New York, January 22, 2008 – Just as a host of Australians were arriving at Jazz at Lincoln Center to kick off the New York leg of Australia Week, news arrived of the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger.  While the festivities, including a dinner and a Broadway-style show, went off as planned, the shock of Ledger’s demise percolated throughout the evening.  Australian Consul-General John Olsen mentioned the tragedy in his opening remarks during dinner, and John Travolta gave a short, heartfelt tribute to Ledger later in the evening, and expressed shock at the news. “As far as I know, he was on top of the world”, the Hairspray star said.  Travolta claimed to be a huge fan of the Brokeback Mountain star.  “Actors need other actors to be inspired by – and he was my actor”, Travolta said.  “With Brokeback, I don’t think anyone will ever beat that performance. I don’t know if it’s possible”, he added. 

Photos: Joy E. Scheller/LFI