Jake Gyllenhaal is taking Heath Ledger’s death “harder than most”
Jake Gyllenhaal, who is godfather to Heath Ledger’s two-year-old daughter Matilda, has been devastated by last week’s news. Says one Gyllenhaal friend, “Jake is taking this harder than most people.”
Nowhere is that more apparent than on the New Mexico set of Gyllenhaal’s latest movie, Brothers.
“This has had a strong personal effect on [Jake],” says a set source. The insider adds that Gyllenhaal left the set immediately after learning of Ledger’s Jan. 22 death – but he flew back on a commercial flight to shoot an additional scene on Thursday.
“He was there, but he wasn’t with us. It was obviously a major trauma,” says the movie source. “These guys were very close. [Jake] was sitting in the director’s chair staring off into space.”
Gyllenhaal has been off since shooting that scene, and was photographed Saturday looking subdued with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon in Los Angeles. Set sources say director Jim Sheridan is shooting around the grieving actor during his personal leave.
The 27-year-old’s somber mood is a sharp contrast to the happier times on the set of Brothers. During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. “Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake’s was Heath Ledger,” one set source recalls. “That was hilarious. It was a nice moment.”
The source adds, “When you think back on it now, it’s touching.”
January 30th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Poor Guy…this news is sadder than Heath’s death!
I feel so sorry for Jake…if one of my best friends died I couldn’t survive without them….
I think Jake must be really devastated and I hope he gets better…
January 31st, 2008 at 4:39 am
Jake Gyllenhaal stop with your theater! You don’t do nothing to help Heath Ledger. You do nothing for your friends. Look at Ryan Phillippe whose you worked out in the past. You take her women! You are a selfish person and you have interesse to win money. “Money” is your friend!. Stop to be hypocrite!!! Nobody in this brothel called Hollywood help Heath Ledger!!!
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
give the poor guy a break, he just lost his best friend! I would be devastated. I’m sure he tried to help him, but Heath refused. I love Heath and Jake, I am sad for both of them……
August 5th, 2008 at 6:23 am
H. i think that is just so ignorant of you to say something like that. what if your best friend died? would you want people saying crap like that to you? i think that’s disgusting. or don’t you have any friends. haha.
p.s. i love jake and heath. and i think.. i think that it will be okay. it’ll be okay. at least jake has reese now.
they’re so happy together. and btw, H. jake had nothing to do with ryan phillipe. reese witherspoon was the one that filed the divorce, she was sick of him and he wasn’t treating her right. so a few years after they broke up, she found a better guy. jake! 
i hope they stay happy together for a long time. and i hope jake feels better soon.