On the tenth anniversary of Heath Ledger’s death, we are reminded of the loss of one of Hollywood’s most promising young actors to the opioid crisis. Heath Ledger died on January 22, 2008. He was 28 years old. He was discovered to be dead in his New York apartment by his masseuse along with his housekeeper.

Heath Ledger was originally from Australia. He was noticed by Hollywood execs for his good looks after being in the Australian film entitled Two Hands. His first big break was his appearance in 10 Things I Hate About You.

He is known for his performances in The Patriot opposite Mel Gibson, A Knight’s Tale, Monster’s Ball, Lords of Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm, and his extremely courageous, heartfelt portrayal of a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain starring with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Hollywood Life reported after his death, the medical examiner found a cocktail of prescription drugs in his system that included alprazolam, diazepam, doxylamine, hydrocodone, and the strong opioid oxycodone. That toxic mixture is enough to kill just about anyone. The doctor ruled that the death was caused by an accidental overdose.

Big pharma created the opioid crisis by making these strong drugs available for doctors to prescribe. The trouble is that it is very easy to become addicted to them. A person may start out taking them for an injury or pain and then be unable to stop taking them after the injury is healed.

After Ledger died, the film starring him in his most iconic role was released. His portrayal of the Joker character in the film The Dark Knight won him awards after his death. He won a SAG award for his performance in that film, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. It is a shame he did not live to enjoy his success.

Ledger left behind a beautiful daughter, Matilda, whom he had with Michelle Williams in 2005. His daughter was only two years old when he died. Michelle Williams knew of the actor’s drug problem and tried to get him to enter into rehab before he died, but they broke up because of his drug use just a short time before his death.

The tragic loss of Heath Ledger is a reminder to all that currently struggle with opioid addiction and those who are friends and family of someone that has this life-threatening problem that seeking help and entering into rehab has now become a vital societal necessity to save lives.

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