I first heard of Heath Ledger when I was working at Universal Studios. He’d been cast to star in the television series “Roar,” which our company produced for Fox. The young Australian was an unknown in the US at the time, but it was clear that wouldn’t be the case for long. I admired Ledger’s acting. He had a knack for choosing challenging roles and a depth and complexity far beyond his chronological age. I have no doubt that he would have developed into a great talent. Yet, without discounting the tragedy of his passing Tuesday in his Manhattan, I am always mystified when people take the death of a celebrity so personally. I don’t wish to sound hard-hearted. I’m not. But why is that we suffer so when a celebrity passes and yet we’ve become inured at the deaths of the men and women who’ve been killed in Iraq? As of 22 hours ago, according to the Associated Press, we’ve lost 3,931 people in Bush’s War on Terror. And three of Heath Ledger’s films have shot up into Amazon’s Top DVD’s.

Libby Gill, founder of Libby Gill & Co, is a former Hollywood studio PR and Communications executive and now a noted expert of Personal Branding in Life & Career. You can read more of Libby’s work in her lifestyles column for Dallas Morning News or listen to her advice live on KarmaAir talk-radio.
Contact Libby at www.libbygill.com