Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has been found dead in an Manhattan apartment. The 28-year-old Australian star of “Brokeback Mountain” was found turned face down in the bedroom of the suite with an assortment of sleeping pills around his body. Whether he committed suicide or had an accidental overdose is under investigation.

Ledger’s body was discovered at 3:26 PM local time by the apartment’s caretaker and a masseuse who had made a prearranged appointment with the star. Immediately after making the shocking discovery the pair called police and ambulance technicians. Soon after the news broke a crowd of curious onlookers had started to gather at the building’s entrance.

The man was nominated for his performance as a closeted gay cowboy in Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain”. He had most recently been seen playing rock icon Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There” and had just finished playing the role of the Joker in “The Dark Knight”. Born in 1979, Ledger fell in love with his “Brokeback” co-star Michelle Williams while making the film. The two have a two-year-old daughter, Matilda, but separated as a couple last year.

An autopsy is being planned to take place on Wednesday.

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