Los Angeles (E! Online) - Many of those approached to comment on the sudden death of Heath Ledger were too distraught to speak. But all are in agreement on the magnitude of the loss.
Perhaps avoiding the obvious questions awaiting her, Naomi Watts has canceled all her press appearances for Wednesday at the Sundance Film Festival, where her dark comedy Funny Games is slated to premiere at midnight.
She and Ledger met on the set of Ned Kelly in 2002 and dated for nearly two years. The late actor accompanied her to the Academy Awards in 2004, when she was up for Best Actress for 21 Grams.
A rep for Michelle Williams, Ledgers ex-fiance and mother of his two-year-old daughter, Matilda, declined immediate comment.
We are all deeply saddened and shocked by this accident, Ledgers publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said in a statement Tuesday night. This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones and we are asking the media to please respect the familys privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known.
Grief will no doubt be expressed in different ways as the details surrounding Ledgers death continue to unfold.
Ledger, who was known more as a teen heartthrob before his breakout, Oscar-nominated turn in Brokeback Mountain three years ago, was found dead Tuesday morning in his New York apartment. The cause of death is unknown, but police are speculating that drugs were involved because sleeping pills were found near the body. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news, Warner Bros. execs Alan Horn and Jeffery Robinov said of the 28-year-old Aussie, who had recently wrapped the studios Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, and was already winning raves for his reincarnation of the Joker.
The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.
Im Not There director Todd Haynes, who helmed Ledgers performance as one of six incarnations of Bob Dylan in the unconventional biopic, called his death an unimaginable tragedy.
Heath was a true artist, a deeply sensitive man, an explorer, gifted and wise beyond his years. There is no finer person on this earth, the filmmaker said in a statement.
James Schamus, CEO of Focus Features and a producer on Brokeback Mountain, got to know the actor during the filming of Ang Lees at-first controversial--and then merely critically acclaimed--romance epic.
Heath Ledger was a courageous actor, and a great soul, Schamus said in a statement. He gave us the gift of sharing his fearless and beautiful love--of his craft, and of all who worked with him--for which all of us will be eternally grateful.
Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan shared similar thoughts about Ledgers acting prowess earlier this month, saying the young thespian wasnt afraid to fully immerse himself in a challenging role.
It was a very great challenge for Heath, Nolan said of Ledgers role as the Joker, the modern-day incarnation of which was originated by Jack Nicholson in 1989. Hes extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic.
And the role apparently took its toll on Ledger, whose character the actor described as a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.
Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night, Ledger told the New York Times in November. I couldnt stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going. He said that he took two Ambien to sleep, but that they only worked for about an hour.
I had such great hope for him, Mel Gibson, who played Ledgers father in the Revolutionary War drama The Patriot, said in a statement to E! News. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
Shortly after news of Ledgers death broke, hundreds of people swarmed around the SoHo apartment building where he lived, both people from the neighborhood and fans who immediately hopped on the subway to visit the scene.
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