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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Verity Sulway

Heath Ledger's touching final words with sister and promise he was forced to break

Hollywood was rocked in 2008 when actor Heath Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper.

She frantically tried to revive him while on the phone with emergency operators, but it was to no avail and he was pronounced dead shortly after.

He was just 28 years old.

An autopsy ruled he'd died from an accidental drug overdose of prescription medications, having struggled with insomnia for years.

Many of his fans speculated that Heath had been driven to the brink of madness by playing the villainous Joker in The Dark Knight, a role he totally transformed for.

An image emerged of a man who'd lost himself in his work, dedicating his life to playing a dark, evil character and destroying his own identity in the process.

Heath Ledger's sister was the last person who spoke to him (Getty)

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But according to his beloved sister Kate, this couldn't have been further from the truth.

Kate, who was older than her brother, is still in regular contact with his ex-wife Michelle Williams and their 16-year-old daughter Matilda.

She said "not a day goes by" that the family don't share stories about Heath, and that he is "very much alive" in her home.

Kate recalled the final conversation she shared with her brother, who she was incredibly close to, and revealed he sounded upbeat and hopeful.

"He was a really happy person and he had huge plans for his future. I spoke to him the night before and we were laughing and joking," she told news.au.com.

Heath's parents Kim and Sally with his sister Kate (AFP/Getty Images)

"He was so proud of what he had done in Batman. And I know he had plans for another Batman. He loved working with Chris Nolan and Christian Bale and Gary Oldman. He just had the best time ever doing that film.

"When he came home at Christmas he couldn't wait to tell us all about it and he was doing the voice and laughing, showing me all the rushes. We had a great time."

Kate added that they were "laughing" together, and Heath promised he'd call her at 8.30am the next day - but sadly he was never able to.

She told him she loved him and rang off, unaware she'd never get the chance to speak to her brother again.

Heath had struggled with abuse of prescription drugs and crippling insomnia for years, issues that would take the shine off his incredible Hollywood career.

Heath Ledger was deeply affected by his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight 2008 (REUTERS)

In 2006 he said he used to smoke "smoke five joints a day for 20 years".

The year before his death, Heath told of his years-long battle with insomnia.

He told the New York Times: "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night.

"I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."

Heath said even taking two of the sleeping tablet Ambien couldn't make him sleep for more than an hour.

The actor's family accepted the Oscar on his behalf (Splash News)

While he was filming The Dark Knight, he admitted to only getting up to two hours sleep a night, and famously locked himself into a hotel room and kept a diary to prepare for the part.

Heath told Empire magazine in 2007: "It's a combination of reading all the comic books I could that were relevant to the script and then just closing my eyes and meditating on it.

"I sat around in a hotel room in London for about a month, locked myself away, formed a little diary and experimented with voices — it was important to try to find a somewhat iconic voice and laugh.

"I ended up landing more in the realm of a psychopath - someone with very little to no conscience towards his acts.

"He's just an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown."

The film was released six months after his death, and Heath's performance was widely praised by critics, earning him a posthumous Academy Award.

Kate and Heath's parents, Kim Ledger and Sally Ledger Bell, went up on stage to collect the gong in what was an incredibly emotional moment.

Sally said: "Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives. We have been truly overwhelmed by the honour and respect bestowed upon him by this award.

"Tonight we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he achieved."

The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.

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