Classic Reissue: This is Not Heath Ledger’s Diary

When Heath Ledger died, Esquire decided to publish a piece of fiction that took the form of his private diary. Ew.

Today, we’re revisiting the profile of a celebrity who was very real, but this one is, to put it mildly, creatively unique.

Esquire. "The Last Days of Heath Ledger." April 1, 2008. Lisa Taddeo.

(Read the profile here.)

I recall, with startling clarity, where I was when I found out that Heath Ledger had died. I was 17 years old and had a Brokeback Mountain poster on my wall. It was in my direct view when a friend texted me to tell me the news. I ran downstairs to the living room, turned on the news, and saw live footage of his body being put into the ambulance as paparazzi cameras flashed around them. It was the first celebrity death I remember being truly devastated by, the passing of a heartthrob turned serious actor who was only 28 and was a major feature of the films I watched as an adolescent. The next morning, during a free period at school, me and a classmate bypassed the library’s internet blocks to watch the scene in 10 Things I Hate About You where Ledger sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, a reminder of his on-screen charm and irrepressible appeal.