Heath Ledger never liked people making homophobic jokes about 'Brokeback Mountain': Jake Gyllenhaal

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal has revealed that his former co-star Heath Ledger used to take offence to people making fun of their 2005 romance drama film "Brokeback Mountain".

The film, which received eight Oscar nominations at 78th Academy Awards and eventually won three, has often been ridiculed by many people, with some of them labelling it as a "gay cowboy movie".

In an interview with Sunday Today, Gyllenhaal said Ledger used to shut down anyone who would try to crack a joke about the film, reported IndieWire.

"I see people who have joked with me or criticised me about lines I say in that movie. That's the thing I loved about Heath. He would never joke.

"Someone wanted to make a joke about the story or whatever, he was like, 'No. This is about love. Like, that's it, man. Like, no'," the actor said.

Ledger, who starred in some of the most critically-acclaimed films such as "10 Things I Hate About You", "The Patriot" and "The Dark Knight", died at the age 28 from cardiac arrest brought about by combined drug intoxication on January 22, 2008.

Looking back, Gyllenhaal believes the film "opened tons of door" for him in Hollywood.

"It was crazy. It was amazing. It's defined my career in different ways. (But the film) is bigger than me... It has become not ours anymore. It's the world's," he added.

Directed by Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain" featured Gyllenhaal and Ledger as Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, two sheep herders who develop a passionate relationship in the 1960s in Wyoming, USA.

The film, which also featured Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, released in September 2005.