It’s been sixteen years since the tragic death of Heath Ledger - and artificial intelligence has revealed what he would look like now.
The legendary Brokeback Mountain star’s death stopped many in their tracks when it was revealed he had tragically passed away on January 22, 2008. Heath died at the tender age of just 28 years old.
The autopsy performed after his death claimed that he died of an accidental drug overdose. However it is still not known how Heath obtained the various substances that eventually killed him.
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Famous for his roles in the likes of The Dark Knight and 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath had a career that spanned nearly two decades. He also posthumously scooped an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker.
Heath, who had relationships with Heather Graham, Naomi Watts and was a father to one child with Michelle Collins, was renowned for his handsome good looks too. In 2001, he was voted Sexiest Man Alive by People.
In exclusive pictures generated by Midjourney, the AI system has revealed how Heath would look aged 44. And the actor still looks as handsome.
One photo saw Heath smoulder to the camera while wearing a white shirt and black denim jacket. In keeping with his rugged look, he had facial hair in all of the snaps - including a moustache and grey wispy beard.
One noticeable difference is Heath’s curly hair - with him rocking a much longer style compared to when he was alive. The Aussie actor also had a few more wrinkles on the forehead.
In the autopsy the New York coroner found that the father-of-one had died of "acute intoxication" after ingesting a cocktail of prescription medication. His death was ruled an accident.m
Anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, the painkiller OxyContin, cough suppressant hydrocodone and sleep aids Restoril and Unisom were all found in his system among others. In 2017, forensic pathologist Dr Jason Payne-James said that it was the addition of OxyContin and hydrocodone that proved fatal for Heath.
“It just put his whole system to sleep I guess," his dad Kim told news.com.au of the coroner's findings. “It was a one-off thing. That’s what killed us, because he was warned by his sister the night before: 'You shouldn’t mix what you’re taking for pneumonia with your Ambien'.
“He was a young guy that traveled all the time for work. Even as a two-year-old, he hardly ever slept. He was trying to work and travel and do everything in a short space of time." He continued: "Heath mixed a couple of drugs together with sleeping tablets and he’s gone forever."
Heath had spent the months before his death immersing himself into the role of The Joker for Christopher Nolan's Dark Night. He had recently moved into a Manhattan rental apartment after splitting from girlfriend and mother of his daughter, Michelle Williams.
His friend - and sometimes housemate - Gerry Grennell claimed that Heath was desperate to sleep. He also alleged he had been suffering from "walking pneumonia”.
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He told People magazine: "I would hear him wandering around the apartment and I’d get up and say, ‘Come on, man, get back to bed, you have to work tomorrow'. He said, ‘I can’t sleep, man'. He missed his girl, he missed his family, he missed his little girl - he desperately wanted to see her and hold her and play with her. He was desperately unhappy, desperately sad."
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