VNovember

Friend of a friend works at CNN and it looks like this is still developing… strange to think I was standing by him as an extra this summer in The Dark Knight. Total drag, cause it looked like he was enjoying himself and he was doing phenominal work…

Here’s the write-up I could grab from CNN:

Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in a possible drug-related death, police said. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there found him dead at 3:26 p.m. The Australian-born actor was an Oscar nominee for his role in “Brokeback Mountain” and has numerous other screen credits.

More updates below…
TMZ.com had this to add:

TMZ has learned that 2006 Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has died in NY.

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime, adding pills were found near his body.

The 28-year-old actor has a two year old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams — they separated in September, 2007. He plays the Joker in the upcoming Batman film, “The Dark Knight.”

The NY Times is reporting a masseuse arrived at his apartment and was let in the door by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom door and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They attempted to wake him, and when they couldn’t they called 911.

We’re told when paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

From the New York Times Blogs:

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan inhabited by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28. At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building, at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with pills scattered around his body. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

Thoughts go out to his friends and family.