DETAILS of Michelle Williams' reaction to Heath Ledger's death have emerged as sources reveal the pain of Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Williams, the mother of Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose who was in Sweden filming when news broke of his death on January 22, was totally shattered, Fox News in America is reporting.

One source also said 26-year-old Williams was inconsolable when told her 28-year-old former lover had died in still undetermined circumstances in New York.

"She cried and screamed as soon as she heard," a source on the Swedish set of her latest film, Mammoth, told Us Weekly.

Ledger's death - at the Manhattan SoHo apartment where he lived after breaking up with Williams last year and moving out of their Brooklyn home - has also hit Gyllenhaal hard.

The two actors - who played gay cowboy lovers in Brokeback Mountain, became such close friends on set that Gyllenhaal became Matilda's godfather when she was born.

People in the United States is quoting a friend of Gyllenhaal today as saying: "Jake is taking this harder than most people."

The mood on the set of his new movie, Brothers, in Mexico has become very sombre.

"This has had a strong personal effect on (Jake)," a set source told People, adding Gyllenhaal left the set after Ledger died - flying back for just one day last Thursday to shoot an additional scene.

"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."

People reported Gyllenhaal has not since returned to the movie set and is now on personal leave while he grieves.

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