Some friends at work were cynical about why I’m so obsessed with the news of Heath Ledger’s passing today, and at first I really had little explanation. I often feel as though I can’t make it in the world, and occasionally I get down and start feeling sorry for myself in some boring pitiful manner. But even at the bottom of the bottle there’s still a sense that life could be more. Heath Ledger may have just been an actor in the public eye, but Heath Ledger was a symbol of privilege. And to be reminded, again, that even at the top you can be at the very bottom is a stunning reminder of the truth of life. Life is never certain and, if nothing else, this is a moment that helps remind just how short it can be.

While I have not seen it in its entirety, one of Ledger’s last films, I’m Not There, depicts a wave of Bob Dylan’s life through a period of outgoing romanticism. That role along with his hugely anticipated roll as The Joker in The Dark Knight were two that could have helped Ledger continue to build his reputation as an increasingly reputable actor after the breakout success of Brokeback Mountain.

I’m Not There clip: