'Reminds us that life is too short': Model Jessica Gomes pays tribute to Australian actor Heath Ledger on what would have been his 37th birthday

By Sophie Goulopoulos For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 20:17 EST, 4 April 2016 | Updated: 20:28 EST, 4 April 2016

Heath Ledger's untimely death aged just 28-year-old shocked Hollywood.

But eight years on from the 2008 tragedy and on what would have been the Australian actor's 37th birthday friends paid tribute to the Dark Knight star.

Model Jessica Gomes took to Instagram on Tuesday to honour the memory of the actor, with whom she grew up with in the Western Australian city of Perth. 

On Tuesday the 30-year-old David Jones ambassador shared a black and white snap of the actor posing with a statue, saying his spirit can still be felt in their hometown. 

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'Reminds us that life is too short': It would've been his 37th birthday on Tuesday

'Reminds us that life is too short': Model Jessica Gomes paid tribute to Australian actor Heath Ledger on what have been his 37th birthday

'Feel your spirit here 4eva. Perth legend. The best,' she wrote.

'Kind of reminds us that life is to short (sic). Just be you and do what you love and be happy,' she added.

The raven-haired beauty was introduced to Heath through her model friend Gemma Ward as they all grew up around the corner from each other. 

Jessica had lunch in New York with the Knight's Tale star just a day before he passed away in January 2008 following an accidental overdose on prescription medication. 

Childhood friends: The model and the actor grew up around the corner from each other in Perth, Western Australia

Childhood friends: The model and the actor grew up around the corner from each other in Perth, Western Australia

Taken too young: Heath passed away in 2008 following an accidental overdose of prescription medication just as his career in Hollywood was really beginning to blossom (pictured in The Dark Knight, 2008)

Taken too young: Heath passed away in 2008 following an accidental overdose of prescription medication just as his career in Hollywood was really beginning to blossom (pictured in The Dark Knight, 2008)

'I don’t think any of us could do it': Heath's father Kim said the family weren't ready for the rumoured biopic of their son

'I don’t think any of us could do it': Heath's father Kim said the family weren't ready for the rumoured biopic of their son

'It's actually still really hard for me to even talk about it,' she told Daily Mail in 2014.

'We spent time together in Perth with Gemma and everyone, and he was definitely someone I looked up to professionally as well,' she said, saying that he inspired her to pursue acting. 

The family of Heath recently opened up to the Western Australian about a rumoured biopic about their son, with father Kim saying it's still too soon.

'I don’t think any of us could do it,' he said. 

'I have no doubt somebody will do something one day but when the timing for that is right. He still has a little daughter out there so we are pretty sensitive to all of that.'

Only child: Heath and partner Michelle Williams had one daughter together, Matilda, who is now ten

Only child: Heath and partner Michelle Williams had one daughter together, Matilda, who is now ten

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