6 Actors Whose Lives Became As Tragic As Their Characters

Heath Ledger – The Joker Who Couldn’t Escape His Own Darkness

To play the Joker in The Dark Knight, Ledger locked himself in a hotel room for a month, kept a disturbing diary, and descended so deep into the character that he could barely sleep – managing just two hours on some nights. He called playing the Joker “physically and mentally draining”. Months after filming wrapped, he died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at just 28. The final page of his Joker diary? Two words written in large letters: “bye bye”. A cruel farewell from a man who gave everything to a role that may have taken everything from him.