Rising Above It All

A tribute to Heath Ledger on a viral site for The Dark Knight speaks volumes

We often feel personally connected to actors and musicians that contribute, through their art, to events that shape our own lives. Sometimes, sad as it is, we feel that connection gives us the right to speculate and pass judgement. Even sadder, the media makes it virtually impossible to escape that proclivity.

I've seen it happening, on a very grand scale, with the madness surrounding the death of Heath Ledger. And on a smaller scale with Johnny Gallagher's departure from Spring Awakening and Old Springs Pike.

Every one of us, at one time or another, battles demons. And not a one of us is immune to tragedy. We make choices, or have them made for us, and those choices pave the road for our journey ahead. And when it comes to people we don't know personally, none of us is really qualified to decide if those choices are right or wrong.

Wouldn't it be great if we were all classy enough to quietly acknowledge life's tragedies with a simply placed black ribbon?

Gone Too Soon

On the day the nominees for the 80th Academy Awards were announced, actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. The apparent cause of death was a sleeping pill overdose. Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his riveting portrayal of the tortured Ennis del Mar in Academy-award winning film Brokeback Mountain, is reported to have been sick with pneumonia.

Ledger recently wrapped the latest Batman installment, The Dark Knight, where he recreated the character of The Joker opposite Christian Bale. Ledger was filming Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus with Christopher Plummer when he passed away. He was the father of a 2-year old girl, Matilda, for whom he shared parenting responsibilities with actress Michelle Williams. The couple recently were recently separated following an engagement to be married.

As with the death of River Phoenix , James Dean and others who leave us too soon, I am profoundly saddened and shocked by this sudden and terrible loss to the entertainment community.