Heath Ledger is Dead

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He may have been playing The Joker, but this is no joke. Actor Heath Ledger is dead. The 28-year-old, Oscar-nominated actor was found in his New York apartment today, with signs pointing to a possible drug overdose, or even suicide, reports Reuters.

The Australian-born Ledger, 28, who was nominated for an Oscar two years ago for "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead by a housekeeper at his apartment in the trendy SoHo neighborhood, police spokesman Paul Browne said.

"We are investigating the possibility of an overdose," Browne said.

The housekeeper found Ledger at 3:26 p.m. (2026 GMT) and tried to wake him for his appointment to have a massage, Browne said. As far as he knew, only Ledger and the housekeeper were in the apartment, Browne said.

"There were pills within the vicinity of the bed," Browne said.

According to TMZ, the pills found in his apartment were sleeping pills, often associated with suicide. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.

Our thoughts go out to Heath's family and friends, and to his ex-fiance, actress Michelle Williams, and their daughter Matilda.