Jake Gyllenhaal has the sweetest things to say about missing Heath Ledger

It’s been seven years since we lost Heath Ledger. Watching any one of his films brings back the feeling that we really lost someone amazing when he tragically passed away. His death not only rocked fans, but those closest to him as well, and that includes his Brokeback Mountain co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal. On the promotional circuit for his new movie, Southpaw, Gyllenhaal touched on Ledger’s passing. Get some tissues ready.

Talking to NPR’s Terry Gross, a clip from Brokeback Mountain was played. Gyllenhaal explained to Gross that listening to Ledger talk brought him “back to thinking about doing that scene with Heath and the honor it was to work with him and the beauty of his work.”

Gyllenhaal also stated that he, “miss[es] him as a human being and [misses] working with him.” And oh gosh, is someone cutting onions in here?

Further, Gyllenhaal touched on the fact that Ledger’s death really put his own life in perspective.

Ledger won an Oscar posthumously for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight, and his work will be remembered for decades to come. Whether we’re watching Brokeback Mountain, A Knight’s Tale, or 10 Things I Hate About You, his work is phenomenal. Gyllenhaal sums it up best when he says that Ledger, “was an incredibly special [person], and that doesn’t even come close to encapsulating who he is, who he was.”

(Images via Focus Features.)