True Crime
Heath Ledger’s ‘Joker Diaries’ Resurface In New Documentary About the Late Actor’s Death
A documentary about the death of late actor Heath Ledger — who passed away on Jan. 22, 2008 at the age of 28 — has resurfaced online, shedding light on the Australian actor’s final days on Earth.
In the documentary, the late Oscar winner’s father, Kim, skims through the diary he kept to get into character as the Joker, the villain in 2008’s The Dark Knight.
Heath Ledger’s father, Kim.
“He pretty well locked himself up in a hotel, in his apartment, for a month or so, to sort of galvanize the upcoming character in his own mind,” the bereaved father says in the clip for the German documentary, Too Young To Die.
“That was typical of Heath on any movie. He would certainly immerse himself in the upcoming character. I think this was just a whole new level.”
RELATED: Kim Ledger Reveals Late Son Heath’s Final Words to the Family
Heath hauntingly filled the pages of the journal with copies of classic Batman comics featuring the Joker, playing cards, stills of A Clockwork Orange and photos of hyenas.
The word “Chaos” was printed largely and highlighted in green — but perhaps the most chilling is the words “BYE BYE” scrawled over his notes, written just months before his tragic passing.
A page from the haunting diary.
Heath was found unconscious in his NYC apartment on Jan. 22. Paramedics were called to the scene, but were unable to revive him. His cause of death was later found to be an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs.
A year after his death, he posthumously won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
He is survived by his father, mother, sister and his now nine-year-old daughter, Matilda.
Watch the clip from Too Young to Die:
