Hauslaib talks about Heath Ledger’s career and his untimely death.

Question: What is your view of Heath Ledger’s death?

David Haulieb: Anybody’s death is so unfortunate. I think what is even more so in the situation of Heath Ledger’s passing is that he seemed to be a Hollywood good guy. You know rather than get caught up in Hollywood he moves to Brooklyn. When he was an up and coming actor through his late teens, he would turn down roles that his agent would fight him over because they were crappy, teenage, romantic comedies; because he only wanted to work on projects that he believed in, and that got him very far. He was well respected as a person and as an actor.

People enjoyed working with him, and they were really awestruck by him. So you know versus some of the other very bankable actors in Hollywood who don’t carry such great reputations, we have the instance of Heath who was really well liked among his peers and among the fans. Clearly he was troubled and he was battling addiction. And you know he’s said to have become sober in the past year privately to his friends. But you know clearly something was amiss.

Question: Is there a bigger story behind Heath’s death?

David Haulieb: I think it’s going to be very easy for the media to say Heath is the next River Phoenix. They are also going to be looking for; with Brad Renfro; now Heath Ledger who is the third celebrity who is going to pass, because those death comes in threes. So I think there is a media attachment to this story that may turn it a bit sour.

I don’t know in all certainty, but I imagine this is a very unfortunate, singular instance of a troubled guy who happens to be in Hollywood perhaps, I don’t know, taking his own life.

 January 23, 2008