Samuel Johnson reveals Heath Ledger confided in him about his struggles with fame before his tragic death - and a shocking incident which occurred when they once went for a quiet stroll
Australian actor Samuel Johnson has revealed that Heath Ledger once confided in him about his struggles with fame and said he could not cope with the fanfare which comes with being a Hollywood celebrity.
Ledger tragically died of an accidental drug overdose in his New York apartment aged 28 in 2008.
Johnson, 46, who was friends with Ledger, said The Dark Knight star made the confession one day when they were taking a quiet stroll.
The Secret Life of Us star remembered that Ledger's fame was so great, even being out in public with the star was an 'intense' experience.
'I did walk down the street with him (once),' he explained on KIIS FM's Will and Woody Show on Thursday.
'I remember in about three quarters of a block, there were four girls that fainted.
'They literally just dropped when they saw him. I couldn't believe it. Not one, not two, not three, four inside a block. I've never seen anything like it. It was phenomenal.
'I asked him ''how do you cope?'' And he just looked at me with a world of sadness in his eyes and said: ''I don't''.'
Australian actor Samuel Johnson has revealed that Heath Ledger once confided in him about his struggles with fame and said he could not cope with the fanfare which comes with being a Hollywood celebrity
Ledger's haunting portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight earned the fan favourite a posthumous Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The blockbuster was released in 2008, five months after his tragic death.
It went on to gross over $1billion globally.
Appearing on KIIS FM's Will and Woody Show on Thursday, The Secret Life of Us actor remembered that Ledger's fame was so great, even being out in public with the star was an 'intense' experience (Pictured)
Ledger also earned a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his Joker role in The Dark Knight.
It was later gifted to his daughter Matilda on her 18th birthday last year, reported New Idea.
Kim and Sally Ledger, Heath's parents, and older sister Kate accepted the accolade on his behalf during the 2009 Oscars a year after he died aged 28.
Pictured: Ledger in his Oscar winning role of the Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight. It was released five months after the actor's shocking death
The Western Australian Museum in Perth, Heath's hometown, had housed the award, with Kim confirming back in 2016 that it would be passed to Matilda.
She was just two years old when her father tragically died.
After his death, her mother Michelle Williams moved from their Brooklyn apartment to a farmhouse in upstate New York.
