Early in 2007, Heath Ledger directed and starred in a music video for “Black Eyed Dog”, a song by the late British folk singer Nick Drake’s. Heath made the video as a tribute for the artist for whom Ledger was obsessed. The Nine Network gained exclusive rights to the video, which has only been shown in public twice and shows “disorienting” and “eerie” images that include Ledger drowning himself in the final scene. Drake (if you’ve never heard of him, you probably recognize this) committed suicide in 1974 at the age of 26 by overdosing on the anti-depressant, amitriptyline.
Ledger made the video on a hand-held camera in early 2007 as part of an exhibition celebrating the work of Drake, with whom Ledger said he was “obsessed”. It has so far only been glimpsed twice in public, at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival in September 2007 and again in Los Angeles the following month. Speaking about Drake at the Venice film festival last September, Ledger said: “Nick Drake is a very mysterious figure. I was obsessed with his story and music and I still have great hopes to tell his story one day.”
Wait, you mean to tell me that Heath Ledger liked Nick Drake’s music then ended up dying in sorta kinda in the same way but not really? Whoa. What a coincidence! I was under the impression that Heath’s death was a tragic accident, but now I know that this video is being shown to prove it might have been something more! It’s also being shown for ratings, don’t forget ratings! Thanks melodramatic Australian news anchor guy!
Note: At the :40 mark, you aren’t going back in time, the video freaks out and starts over again.
Michelle Williams at Heath’s memorial service:
