On a day when Hollywood should be celebrating movies, actors are instead mourning the loss of one of their own.

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in New York by his housekeeper.  The star in this year’s The Dark Knight was only 28.  While no official cause of death has been released, it appears it may have been drug-related.

Ledger, a Best Actor nominee for 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter.  Matilda’s mother, actress Michelle Williams, met Heath in 2004 on the set of their Oscar-nominated movie.  Although it was often rumored the two were married, the couple parted ways last September.  Prior to Williams, Ledger had been in an on-and-off relationship with another former co-star, Naomi Watts.

In addition to this year’s Batman sequel, Ledger’s work can currently be seen in I’m Not There (co-starring recent nominee Cate Blanchett).

Mel Gibson - Heath’s co-star in 2000’s The Patriot - just released this statement to Entertainment Tonight about the tragic news:

“I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”