From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Tributes flow for Heath Ledger
Sense of disbelief among family and fellow actors
Ledger, 28, the star of Brokeback Mountain, was found dead in a New
York apartment on Tuesday afternoon
Numerous Hollywood stars, including fellow Aussies Mel Gibson and
Nicole Kidman expressed shock at the death.
Gibson, who plucked Ledger from relative obscurity to play his son in
2001's US war of independence epic The Patriot, said the death of the
versatile actor was a "tragic loss".
"I had such great hope for him," the Oscar-winning actor and director
said.
"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," said Ang
Lee, who directed Brokeback Mountain.
Veteran US film star John Travolta described him as "one of my
favorite actors" while Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it
was a "tragic loss".
Locally, Bay Area Native and Brokeback Mountain fan Tom Kunich, who
had been arrested at a theater after achieving sexual climax while
viewing the movie, expressed his sorrow over the loss of his idol.
"Words cannot express the depth of my grief." Kunich said, adding "I
used to aspire to meet him one day, now all I have left are my
physical and emotional fantasies. Ahem. I think I should go attend to
them. Excuse me."
Other local residents also showed their dismay at the tragedy.
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