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NEW YORK (CNN) — An autopsy Wednesday morning on actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and a cause-of-death determination will take 10 to 14 days, a medical examiner’s spokeswoman said.

The Academy Award-nominated actor was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said. He was 28.

Flowers, notes and a candle left by mourning fans remained on the sidewalk outside the Soho apartment building, but only journalists and the occasional tourist were gathered there Wednesday morning.

Ledger’s former girlfriend, actress Michelle Williams, who was shooting a movie in Sweden, was informed of his death late Tuesday night, a movie production company spokesman said.

Williams left early Wednesday morning with 2-year-old daughter Matilda Rose, the spokesman said. Ledger was the child’s father.

Ledger, Oscar-nominated for his role in Brokeback Mountain, was found by a housekeeper trying to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse, said police spokesman Paul Browne.

Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed, he told CNN. Watch Ledger discuss taking on challenging roles

This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet, Browne said.

Browne later told reporters some prescription medications were found in the room, including sleeping pills. He said the pills were not scattered around, as had been reported.

No note was found and there was no indication of foul play, Browne said. Ledger was found about 3 p.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel about 3:30 p.m.

The apartment did not belong to actress Mary-Kate Olsen, as initially reported by The New York Times’ Web site and TMZ.com, citing police. Olsen’s publicist told CNN the place is not her apartment, was never her apartment.

Ledger’s family on Wednesday called his death very tragic, untimely and accidental. Watch family and other Australians mourn actor

Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him, Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, told reporters while standing with the actor’s mother and sister in Perth, Australia.

He was a down-to-earth, generous, kindhearted, life-loving, unselfish individual extremely inspirational to many.

Hollywood reacts

Condolences began pouring in from Ledger’s friends and co-stars.

I had such great hope for him, said Mel Gibson, who played Ledger’s father in The Patriot, in a statement.

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.

Actress Nicole Kidman, a fellow Australian and close friend of Ledger’s, said in a statement, What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family. Watch the reaction at the Sundance Film Festival

At the time of his death, Ledger had just finished playing the villain The Joker in The Dark Knight, the latest installment in the Batman series. The film is to open in July.

The role disturbed him, according to The Associated Press. He called The Joker a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.

Last week, I probably slept an average of two hours a night, Ledger told The New York Times. I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.

He said prescription sleeping pills didn’t help, according to AP.

It was a very great challenge for Heath, director Christopher Nolan told AP. He’s extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic. Watch Ledger discuss taking on challenging roles

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, and named Heathcliff Andrew after the main characters of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. He began acting at a local theater as a child. Find out more about the actor

Ledger’s first American film was the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, and he immediately attracted attention from Hollywood. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama The Patriot in 2000 and A Knight’s Tale in 2001. He also played a supporting role in Monster’s Ball, among other films. See a photo gallery of Ledger’s life and career

In a way, I was spoon-fed a career, he said in a 2005 interview with Time magazine. It was fully manufactured by a studio that believed it could put me on their posters and turn me into a product. … I hadn’t figured out properly how to act, and all of a sudden I was being thrown into these lead roles.

Controversial role

But Ledger was perhaps best known for his 2005 portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned him an Oscar nomination.

I felt that choices were being made for me, so I feel this has been my time now to find the good stories and test myself, Ledger told the Glasgow Herald in the 2005 interview. It has been an interesting year, where I finally have a sense of accomplishment.

Asked how he felt about filming love scenes with another man, Ledger said he and his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal simply focused on their roles.

We can’t say that we weren’t nervous about it, Ledger told Oprah Winfrey in 2006. But once the first take was over, it’s like, ‘OK. So what? It’s kissing another human being. How are we going to finish this scene? Let’s get on with it and let’s get out of here.’

In a written statement, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said it mourns Ledger’s death, adding that his portrayal of Del Mar changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways.
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