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"Thinking about this beautiful soul today."
It's been 10 years since the death of Heath Ledger, and his ex-girlfriend, Naomi Watts, is among those making sure that he is not forgotten.
The 49-year-old actress paid tribute to Ledger by posting a photo of him on Instagram along with a heartfelt message. "Thinking about this beautiful soul today. Ten years ago he left this world," she wrote. "He was a true original. Heart always on his sleeve, with the most powerful charisma, strength, humor and talent. I will never forget his gentle spirit."
Back in 2011, Watts opened up to More magazine about dating the Dark Knight star from 2002 to 2004. "We had a beautiful relationship, only a couple of years, but he was a man who was completely full of joy, and there was a lot of laughing and affection," she said in praise of Ledger. "He was really a very special soul and made a great impact on my life. And a great actor, but I know there was so much more to come."
A decade after his death, Ledger's memory lives on in Hollywood.
Jake Gyllenhaal has said that working with the Oscar winner on Brokeback Mountain had a significant impact on his life. "I think losing Heath and being a part of a family that was something like the movie, the 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," he told NPR in a 2015 interview. "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."
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