Jack Nicholson once narrowly escaped death while taking the same sleeping pills reportedly prescribed to tragic actor Heath Ledger.

The Shining star, 70, admits he tried the sleeping aid Ambien on one occasion several years ago - but was left so shaken by his experience he has been warding pals off the drug ever since.

He says, "I warn people about Ambien.

"I almost drove off a cliff once. I don't take sleeping pills but somebody said, 'Take this, it's mild'.

"I got a call in the middle of the night, kind of an emergency, and I almost drove off a cliff 50 yards from my house, and I live up in the mountains in Aspen (Colorado). So I warn people about it. But I also did not know Mr Ledger."

Ledger, 28, was found dead in the bedroom of his New York home on Tuesday (22Jan08) afternoon.

An autopsy carried out on Wednesday (23Jan08) failed to reveal how the Brokeback Mountain star died, although police believe his death is drug-related as sleeping pills were found by his bed. No illegal drugs were found.