Jake Gyllenhaal Says It Was 'Humbling' to Learn MMA; Talks 'Roadhouse,' Return to Broadway
Jake Gyllenhaal talks about preparing for his role in Road House, out this week, and a return to the stage in 2025.
Photography by Matthew Brookes
Styled by Michael Fisher
For many, Jake Gyllenhaal is best known as the adolescent schizophrenic in Donnie Darko, a 2001 cult film directed by Richard Kelly with a moody soundtrack that lined up Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division, and Tears for Fears. For others, he’s the Oscar-nominated lead of Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain. But show business is in his DNA—his parents, Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, are Emmy-and Oscar-nominated screenwriters and directors; his older sister Maggie is a Golden Globe winner. After making his film debut at the age of 10, Gyllenhaal has curated a filmography stacked with powerhouse directors: Sam Mendes (Jarhead), David Fincher (Zodiac), Jim Sheridan (Brothers), Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals), and Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler, which
Gyllenhaal also produced). He has also made a name for himself on stage, starring in several shows both on- and off-Broadway as well as on the West End, including Sunday in the Park with George, This is Our Youth, Little Shop of Horrors, and Constellations.
Last year, the actor starred in The Covenant, Guy Ritchie’s film about the precarious position of Afghan translators working with the U.S. military in their efforts against the Taliban, and next up is Road House, a remake of the 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze, which will hit theaters this spring. Here, Gyllenhaal speaks with L’OFFICIEL about his own directing aspirations, taking leaps beyond the big screen, and more.
L’OFFICIEL: In Road House, your physical transformation, and of course the fight scenes, are striking. There will be a lot of talk about your training, as in the days of [Antoine Fuqua’s 2015 boxing film] Southpaw. What attracts you to this kind of transformation? Do you find that self-discipline and a sense of physical empowerment also translates to your personality in general?
JAKE GYLLENHAAL: First, I have to say that I am very excited to have audiences see Road House and the reimagining of the iconic original. I wanted to make the film because it was a fun idea, a great escape for people in a mad world. I was drawn to the joy in it, its sense of play. I love all aspects of acting and performance. I always have—emotional, physical, and everything in between. There’s not one part that outweighs another, though I am a physical person. I have, since I was young, played sports and known the joys of keeping in shape as best as one can. So I do love finding roles that allow me to do that. Road House offered me an opportunity to learn about Mixed Martial Arts and the skills required to be a UFC fighter, and I loved learning some of those skills. It was incredibly humbling.
L’O: Are you still interested in the idea of moving into directing?
JG: Yes. I grew up in a family where we mostly share stories and talk about stories. Story has always been a priority over anything in my work and so I would love to have the opportunity to
tell my own. My sister is such a brilliant writer and director, and it has been incredible to watch her take the leap. I would be humbled and honored to have an opportunity to do the same.
L’O: What roles do you find most interesting or significant in your career?
JG: There is not a hierarchy to the roles or films I’ve made. For me, they each hold such significance. Not really because of the result, but because of the life that I lived making them. Each film, like every experience in life, is a lesson, and I’ve learned from all of them. I have had the opportunity to work with such talented, wise people. Some of those films have reached hundreds of millions of people, and some haven’t, but they are equal in their significance to me.
L’O: Could you give an example of how you prepare for a role?
JG: Each role is different and requires a different form of preparation. But it starts with the script. I often dig into the script and try to look for clues or inspiration that comes to me at random. When I did Nightcrawler I read the script over and over and kept having this thought about coyotes in Los
Angeles roaming the hills. I grew up there and have spotted so many coyotes hunting at night; somehow it was a visual I couldn’t shake. So I decided to use that idea and create a character around it. Sometimes, it’s as simple as, “This character is a boxer; time to learn to box!” Usually, I just let the role slowly come to me and I find it, step by step with the director and all the wonderful department heads I’ve worked with.
"Story has always been a priority over anything in my work, and so I would love to have the opportunity to tell my own."
L’O: Will the children’s book you wrote remain a one-off, or would you like to continue?
JG: Oh, I really enjoyed writing The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles! I love my nieces so much, and it was an ode to that love. I wanted them to have something concrete to know how much they mean to me. I also had a lot of fun writing it with my best friend [Greta Caruso]. I would love to write another. Children’s books are perhaps one of the most difficult forms of storytelling—to maintain clarity and depth with just a few words is not for the faint of heart! I have so much admiration for that craft. I would love to have more opportunities in that space.
L’O: Are there any actors you consider role models?
JG: Paul Newman is a role model for me. I was lucky enough to know him. I have deep admiration for him and his kindness, his humility in his faults, and his deep humanness. He was a good man and a legend. A North Star for me.
L’O: Do you have plans to return to the theater?
JG: Yes, stay tuned... I love the theater and cannot wait to get back on stage.
L’O: What do you think are your best qualities as an actor? As an uncle?
JG: I am always trying to stay curious. To me, curiosity is one of the only ways to make our way toward understanding.
GROOMING Kumi Craig
PRODUCTION Thuy Tran 2B MANAGEMENT, Greta Westcott, and Louis Guillemain
DIGITAL TECH Zoran Jelenic
PHOTO ASSISTANTS Arden Core, Ivory Serra, and Matchull Summers
