Actor Heath Ledger was found dead at a SoHo apartment this afternoon in what appeared to be a possible drug-related death, he was 28. Police sources said signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose.

At 3:31 p.m. a masseuse arrived at the fourth-floor apartment of 421 Broome Street, for an appointment with Ledger. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Ledger was in.

When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills -both prescription and nonprescription, on a night table. They attempted to revive him, but he did not respond.

Born Heathcliff Andrew Ledger in Perth, Australia on April 4th, 1979, Heath was the son of Kim Ledger, a mining engineer, and his wife Sally, who taught French. His first name was a tribute to Emily Bront?¬¥‚Äö?Ñ?¥s Wuthering Heights, as was that of his older sister, Katherine.

Among his critically acclaimed performances were parts in “10 Things I Hate About You”, “The Patriot”, “A Knight‚Äö?Ñ?¥s Tale”, “The Four Feathers”, “Ned Kelly”, “Lords of Dogtown”, “The Brothers Grimm” and “Monster’s Ball”.

His breakthrough role came in 2005’s ‚Äö?Ñ??Brokeback Mountain‚Äö?Ñ??, a film based on the short story by Annie Proulx in which Ledger plays a closeted gay cowboy in 1960’s Wyoming. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination and comparisons to the likes of Marlon Brando.

Ledger, who currently stars in the film “I’m Not There”, will next be seen as The Joker, in the highly-anticipated sequel to “Batman Begins” titled “The Dark Knight”.

He is survived by a two-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, whose mother is Ledger’s ex-fiance and “Brokeback Mountain” co-star, Michelle Williams.