrities who search for more serious connections through the industry so that they can couple and share in the hardships of their lifestyles. Nonetheless, entering the entertainment industry is a bold action that should never be taken lightly, because the lifestyle does have the power to leave permanent and damaging scars on an individual and those around them.8


Undoubtedly, there are hundreds of new actors and actresses trying to break into the industry every day, so there is a very strong mentality for all entertainers to either sink or swim, because Hollywood only wants the best, and if you’re not showcasing it, then your easily forgotten. Well, Heath Ledger was determined to be remembered, but he was very cautious as to how he built his reputation. Ledger knew he could easily be labeled as a stereotypical “pretty boy” actor, which would limit his opportunities immensely. So, in order to avoid any stereotypical labels, Ledger chose very particular roles that he felt would challenge him, thus leading Ledger to diverse films such as 10 Things I Hate About You, Monster’s Ball, and The Four Feathers. With each new challenge Ledger was taken to new places, with new people with whom he would begin relationships. Though, the one film that Ledger said he would “forever be grateful” for was Brokeback Mountain, because it introduced him to Michelle Williams, the mother of his child.9 Prior to having their baby, Williams and Ledger were just co-stars on Brokeback Mountain acting as each other’s husband and wife, though very quickly their fictional chemistry became a reality. After filming Brokeback Mountain, Williams and Ledger continued to pursue roles individually, but even as they were torn apart from the distance of their new films, they still managed to hold on to one another through constant phone calls. Eventually, they did slow down in their careers and sped up things in their relationship, even having early conversations about having babies together. Though very quickly the innocent “talks” of starting a family became a reality when Williams and Ledger discovered that they would be expecting in 2005.

Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams with their baby, Matilda Rose, before their separation | Courtesy of Flickr

Twelve months after the discovery of Williams’ pregnancy, both Ledger and Williams began having the time of their lives in their new demanding roles as parents to their three-month-old baby, Matilda Rose. Williams and Ledger soon learned that being a celebrity couple and having a baby is no picnic, due to the simple fact that photographers are constantly wanting to profit from the precious moments they’re trying to share. In fact, Ledger once ran up to a photographer, who was waiting outside a flower shop that Williams and Matilda were in, and said “If I give you this flower, please, please, please do not take a photo of our daughter,” to which the photographer reluctantly agreed.10 Clearly, Ledger loved his new family and felt great pleasure in being grounded with his new purpose in life, but he still had a strong tendency to smoke marijuana. According to Ledger’s friends, he never used any harder drugs than marijuana, because the marijuana specifically helped him relax his mind and battle his insomnia. But Michelle Williams felt his drug usage was out of control and told him to clean up his act for her and their daughter, Matilda. Ultimately, Ledger was unable to quit, and the couple announced their separation in August 2007, but remained in good spirits with one another to properly care for their daughter. As any person would, Ledger took the separation hard, especially since he depended on the grounding that both Williams and Matilda provided in his life. Nonetheless, Ledger knew that he had to hold himself up and he attempted to move forward with his life the best he could.11


While Ledger’s attempts to battle his insomnia with marijuana were slightly unorthodox, it is understandable when considering how serious of a health issue insomnia is. There are various distinctions of insomnia, but generally it is described as the inability to sleep. Many population studies have been done regarding insomnia, so the results vary, but it can be concluded that about an average of ten to fifteen percent of the population suffer from persistent or chronic insomnia. Many doctors draw the sleep disorder of insomnia to be caused by a failure of “sleep-promoting” attributes within the mind, or a result of a highly active mind. Insomnia may not be the most common sleep disorder, but should it go on without treatment, then many other bodily complications could follow that eventually lead to disease or death.

Most common complications that come with insomnia | Courtesy of Wikipedia

So ideally, the first step to treating insomnia is to acknowledge the sleeping distress and search for medical assistance to receive a professional diagnosis. Any physician can diagnose insomnia, but there are no specific tests or diseases that a doctor can look for within a person’s body in order to establish whether or not they have insomnia. A diagnosis of insomnia simply relies on a patient’s awareness of their sleeping habits, or lack thereof, and the impairment of their daytime function. Once a diagnosis is given, a patient can proceed to a sleep specialist where they can practice good sleeping habits or receive sleeping medication. Sleeping medication is not and should not be the first solution to insomnia, because many patients have issues with tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal of the medication(s). Tolerance is the larger issue of sleeping medication because the amount patients should take varies depending on who the patient is and their habits. So there is no appropriate amount of sleeping medication for every patient, because each individual patient should receive an appropriate dosage from a physician that knows them and their medical history.12


