Friday, May 14, 2010

Jake's a "smart-throb"

Update:The Times also has an interview with Jake, who has an emotional response to being asked about Heath Ledger. It's too long and really too poignant to quote here. He also discusses his family name, the English accentand the reaction to some of his movies.

... how did America’s Devil Dogs react to Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of a Gulf War antihero in Jarhead? “Definitely a mixed reaction,” he responds, with a quick smile. “Some people really loved it, and ... well, what I appreciate is the flat-out honesty I get from people who were in the service. They come up to me and say, ‘Hey, are you the guy from Jarhead?’ I go, ‘Yeah’. And they go, ‘I didn’t like that movie’.”

He bursts out laughing.

And what about Brokeback Mountain? What does the general public think of that? Thankfully, with the mood lightened, Gyllenhaal seems comfortable returning to the subject of the Oscar-winning movie with one of the most tragic postscripts in modern cinema history. “There was a beauty to that film,” he says, with feeling, “regardless of the jokes poked at it. There was a beauty to it that surpassed all that other stuff.”


JakeGyllenhaal just can't stop talking to the press! The Prince of Persia promotional flood continues. The Independent has a new article about Jake's evolution:



After years of acclaim and quiet, unshowy, altruistic performances which helped his co-stars glean attention (Heath Ledger, of course, in Brokeback Mountain and Tobey Maguire in last year's Jim Sheridan-directed drama Brothers), Gyllenhaal is finally on his way to the sort of routine-shattering global success a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "tentpole" film like Prince of Persia can guarantee, and he is the latest torch-bearer for Hollywood's "smart-throb" club. There are some of it who are older than him (George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon) but not too many surrounding him, turning 30 as he does in December.

Jake is unique!



For Gyllenhaal anyway, Prince of Persia is much more conventional. "This kid doesn't know who his family is. He does something because his heart is good, and that heart is seen by someone else. Being seen really deeply is what being part of a family is. When someone sees you and they really see you for who you are, you become family with them in whatever way that is."

Does Gyllenhaal believe in real-life happy endings? "'Happy' is a funny word. How am I supposed to know? But yes, I guess I do."


One more tidbit from the article:



More women flirted with me," laughs Jake Gyllenhaal, "when I shaved my head as a marine in Jarhead than when I got big muscles and had long hair in Prince of Persia."

Maybe that's because you always kept that long, beautiful hair hidden away, Jake!




Still more videos from the promo blitz. Thanks to IHJ, a couple of new TV spots and some interviews:





From InStyle UK, Jake and Gemma talk about Tamina and Dastan's relationship:



And from ScreenRush, Jake and Gemma talk about why they did the movie and each other. They talk about each other, that is - not why they did each other.






A couple of Moscow roof leftovers:




(Moscow photos courtesy of flickr/princeofpersiail.)

30 comments:

FL said...

And from ScreenRush, Jake and Gemma talk about why they did the movie and each other. They talk about each other, that is - not why they did each other.

LOL sounds like the curse of the gyllenbabble!

Those solo Jake pics from the O2 Lounge atop the Ritz in Moscow have some lovely color saturation.

UltraViolet said...

Gyllenbabble - it's not jut the name of the blog!

And yes, I love the colors on the Moscow roof photos. Thank you for noticing that :) I also love the colors on that first press conference photos - the pink on the mic sort of goes with Jake's lips. And I like the fluorescent green :)

UltraViolet said...

Updates the post with a link to a Times Online article about Jake. He's asked about Heath, as well as other subjects. It's very poignant.

FL said...

Oh. Reading that choked me up a little. :-(

mary said...

very moving times article makes you tear up when you read how he reacts when asked about heath can tell he still doesnt like talking about it who can blame him

Anonymous said...

It's very touching.

I love the way Dastan says "I think I can manage it" to the Princess. It makes me wonder what they are talking about. :) His accent is great.

Anonymous said...

^^sorry, in the TV spot, I mean.

bobbyanna said...

The Times article was hard to read.
I got a little teary, too.
I feel bad for Jake. I have to wonder how many more times he's going to have to face that line of questioning about Heath. It's pretty clear he really doesn't like to give a lot of details about his personal life. At some point I hope people will let be. I thought his comments about BBM were just pure poetry.

