Heath Ledger's fatal overdose wasn't a result of Joker role, claims sister

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight Credit: AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Stephen Vaughan

Contrary to popular urban myth, Heath Ledger's dedication to playing The Joker in The Dark Knight did not contribute to his tragic death from a prescription drugs overdose in 2008, and speculation over his mental health at the time was largely unfounded.

According to Ledger's sister Kate, a new family-sanctioned documentary on the late actor counteracts tabloid gossip about the star, particularly the long-standing rumour that Ledger's method acting in the Batman blockbuster triggered a bout of insomnia that ultimately lead to an overdose of prescription medication.

Heath Ledger in 2007, a year before his tragic death Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

At the premiere of I Am Heath Ledger at the Tribeca Film Festival, Kate Ledger refuted the claims.

"I was really shocked, because that was him having fun," she said. "Every report was coming out that he was depressed and that [the role] was taking this toll on him, and we're going, honestly, it was the absolute opposite. It couldn't be more wrong.

"He had an amazing sense of humour, and I guess maybe only his family and friends knew that, but he was having fun. He wasn't depressed about the Joker!"

"I hope it's an antidote to a lot of the gossip that exists in the world," the documentary's producer Matt Amato added. "There are some really terrible things about Heath out there."

Ledger's sister Ashleigh Bell, co-director Adrian Buitenhuis, sister Kate Ledger and co-director Derik Murray at the I Am Heath Ledger premiere Credit: Amy Sussman/REX/Shutterstock

Ledger was just 28 when he was found dead in his New York apartment, mere months before the release of The Dark Knight. Ledger had spoken about his problems sleeping in the wake of shooting the film, telling the New York Times in 2007 that playing the sociopathic villain had taken a toll on his psyche.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."

Speculation that the role had impacted his mental health was exacerbated by Jack Nicholson, who previously played The Joker in the 1989 Batman film. "I warned him," the actor said somewhat ambiguously upon hearing the news of Ledger's death, referencing his own experiences playing the character.

But the new documentary reveals that Ledger had long struggled with his sleeping, though it avoids directly commenting on the circumstances of his final days.

The film has received mixed reviews following its Tribeca premiere, with many outlets praising the intimacy of Ledger's self-shot home movies, which make up the bulk of the film's footage, but criticising it for largely bypassing any mention of his personal demons, or the prescription drug overdose that killed him.

"I Am Heath Ledger offers fascinating off-camera images and clips of Ledger at work," wrote Variety. "The movie is right to be as consumed by his art as he was. Yet, of course, he had other sides, and it's hard not to feel that they've been whitewashed."