They were mismatched from the get-go.

James Gandolfini was hulking, fearsome, and bristling with submerged rage and grief. Kristen Stewart was tiny, fragile and fronting false confidence as she spiraled into self-destruction.

At least, those were their characters in Welcome to the Rileys, a 2010 indie drama starring her as a teenage stripper/prostitute and him as the well-meaning but misguided father of a deceased child who thought he could try and save her instead.

Stewart has been silent since Gandolfini’s unexpected death last week from a heart attack at age 51, but with his funeral set for Thursday in New York, she is opening up about the loss of a friend and colleague:

“When I heard of James’ passing I was in New Orleans, where we met shooting, and every memory flooded back and gutted me,” she tells EW in a statement. “I’ll hold that time near to me forever. He was immeasurably great. My heart goes out to his beloved family.”