Maybe he's not a hero in any way but you could at least give him the respect any human being would get when they die. He was only 6 years older than me and I have done even less in my lifetime then he has done. I don't know him personally and I can't judge him but I'm sure as hell not going to put him down or call him a loser just because he happened to be famous. He was never an actor who went after fame and fortune, he took the roles he wanted to play and tried to avoid the hollywood stereotypes. It is the public who glorifies celebrities, most of them just do what they love for a living and happen to be praised for it by others.

I don't know if he committed suicide and we may never know, but if he did that only shows he obviously had issues that went unadressed and I would hardly put him down for that either. Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier or a firefighter, that doesn't mean they don't deserve respect. Who are you to say that a man you've never met wouldn't run into a burning building to save someone?

I can not defend heath ledger one way or the other since I don't know him, and I wouldn't have even have posted this if he hadn't been starring in a movie that I'm extremely excited about, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt as I wish people who don't know me would do.