Hollywood is our royalty and Heath a royal Prince. Kissed with good looks, a stellar physique and an electric smile, Heath Ledger had loads of "X" factor marking him for stardom. Heath delivered more memorable roles in a few short years than some can ask for in a lifetime. With a self- professed desire to "hunger" for each new role, Heath didn't jump at every role tossed his way. He cherry picked the opportunities that would stretch him as an artist. We benefitted from his trepidation in which roles he selected.
As true muses to us, the consumers, we expect celebrities to live their "celebrity lifestyles" doing all those things that buckets of money and star status allow for while we co-exist in our parallel universes. The "sought after" and the "seekers". We piece together snippets of Hollywood's glam from an impression we get in a film, or reading the tabloids. We may even think we really know someone after reading a decently constructed interview somewhere like Vanity Fair or an appearance on Oprah. We put all this together and toss with our imaginations and we create our own image of a Hollywood celebrity.
I can imagine running into Heath in line somewhere, and in my glib- un -star-struck manner, I'd say, "Hey, nice work as Ennis DelMar wanna grab a beer?" And Heath in his very unaffected- by- star- status way, would accept and we'd be fast friends.
They live their lives and we live watching them live their lives. This is just the way it is. They make exorbinant amounts of money, looking great, dodging paparazzi, going to parties, and all the while, we are entertained and hungry for more! More details, more picture! Whatever secret glance we can make into their private lives is satisfying. We find respit in the tabloids. A glimpse into Hollywood for 5 minutes in the grocery line to make sure that Brangelina and their brood are all still pukifyingly perfect, and that Paris Hilton crashed another ex-friend's birthday party at some club in Vegas and phew! All is well in the world. This is what are celebs are supposed to do! They are not supposed to be found dead in their swanky $23,000 a month New York apartment from an accidental overdose at a much too young age of 28.
Heath's very guarded private life ending in a fiercely public death. And me, secretly wishing it could have been any other actor. Is that bad?
Why are so many reeling from the death of Heath Ledger? A complete stranger to us all, someone perhaps we thought we knew from his roles. Were we drawn to the free spirit in him? Was it that he represented a more likeable Hollywood glam pack? A super star but humble and even a bit shy. Not attracted to or comfortable in the limelight. And yet, he couldnt help it. Doing what he loved meant being in that limelight. In fact, it created it. If he lacked talent, it would have been a different experience. But he was talented and diverse in his abilities. His brilliant flame snuffed out way too soon. They way he died, so unfair. A blow to all his fans.
The world will be a lesser place without Heath Ledger. Lucky for us, we have great character portrayals to remember Heath's dedication to his work as an actor. Heath made us laugh, cry and fall in love with him in his roles and roles yet to come when the highly anticipated "Dark Knight roars it way into Summer blockbuster status and we are introduced to Heath's very own creation of "the Joker".
As for Heath's greatest contribution EVER, I pray she is bringing joy and comfort to her mother, grandparents and all who loved her dad and must be grieving much more than the rest of us.
Alas, there will be no beer with Heath. Not for me, not for you and God love him not for Daniel Day Lewis. Not this side of Heavens gate anyways.
Damn it.