Don't forget Jonathan Ross tonight on BBC America if people want to catch it again.

Sheba baby said...

How difficult it must be for Jake to talk about Heath, such sadness and such a tragic loss.

I know a number of Vets from the Gulf War that liked Jarhead. As you pointed out UV he had his Dastan hair covered so there was no opportunity to flirt!

The Moscow roof pics are beautiful.

suvee said...

The Times Online interview was interesting, and quite moving in places. It's obvious that Heath's death had a profound effect on Jake..... which is totally understandable. His memories of BBM must be so bittersweet in retrospect.

I was thinking about the recent observations here at GB about how good Jake is at not divulging any really important information about the "private" Jake. I know I read an interview years ago where he talked about this very subject. I certainly cannot remember his exact words. But the gist of it was that he believed that in order to be a good and successful actor, it was necessary that one's private persona was not put out there for the public to constantly see. He believed that the audience could only successfully suspend disbelief if they didn't already have a well developed definition of the actor based on who they were in RL. He worried that knowing too much about an actor's life and beliefs would limit the range of roles they could take on, and he really did not want to have those limits in his career.
Does anyone else remember this?

I know I have heard Dustin Hoffman say the very same thing, and I always wondered if that's where Jake picked up this belief.

Sorry for the long comment!

bobbyanna said...

suvee, that makes sense. Leonardo DiCaprio's said the same thing. He doesn't want people to feel like they "know" him, or to get over-exposed.

Sometimes when stars are too candid,or too accessible, I think it helps encourage a sense of entitlement in some fans who feel like they are owed even more,& they're never satisfied.

I love all the gems and the fresh insights we get from Jake, when he's willing to share.I just get uncomfortable when he's been made to feel uncomfortable in a public setting.

Right now, I'm enjoying the build up to PoP. This is Jake's moment. It's huge and it means a lot to him. Anyone can see how excited and happy he is with the reception he's getting in London and Moscow. Even better than WonderCon.

Tweety said...

I think since the GQ interview, people are going to ask Jake about Heath. Actors do have a say on what questions are off the table so he probably said that it was ok. Still it was hard reading that part of the interview, I got choked up too.

Over-exposure is never good for an actor, Jake and Leo are smart in acknowleding this. I wouldn't be surprised if he picked this up from Dustin Suvee, Jake has called Dustin a mentor.

Jake's interviews in the foreign press are always more interesting than the intervirews he does here.

I really don't care for long-lock Jake, but it was for Pop so I don't think we will see him like that again unless it's for a role.

Jarhead Jake was hot!

I bit of gyllenbabble from screenrush, it's catching, lol!!

Thanks for the heads up on thr JR show Bobbyanna!

Anonymous said...

There are a number of young actors (and sometimes some not among the "new" ones) who have difficulty with interviews and esp. the ones on t.v. Some might be esp. shy or just don't know to carry on an intelligent conversation.
Jake is refreshing that he can talk to anyone and be quick-witted.
I think interviewers are glad to find someone who has a professional quality about him.
That's a good thing.

mary said...

on the daily 10 tonite they played a small interview done in london where the asked sir ben and gemma how to spell gyllenhaal gemma got it right ben left out one l

MARY said...

JAKE GOING TO BE ON THE DAVID LETTERMENS SHOW ON THE 24 AND BEN KINGSLEY WILL BE ON THE VIEW ON THE 25 LOOKS LIKE IM GOING TO THE LA PREMIERE ON MONDAY CANT WAIT IM SO EXCITED

sheba said...

Some wonderful thoughtful comments from you all. I loved that Times article. Must pick up a copy. I don't know if I can love him more. I loved that he chose the bay window for his interview because he wanted the sun on his face. That inpires poetry. He's poetic and soulful.

I'm so happy he acknowledges the power of BBM and offers no explanation of how its moved us yet the links are very clear to us.

Mary I'm so happy for you. Have a wonderful time and get there early.

Ciao said...

Jake interview, translated from Italian:

Dastan or Jake Gyllenhaal
L? Actor? the hero of the blockbuster Disney? Prince of Persia?. It admits that a bit? child.
Pu? that happen? idea of interviewing Jake Gyllenhaal suggests calm and some perplessit? but it'll have this young man who takes his jacket like a baywatcher forced to wear it by force, ending each time in the rankings of most men? sexy?

