Jake Gyllenhaal Still Misses Heath Ledger

Jake Gyllenhaal is known for taking daring roles, most recently as an intense boxer in Southpaw, but the actor recently revealed he still has tender feelings for his Brokeback Mountain co-star Heath Ledger.

According to NPR, Jake Gyllenhaal still thinks about Ledger and misses him in profound ways, even though it has been more than seven years since he died.

“I miss him as a human being and I miss working with him and what an unfortunate thing it is that we won’t be able to see the beauty of his expression,” Jake Gellenhaal said.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Ledger’s death was especially difficult for Jake Gyllenhaal because it was the first time someone close to him had died.

“He was incredibly special and that doesn’t even come close to encapsulating who he is, who he was,” Jake Gyllenhaal said.

NPR notes that the two actors weathered a media storm together, thrust into a spotlight for being straight actors playing gay men. Jake Gyllenhaal said that experience, as well as that of making the movie, was life changing.

“It was fascinating, particularly because I don’t think we knew what a success the movie would be, what it would become and it was an intimate and really scary thing for me and Heath, in particular, to dive into,” Jake Gyllenhaal said. “It was uncomfortable for both of us in some of the scenes, and yet we both deeply believed in what the movie was saying.”

In the end, their dedication paid off, Jake Gyllenhaal said, noting that fans say they feel the love between the characters. Not everyone is a fan is a fan, however.

“Believe me, we got a lot of other responses, too,” Jake Gyllenhaal said.

These days, Jake Gyllenhaal is trying to move forward and not dwell on the past. Some days it is easier than others.

“I’m trying to be present where I am. I’m trying to have relationships that are as real as they possibly can be on a movie set, be close to people because I know that it’s precious,” Jake Gyllenhaal said. “And I know, not only can this career end in a very short period of time and this or that can happen, but also that life is precious.”

By focusing on that preciousness, Gyllenhaal said he hopes to make better choices and stay centered on what is important.

“I think losing Heath and being a part of a family that was something like the movie, that movie we all made together, makes you see that, makes you appreciate that and hopefully moves you away from the things that really don’t matter to the things that do,” Gyllenhaal said.

[Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]