13 Movie Hoaxes That Completely Fooled Everyone

2. Heath Ledger Was "Killed" By Playing The Joker

Heath Ledger's untimely death at the age of just 28 shocked the world, all the more so as it occurred mere months before the release of The Dark Knight, in which he of course played The Joker.

Speculation quickly swirled that Ledger's prescription drug overdose was the result of his elaborate attempts to "become" the Joker, including writing a journal in-character, not leaving his apartment for weeks on end and spiralling into a depression as a result. In typically sensationalist fashion, many news outlets rushed to claim that Ledger was effectively "killed" by the Joker.

As it turned out, Ledger's death was ruled an accidental overdose, with those close to him confirming that he had trouble sleeping, and in this instance his abuse of powerful sleep medications were ultimately too much for his body to accept.

His rendition of the Joker will forever be intertwined with the eerie nature of his demise, though to claim the character had a direct impact on his fate is both ridiculous and crass.