Jake Gyllenhaal Talking About Heath Ledger Will Make You Cry

Jake Gyllenhaal opens up about how Heath Ledger's death affected him. Photo: Paramount

This year marks the eighth anniversary of beloved Aussie actor Heath Ledger's death and Jake Gyllenhaal admits he still struggles to talk about it to this day.

The pair formed a close bond when they starred as lovers in the 2005 Oscar-winning film, Brokeback Mountain, and the actor says his passing had a profound effect on him.

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Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. Photo: Paramount

"Personally, it affected me in ways I can't necessarily put in words or even would want to talk about publicly," the 35-year-old told People. "In terms of professionally, I think I was at an age where mortality was not always clear to me."

When Heath, aged 28, died from an accidental overdose, Gyllenhaal had just turned 27 and says it helped him realise what is truly important.

"I think you live in this bubble, too, of making films... There are real friends, and there is a real community," he explained. "But there is also that new Macklemore album where he says, 'The curtain closes and nobody notices'... I think that's true, and I think that's okay. But I think at the time, I assumed everyone would notice and they did with Heath dying, but I think it gave you the experience of, 'This is fleeting.'"

"None of the attention or synthesised love that comes from the success of a film really matters at all," he continued. "What matters is the relationships you make when you make a film, and the people you learn from when you're preparing for a film. That changed a lot for me."