This week marked the 10th anniversary of the untimely death of Academy Award winning actor Heath Ledger but, as tragic as it is, it's also rather a special time with many of his friends and family showing that he is still very much in their hearts and minds on a daily basis.

Heath Ledger pictured at a red carpet eventHeath Ledger pictured at a red carpet event

Heath died at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose in 2008, leaving behind a wife and a daughter. Now, ten years on, his older sister Kate speaks about how he still continues to be a big part of her and her children's lives.

'Heath is hugely important in the lives of my children', she told Who magazine. 'There's not a day that goes by that we don't share stories or talk about him. He is very much alive in our house.'

She's also sure to show replay Heath's movies as often as possible, even if it hurts sometimes to see him on screen and hear his voice knowing that he's gone. 

'It's something which we as a family have had to learn to cope with constantly', she explains. 'But it's a blessing that we have all the images and footage so that we can share a part of him with our girls.'

Kate calls Heath her 'soul mate', and revealed how they would talk everyday, particularly while he was working on 'The Dark Knight'; a movie for which he won a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker.

'I honestly didn't know how I was going to get up but when the time came, we all felt a strong sense of peace and strength', Kate said of accepting the award on his behalf. 'We definitely felt Heath's presence.'

Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts posted a heartfelt message about the actor on Instagram. 'Thinking about this beautiful soul today. 10 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.'

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Busy Philipps, the best friend of Heath's widow Michelle Williams, also got emotional in an Instagram video after hearing the song 'Time To Pretend' by MGMT on the radio. 'It came out after he passed away and I remember when it came out, because it made me think of him', she said.