A friend of Heath Ledger has shared new details about the star's struggles with fame before his tragic death 16 years ago.
Australian actor Samuel Johnson opened up about his relationship with the late performer and revealed that the 28-year-old had confided in him about his troubles with being in the spotlight.
He was one of the first people to pay tribute to The Dark Knight actor after his tragic death in 2008 following a prescription drug overdose in his New York apartment, which was ruled an 'accident'.
A coroner concluded that Ledger died due ‘acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine'.
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Ledger's death was said to have been a result of 'the abuse of prescribed medications', combined with a possible chest infection that stopped him breathing.
At the time, Johnson said of his pal: "His portrayal of The Joker in the new Batman was going to rival Jack Nicholson's in the original.
"I'm distraught about this...I think we've lost one of the best young actors Australia's produced - if not the best."
Ledger and Johnson, 46, started off their careers with small TV roles Down Under, with them both having stints on the iconic soap Home and Away as teenagers.
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Although Ledger's career hit Hollywood heights and his friend's did not, the pair remained close.
During an appearance on KIIS FM's Will and Woody Show on Thursday (18 July), Johnson admitted that he had struggled with being in the public eye, saying the baggage that comes along with it, which left him 'highly dubious' about people.
The Secret Life of Us star explained that being introduced to other Aussie icons such as Isla Fisher, Kate Ritchie, and Melissa George on the set of Home and Away 'hit him like a truck'.
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He said: "I went to school the next day, and all of a sudden all the girls were sitting with a space next to them. They were all patting the chairs, saying, 'Sit next to me' all of a sudden. So, overnight my life changed.
"I mean everyone and everything changed. I can understand why people freak out a bit because you go around your life being Sam then all of a sudden your family and people around you change a lot."
Johnson then compared his level of fame to that of Ledger's, while recalling a conversation they had while taking a walk together one day - as even having a stroll was an 'intense' experience with the Brokeback Mountain star.
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He continued: "I did walk down the street with him [once]. I remember in about three quarters of a block, there were four girls that fainted. They literally just dropped when they saw him.
"I couldn't believe it. Not one, not two, not three, four inside a block. I've never seen anything like it. It was phenomenal.
"I asked him 'how do you cope?' And he just looked at me with a world of sadness in his eyes and said: 'I don't'."
Ledger's death rocked famous faces across the world as well as fans.
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Hollywood director Stephen Gaghan previously told how his 'feet went out from under him' and he was left 'speechless' after being told the news about the actor's passing.
Celebrities were also seen on the verge of tears when Ledger's father Kim, his mother Sally Bell and older sister Kate collected the Oscar he was posthumously awarded for Best Supporting Actor in The Dark Knight.
The gong was reportedly gifted to Ledger's daughter Matilda, who he shared with Michelle Williams, on her 18th birthday last year, according to New Idea.
Topics: Heath Ledger, Celebrity, Mental Health, Australia
Olivia Burke