The idea of family is one of the greatest and strongest concepts there is, especially when its a family of your own, which is why it was so devastating for Heath Ledger when he lost the stability of his family with Michelle Williams and Matilda Rose. Though Ledger understood that he could not let his separation from Williams lead his life into depression, Ledger battled his heart-ache by diving into his career and searching for yet another challenging role. In his search, Ledger found the role of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Upon officially being given the role, Ledger went straight to work in studying the Joker. In fact, Ledger said that he “knew there was an opportunity for a new version of the Joker… and knew instantly what to do.”13 Part of Ledger’s preemptive creative process of immersing himself into the Joker involved Ledger locking himself in a hotel room for six weeks and keeping a diary in the character of the Joker.  Many of Ledger’s family and friends knew that his preparation for the character was a true testament to his level of commitment and workmanship, but his commitment to the role can also be viewed as an unhealthy practice in the battle of his insomnia because it prevented him from acquiring adequate sleep. Nevertheless, Ledger persisted in his career, completed his scenes for The Dark Knight in late 2007, and quickly began shooting for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It was while shooting for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus that Ledger began to complain more about his sleeping issues and claimed that it was due to the stresses of work. Fortunately, Ledger did not use marijuana to help him sleep, instead he began using sleeping pills. Though on January 22, 2008 it would appear that the sleeping pills were not as safe of a solution as presumed when Heath Ledger was found deceased in his Manhattan apartment. Naturally, the media and the public jumped to the conclusion that the stress of a Hollywood life drove Ledger to commit suicide, but a later autopsy proved the assumption false. Moreover, the autopsy revealed that Ledger did not take a single form of sleeping medication; instead, he accidentally took an inadequate combination of sleeping medications that resulted in his untimely demise.14

Heath Ledger perfecting his photography skills | Courtesy of Flickr

Heath Ledger was well-disciplined in many art forms, such as acting, photography, and directing. Even with all of Ledger’s talents, he still set out to improve himself and those around him. Normally, someone with Ledger’s caring and modest mentality would have no issues with moving forward in life, but because of Ledger’s hardships and overly active mind, he consistently drove himself into his work with little to no regard for sleep, thus requiring Ledger to need sleeping pills. But because he continuously used the pills, he built up a tolerance to their effects. Ultimately, with Ledger feeling no effects of the sleeping medication, he accidentally overdosed on an inadequate combination of sleeping medications that resulted in his death. On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger’s life was cut short and the world lost an artistic and genuinely caring human being, but thanks to an infamous quote from Ledger’s character Tony, in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, it can be believed that in death Heath Ledger is “immortal nevertheless [and] forever young.”15

  1. “The Dark Knight,” directed by Christopher Nolan (Warner Bros., 2008) Mobile Download, 30:30.
  2. “Heath Ledger,” Too Young To Die, directed by Dag Freyer (2012) Online, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZbDoCyXEs.
  3. “I am Heath Ledger,” directed by Adrian Buitenhuis and Derik Murray (Virgil Films, 2017) Mobile Download, 38:42.
  4. “Heath Ledger,” Too Young To Die, directed by Dag Freyer (2012) Online, 03:58, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZbDoCyXEs.
  5. “Heath Ledger,” Too Young To Die, directed by Dag Freyer (2012) Online, 48:55, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZbDoCyXEs.
  6. Eve Light Honthaner, Hollywood Drive: What it takes to Break In, Hang in & Make It in the Entertainment Industry (New York: Routledge, 2017) 21-34.
  7. Eve Light Honthaner, Hollywood Drive: What it takes to Break In, Hang in & Make It in the Entertainment Industry (New York: Routledge, 2017) 27.
  8. Eve Light Honthaner, Hollywood Drive: What it takes to Break In, Hang in & Make It in the Entertainment Industry (New York: Routledge, 2017) 257-272.
  9. Janet Fife–Yeomans, Heath: A Family’s Tale (New York: Fall River Press, 2009), 219.
  10. Janet Fife-Yeomans, Heath: A Family’s Tale (New York: Fall River Press, 2009), 233-235.
  11. Janet Fife-Yeomans, Heath: A Family’s Tale (New York: Fall River Press, 2009), 248-251.
  12.  Sue Wilson and David J. Nutt, Sleep Disorders (New York: OUP Oxford, 2008) 27-37.
  13.  “I am Heath Ledger,” directed by Adrian Buitenhuis and Derik Murray (Virgil Films, 2017) Mobile Download.
  14.  “Heath Ledger: A Tribute,” directed by Janson Media (Janson Media, 2009) Mobile Download.
  15. “Heath Ledger,” Too Young To Die, directed by Dag Freyer (2012) Online, 8:50, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZbDoCyXEs.

Tags from the story

Heath Ledger

Hollywood actors

insomnia

The Dark Knight

Raymond Nash Munoz III

My passion is helping and caring for others. I do my best to apply my passion into everything I do. I am currently focusing my passion as an Accounting and Data Analytics major to assist me in my pursuit of going to law school and eventually beginning a practice in Family/Probate Law. I enjoy spending my spare time with my family doing puzzles and playing baseball.

