The world woke to the sad news this morning that Heath Ledger has passed away. While media speculation remains rife about the cause of his death, the fact remains that this talented young Australian actor left this world far too soon. He was 28 years old.

Most recent reports reveal that Heath was ill with pneumonia when he died, and that his death may be the result of an unfortunate interaction between the medications he was being treated with.

Heath showed his acting talent in many films throughout his short career, including the fab teen movie “10 Things I Hate About You”, “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson, ”Ned Kelly” with Orlando Bloom and Naomi Watts, and in his breakout role in “Two Hands” with Rose Byrne. He was nominated for an Oscar for his work in “Brokeback Mountain”, and most recently appeared in the critically acclaimed Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There”. His star was set to rise even further with his portrayal of The Joker in the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight”.

Our thoughts go out to Heath’s family in Perth, and also to his daughter Matilda and former fiancée Michelle Williams, during this obviously very painful and difficult time.