Some answers had arrived already? From the London preview of Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time (at cinemas from 19 May), Disney blockbuster based on a video game, directed by Mike Newell and produced by the magician-a-mistake-hit Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean Without a Trace, CSI and more) will be long hair, it will be? l? warrior armor, it will be? see fight to save a magic sword that can turn back time but we must recognize that without a jacket, Jake Gyllenhaal makes more?.

And when we find him in front of t-shirts and biceps, while the smile shows off and slams the green eyes, everything becomes clear in a flash: the calm becomes hypnotic state and then on every word of Jake appear? intelligent. As when, for example, indicates the two boxes of Lego play Castle won by Dastan (what? Him) in the film. ?'m Glad that they did, I love Lego?.

Prefer version Dastan prince or what? now? (Short hair and less muscular).
Like now. What?: I prefer, in general, although Dastan interpret? was great fun. Jump, do somersaults, go on horseback, fight and win always better than so be ... I achieved my childhood dream.

Why? like fairy tales for adults as Prince of Persia?
If the story? good and decent actors ... Adults also go to the movies for fun. However this? a film to bring the family, if it has one.

She instead? still single, after breaking with Reese Witherspoon in December?
S? Are single.

So it? with the boyfriend? Australian actress Isabel Lucas, with whom? been paparazzi?
No, we only went out to dinner.

And as? his single life?
Beer, junk food ... No, joke. Well?,? very different from living in pairs. But I like being alone now.

But as time passes?
I see my friends, those I grew up with. Sometimes when you pair it closes and neglect others, and I'm trying to fix it. Spending time with my family, my sister (s? Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ed) has a daughter and I'm his uncle.

You? also the godfather of Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda.
I see her whenever I can, when it comes to Los Angeles with his mother. (L? Actress Michelle Williams, Ed.)

The fairy tale favorite child?
The Sword in the Stone.

And now?
The Sword in the Stone. My father always read to me and my sister before going to sleep.

Play video games?
S?, Relax me. In most other movies? I've played tough people who were in jail, soldiers ... amuse themselves with video games was not bad.

His parents have recently divorced after thirty? Years of marriage. This has changed something in his way of looking at the couple?
S?. I understand that it takes courage to stand in a relationship, and that there wants to break it when you realize that is evolving. I saw two people put a lot of time to realize that she had not gone as they had imagined and agree with much delicacy and attention to oneself and family, to separate. For me? was a great lesson.


Anna Maria Speroni


L? Full interview on "Woman I," May 15, 2010

http://www.leiweb.it/people-e-news/cinema-e-tv/10_a_jake-gyllenhaal-principe-persia-intervista.shtml


May 15, 2010

Jen said...

So it? with the boyfriend? Australian actress Isabel Lucas, with whom? been paparazzi?
No, we only went out to dinner.

Didn't jake say 'Isabel who?' at a wondercon interview :S

Chica said...

Yes Jen, Jake did say Isabel who at WonderCon. At the time I thought that he was joking:)

I enjoy reading Jakes' interviews when he is in the UK, Italy, etc( Thanks for the TO link UV and the link to cinematv Ciao)

I felt really sad reading the part of the TO interview where he discusses Heath, but the interview was interesting and had some new tidbits.

So glad that he will be appearing on Letterman, thanks Mary and good luck on Monday at the L.A.
premiere!

I watched the JR show last night on BBC-America and they cut out a lot from what they showed in the UK but Jake's interview was pretty much the same.

bobbyanna said...

My past experience with certain media outlets causes me to put them in the "very inventive" category. But I received a Google Alert with some intriguing information from a reporter who was probably part of the press junket in L.A.

Only in Hollywood
Jake Gyllenhaal takes humorous approach to life, career

By Ruben V. Nepales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:29:00 05/15/2010

Excerpt:

"The Oscar-nominated actor for “Brokeback Mountain” turned a bit serious only when he talked about his coming movies...
“I’ve always wanted to tell the story of [football legend] Joe Namath. We’ve been working on that for a long time. I would love to be able to play that role. I’m also developing this film about Hans Christian Andersen. Not Danny Kaye’s ‘Hans Christian Andersen’ though that was one of my favorite movies as a kid. This is actually a musical and Stephen Schwartz is writing the music. It’s a dark, interesting tale of Hans, his stories and how he gets to meet his own characters. It’s all set to music. I really want to be in a musical but I want to reinvent the idea of what the musical is. There’s a way of doing it that can bring modernity to it as opposed to something we’ve already seen before.”

