Heath Ledger’s acting certainly brought chills down people’s spines. Not only for the audience but also for his co-stars. Whether it was a romance movie or a dramatic one, he was never expected to give less of a performance in any genre. This is why he became somewhat of a fan favorite. However, his work in The Dark Knight is vividly remembered by fans for more than one reason.
The range was not something Ledger was ever short of. He could be seen in romance movies, films with darker themes, action thrillers, and whatnot. It only provided more of an insight into his ability as an actor. However, he taught the world a lesson of just how harmful method acting can be. Becoming the Joker cost him his life and the world was forever changed after that.
Heath Ledger’s Sister Did Not Think Becoming Joker Caused His Death
According to his sister, Kate, Heath Ledger was not as affected by playing the Joker as many believed. It was the opposite of it in fact. She nodded at how he used to have fun and how he would express his humorous side with those who were close to him. She stated that his struggle with depression had been a long and ongoing battle. Tragically, she also happened to be one of the last people on call with him the night before he died. She tried to talk him out of taking any drugs.
“It was totally his fault. It was no one else’s — he reached for them. He put them in his system. You can’t blame anyone else in that situation. That’s hard to accept because I loved him so much and was so proud of him. His sister was on the phone to him the night before telling him not to take the prescription medications with the sleeping tablets. He said: ‘Katie, Katie, I’m fine. I know what I’m doing.’ He would have had no idea.”
Ledger’s father stated that no one other than the actor himself was at fault for his passing. Taking those drugs had been his independent decision despite being advised by his sister to do the complete opposite. He mixed prescription drugs with his sleeping pills, something that ultimately resulted in an overdose which included oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, and doxylamine; leading to his demise.
Heath Ledger’s Struggle Aside From Being The Joker
Both Heath Ledger’s sister and his roommate had pointed out how he was struggling with horrible insomnia. It had become so bad that mixing medicines had become a rather normal routine for him. No matter how much he was advised to not do so, he kept mixing them nonetheless. The actor had allegedly been using drugs much before he began struggling with depression. His mental health issues started after his partner and his then two-month-old daughter separated from him, leaving him alone both literally and figuratively.
Their leaving was also correlated to his drug abuse, something that was seemingly an ongoing problem for the actor. Although his method of acting was not the sole reason for his going off the edge, it was still something that saw an increase in the deterioration of his mental health. The actor was previously dating Michelle Williams, with whom he shared a daughter. She admitted that finding her way after she left him was much different than finding her way after he died. It was something she could never understand and the peace she found afterward was something she was content with, never to argue how she came to terms with his passing in the first place.
Source: Cinema Blend
