MUMBAI: Australian actor Heath Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Brokeback Mountain, died due to a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment. He was 28 years old.

Media reports state that the actor was found naked and unresponsive, facedown on the floor at the foot of his bed, by a housekeeper trying to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse.

Ledger was to star in the new Batman film The Dark Knight, in which he was to play the villain, the Joker. He met his ex-partner Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain. The pair had a baby, Matilda, but broke off their engagement and split recently. Earlier, he was with actress Naomi Watts.

Ledger also starred with Mel Gibson in The Patriot. In a statement, Gibson says, ""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."