Katherine Heigl says the death of her brother changed her family "forever".

The 'New Year's Eve' actress' beloved sibling Jason was killed in a car crash when he was just 15 and she says they will never be the same again, although it doesn't mean they still can't enjoy their lives.

She said: "That's one of those experiences in a family that changes the whole dynamic forever. It doesn't mean that everything is horrible forever, it's just that we were a certain kind of family before that happened and we are a different family now he's dead.

"We are all keenly aware of the precariousness of life. You can't not be now - it was a moment that changed everything. You think, 'If only he'd sat in The Front seat that day, and not the back', and suddenly you're thinking, 'We ought to be more careful about our decisions."

Katherine, 33, says the 1986 tragedy has made the family appreciate one another more.

She revealed: to Britain's Cosmopolitan magazine "Over the years you become aware that we have no control. Things happen without warning. We are not the perfect family. We don't say 'I love you' every time we talk to each other. But we try not to take each other for granted. One regret is that you wish you had a few more moments to tell them you loved them."