Jake Gyllenhaal has opened up on losing close friend Heath Ledger during a radio interview, saying the impact made him question all of his life choices.
During a radio interview with NPR for new film Southpaw, Jake said:
“It brings me back to thinking about doing that scene with Heath and the honour it was to work with him, and the beauty of his work.
“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. He was incredibly special, and that doesn’t even come close to encapsulating who he is — who he was.”
Jake also said the death made him re-assess his decisions on everything from choosing roles to personal relationships.
Talking about Heath’s death in 2008, which happened just three years after filming Brokeback Mountain from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, Jake continued:
“I think that’s why I like to go off and I like to try and get into worlds that will wake me up… 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 [and] be close to people because I know that it’s precious.
“And I know that 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. And I think losing Heath — and being a part of a family that was something like 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.”
