'How do you cope?' Actor Samuel Johnson recalls Heath Ledger confided in him about struggles with fame
Aussie actor Samuel Johnson has candidly reflected on his friendship with the late Heath Ledger.
On KIIS FM's Drive Show with Will & Woody last night, Johnson opened up about how The Dark Knight star's level of fame and impacted the star.
"I know you were very good friends with Heath Ledger ... what was it like walking down the street with him?" the radio hosts asked.
"It's pretty intense. I did walk down the street with him. I remember in half a block ... it was about three-quarters of a block, there were four girls that fainted," Johnson replied.
Watch the video above.
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Samuel Johnson was very close with the late Heath Ledger. Getty
"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 I've never seen anything like it. It was phenomenal."
The Molly star revealed he once asked Ledger, "How do you cope?"
"He just looked at me with a world of sadness in his eyes and said, 'I don't.'"
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Heath Ledger died at the height of his fame when he was 28. Getty
Ledger had risen to fame in films including Candy, Brokeback Mountain, 10 Things I Hate About You and his acclaimed role in The Dark Night.
The star was recognised posthumously at the 2009 Oscars for his performance as the Joker, for which he won the best supporting actor category.
Ledger died on January 22, 2008, from an accidental overdose. He was 28.
Johnson also reminisced about the start of his career on the iconic soap Home and Away, sharing the transition from his days as an ordinary teenager to becoming famous.
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Johnson said finding fame as a teenager hit him "like a truck." Getty
Johnson revealed how it felt to become acquainted with Australian stars Isla Fisher, Kate Ritchie, and Melissa George.
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"It kind of hit me like a truck," the Secret Life of Us star said.
"I went to school the next day, and all of a sudden all the girls were sitting with a space next to them. They were all patting the chairs, saying, 'Sit next to me' all of a sudden. So, overnight my life changed."
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