Jack Nicholson says he ‘warned’ Heath Ledger before his death

Batman star Jack Nicholson has revealed how he 'warned' Heath Ledger before his death.

The screen legend had the news of Ledger's death broken to him by photographers outside a London restaurant, just hours after Ledger was found dead in a New York apartment.

When told by photographers that Ledger's death may have been caused by an overdose, Nicholson cryptically said: "I warned him."

Nicholson was dining with friends at The Wolseley Restaurant in London's Mayfair district, just hours after news of Ledger's death broke. "Jack was having dinner and he came out for a quick smoke and he had not heard about what happened to Heath Ledger," an eye witness said.

"When he was asked about Heath, he replied 'What are you talking about?

"When he was told he looked visibly shaken and very upset."

Police say they found a string of prescription and non-prescription drugs in the Manhattan apartment where Ledger was found dead by a maid on Tuesday.

Nicholson, 70, starred as The Joker in the 1989 Batman movie, a role for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Before his death Ledger had wrapped filming the role of the same comic book villain in The Dark Knight, the sequel to the 2005 movie Batman Returns.

The Dark Knight was due for release in the summer.

Nicholson was in London to promote his current movie The Bucket List.

By Owen Williams, Jan 23 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy