StMU Research Scholars

Featuring Scholarly Research, Writing, and Media at St. Mary’s University

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

Diego Terrazas

I have never seen any movies that Heath Ledger was a part of, sadly. I may not have seen his acting talent, but I have heard of it. This article does well to show how far people will go to succeed even if it costs them their health. I just hope that future actors learn from Heath Ledger’s story and avoid taking similar steps.

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20/01/2019

12:00 pm

Cameron Lopez

As a huge batman fan and an even bigger fan of the way Heath Ledger played the Joker in the Dark night. He played such an iconic role in that movie and it is an amazing movie. Although it is very unfortunate what happened to Ledger he played such a moving part in the movie that he actually locked himself in a room for days and practiced his character and it is believed to cause him to begin taking drugs. It is an unforgettable role he played and how he came about to be it is a role that is still praised to this day over a decade later.

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21/01/2019

12:00 pm

Andrew Petri

Hearing this story is truly heart breaking. Reading about a young man who had such a fiery passion for art, and seeing his pursuit of that art as a career be too much for him. His struggles make us realize that he is not just another fame crazy person, but someone who was truly chasing what he loved to do. Heathcliff Ledger created some amazing pieces of art, from his family, to his motion pictures, he was an artist who did what he loved.

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23/01/2019

12:00 pm

Mariah Garcia

After being such a heartthrob in the 90’s, it was refreshing to see how Heath Ledger would do in such a serious role. Yet to play the Joker, as many previous actors have stated, most famously Jack Nicholson, the role messes with your mind. And when we look at the “psychology” of the Joker, it’s interesting to see how any sane individual could portray this being. I mean the Joker has done some truly disturbing things before amongst the pages of Detective Comics, from cutting his own face off and stapling it back on (more than a year later), to the genocide of over 5 million people. It becomes challenging to take on this role and unfortunately, Ledger may not have been mentally up to the task.

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27/01/2019

12:00 pm

Michael Leary

This is a tragic ending to an actor who was one of the best of his times. It is very sad when individuals have to take sleep medications and end up dying due to overdoses or complications related to their medication. From what I have heard and read about him, he was a very passionate individual who was a master of all types of arts.

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27/01/2019

12:00 pm

Tala Owens

The story of Heath Ledger is truly tragic and heartbreaking. He is incredibly talented and is known for that reason and this close cast members he was someone who helped others improve in their life. He was clearly a very good person. Insomnia is a very serious issue and it’s scary how just a certain amount of sleeping pills can lead to your death. We don’t ever think of how quick or how harmful it is to build a tolerance for things like this and its a scary thing.

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03/02/2019

12:00 pm

Chelsea Alvarez

I really enjoyed reading this article, because it was very well informed and descriptive. Prior to reading this, I had no idea who Heath Ledger was since I have not seen The Dark Knight. From this article, I now know the severity of insomnia and the way that Hollywood actors and actresses must commit themselves to being scrutinized by the public. Unfortunately, it is common for people in the entertainment industry to turn to using sleeping medication to relax and it is very sad to know that Heath Ledger fell victim to this.

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23/02/2019

12:00 pm

Sharriah Martinez

I have to admit I have not seen one batman movie, although I did see suicide squad and I know the way the Joker is supposed to act/ his personality. I also did not know who Heath Ledger was before reading this Article. I now know how passionate Ledger was and how serious he took his roles. it was no doubt that he was a very talented.It makes me sad to see that yes he took his role very seriously but it caused him psychological stress and problems. It also saddens me that his life ended , like many other entertainers.

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03/03/2019

12:00 pm

Vanessa Sanchez

Incredible story loved how it showed how Heath Ledger was so passionate he was about his art. After having a baby he and his wife where living their life to the fullest. There was a small problem they didn’t want people to take pictures of their precious moments. He felt for the horrible addiction of drugs to calm down then taking his family come apart.

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03/03/2019

12:00 pm

Brianna Nevarez

It seems that we hear more and more stories of talented artists passing away. It is tragic to see how these people who are so full of life and gifts, see their lives cut short because of these pressures. It is tragic to see how we lost an icon, Ledger, due to his insomnia. Who would have thought that such a brilliant mind would be battling against such a terrible condition. The fact that his use of marijuana was seen as taboo makes the situation even more terrible for it was his escape and helped him feel better. It is sad to see how we lost someone so inspiring. I wonder what would have been if he was still here today. He would have starred in countless Oscar winning movies.

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24/03/2019

12:00 pm

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