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Recent Comments

Dalton Moy

For those who live outside of the life of an actor, it is very hard for us to understand what stress they may bear. We often forget that actors are indeed humans, with feelings just like the rest of us. An actor may become desensitized, to a certain point, of what their everyday life throws at them, however it is evident that there is a true struggle that is shared by many celebrities. I found it very interesting to see this side of a celebrity that we do not often see from a normal person’s point of view.

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11/01/2019

12:00 pm

Carlos Sanchez

I think many of us get lost in the glitz and the glimmer of being a actor of being a actor or actress that we may not see the work that goes into perfecting their roles. We see the money, the cars, the homes and think, “I want to be famous, so I can have those things as well.” Heath Ledger devoted his life to the roles he choose. I remember seeing him in the movie A Dark Night Rises and thinking to myself he played an amazing joker. One thing I learned from reading this article was that Ledger suffered from insomnia. In my opinion this was one of the contributing factors of his death. This was a great article.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Christopher Metta Bexar

As a person from an earlier generation I found the tribute to Heath Ledger interesting. It is truly a challenge to assume a role already made iconic by another actor ( as Jack Nicholson had already made The Joker his own ). This assumes you need to find something new in the character and yet not draw comparisons to the earlier portrayal, something all of the cast in the remake of the iconic 1939 film The Women failed to do. Many would ask why an actor would want to take on a role made culturally famous by a Hollywood legend, especially one still living.Ledger saw the challenge in it and attempted it anyway.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Thomas Fraire

As an individual from a prior age, I found the tribute to Heath Ledger intriguing. It is really a test to expect a job officially made notorious by another performing artist ( as Jack Nicholson had effectively made The Joker his very own ). This accepts you have to discover something new in the character but then not attract correlations with the prior depiction, something the majority of the cast in the revamp of the notable 1939 film The Women neglected to do. Many would inquire as to why an on-screen character would need to go up against a job made socially renowned by a Hollywood legend, particularly one still living. Ledger saw the test in it and endeavored it in any case.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Samantha Ruvalcaba

It’s quite interesting to see the almost mythological status of celebrities dispelled, particularly, that of Heath Ledger who masterfully played the most well known reiterations of the Joker. Munoz told the story of his rise and fall of his career with fascinating commentary on the struggles of stardom that most people tend to overlook; the judgement, attention and lack of privacy that he and his wife suffered after the birth of his daughter must have added a tremendous amount of stress on top of the already quite difficult endeavor that is parenthood. I’m glad that this article dismisses the misconception that it was this same stress that caused Ledger’s suicide, when it wasn’t a suicide at all.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Engelbert Madrid

Heath Ledger was a phenomenal actor before his death in January 2008. His talent in the field of art, drama, and film will forever be remembered. Sadly, Ledger wanted to push himself so much in order to keep his acting career moving forward. His insomnia was getting worse and he tried to recuperate his health by using pills and marijuana; however, these factors made it worse. Unfortunately, he was more focused in succeeding in his acting career than having a having a stronger bond with his family and checking his health.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Daniela Martinez

Heath Ledger was one of the best actors of his time. His personal story and the way he chose to live his life inspired many. By choosing to do method acting Ledger was able to separate himself from other actors of the time in a way that was very noticeable and created a different vibe. However, while method acting gave Ledger the results he desired it took much of his time and concentration away from his real life. I think that this would eventually affect and made his health problems much more severe than what they were, leading him to his death. This article was great as it shows that an actors life and career are much more than what is shown on screen.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Noah Wesolowski

Back in 2007 after seeing the dark knight, heath ledger’s portrayal of the joker easy stole the movie. Even though Christian bale’s Batman was the main character and hero of the story the joker kept me on the edge of my seat because all of his actions were unexpected. When I learned of his death I was shocked that a talented actor had died of drug abuse. That is all I knew but after reading this I now know he was suffering from insomnia too. Also I did not know he separated with Michelle Williams in 2007 which did not help his mental state or insomnia.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Paola Arellano

This article is extremely informative as it highlights the highs and lows of Heath Ledger’s life. As someone who tends to not pay much attention to the lives of the people playing the characters that I love so much such as he who gave life to the famous “Joker”. The most interesting part of the article itself is the fact that there was pin pointing to show his many attributes as a person and not just a Hollywood star. His mindset was much deeper than just a “pretty boy” as the author mentioned. The details in his life that he chose to keep private was in my opinion extremely smart of him to do and the fact that he took so much time and effort to make everything that he did in life as perfect as possible speaks highly about his inner personality. The tragedy that was all over the tabloids about his suicide was never researched enough to clear up, he did not want to intentionally take his own life but rather just deal with his sleeping disorder. What the public eye fails to meet is that idea that these celebrities are people and not always is their life a complete scandal.

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13/01/2019

12:00 pm

Nicolas Vicinanza

Wow, such a great written article. I was always a big Heath Ledger fan and learning about him more in depth really gives me respect for the work he did and his success.His last film, the Dark Knight, was one of my favorite performance It is such a shame a great actor has passed away because I know he could of done some great work.

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14/01/2019

12:00 pm

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