This is the first I've heard about Jake doing anything like this.

Carla said...

These are some interesting news, Bobbyanna. I don´t believe anyone here has ever heard of this project before - but it sounds fresh and has much more appeal for me than the "Damn Yankees" musical.

Thanks for the Letterman info, Mary. I hope you will be able to attend the LA premiere on monday and have a wonderful time.

According to the Interbridge site Jake will also be attending the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, NBC on Wednesday, 5/26.
It looks like the whole promotion will be done by Jake and Sir Ben. Unfortunately no Gemma.

To me it looks like Jake opens up to journalists when he gets the sense they are really interested and know what they talking about.
He is a very private person but with good interviewers we get some tidbits from time to time.

I had tears in my eyes reading Jakes reaction to the mentioning of Heath and BBM in the "Times" article.....

Office of Nancy Pelosi said...

If that story is true Bobbyanna, I think it;s great! Sounds a lot more interesting then Damn Yankees.

Damn, I got teary-eyed reading the Times Online article when he talks about Heath. He will be asked about Heath in the US press as well, don't know about the talk shows. So far he is scheduled to appear on Kimme, Regis and Kelly, Letterman and Fallon.

Good luck Mary! I can't wait to hear your report!

bobbyanna said...

I hope with all my heart that he is not asked anymore questions about Heath right now. Jake's managed to keep private his relationship with Michelle and Matilda. He should talk about the things he feels comfortable with, when he feels comfortable.

I felt like the Times upset him, but he got thru the interview, made the best of it, without making a big deal out of it. I don't know what more he needs to say. What more could people possibly want to know about how Jake "felt."

Jake wasn't Heath's only close friend. I don't see why he has to experience what I'm begining to think of as some kind gauntlet of testifying or something. I'm beginning to find it bizarre.

Heath was close to Johnny Depp, Joaquin Phoenix, Naomi Watts,Siena Miller and Jude Law, Colin Farrell, etc. Many of them've acknowledged their affection for Heath, but they aren't surveyed about it every time they appear in some public capacity.

Recently, Jake answered Nate Berkus's surprise question very gracefully. He felt comfortable enough to talk about Heath in GQ's lengthy interview. Now he gets more about Heath and BBM from the Times Online. I think he's done his due diligence on the subject.

Jake's promoting Prince of Persia right now. There's a time and a place for retrospective analyses about his other work, but he's justifiably proud of this movie, too, for different reasons.

I've loved Heath ever since "10 Things." He's the reason I saw BBM on opening weekend. I miss him and still get weepy sometimes. I am glad they were friends. I never doubted that.

But at some point I think it is unfair that their relationship has become so central to so many discussions about Jake and his work since BBM.

I am truly sorry if I am offending anyone in any way, but I just needed to say that.

FL said...

Not offending me, Bobbyanna, and I'd be surprised if you were offending anyone else on this blog. So no need to apologize.

I had a thought about all this after reading the Times Online bit and wondered if maybe Jake hasn't fully processed or come to terms with Heath's passing. It's hard to form coherent words as a response when asked when none of it makes any sense to you, even 2+ years on.

There's more I could say, but I'd just get all maudlin and anyway, you've summed it up nicely

UltraViolet said...

No offense taken at all, Bobbyanna! It's hard to read about Jake struggling as he talks about Heath.

I don't object as much as you. I do object to people who can't disassociate Jake from BBM, writers and haters and alleged fans. But I think it makes sense for people to ask about Heath - this is the first real exposure to the press Jake has had since Heath died.

In a way, I think it would be weirder if no one asked him about Heath.

If people are still asking the next time Jake goes out for interviews, then that will be over the line, IMO.

That said, I don't think Jake has to answer. He'd be perfectly within his rights just to say he doesn't want to talk about it.

As FL said, Jake could very well still be processing Heath's death. As well as everything associated with Heath and his life before and after Heath's death.

I can imagine that Jake flashed back through the six years since making BBM, through the magic and then the sadness, as well as everything that's happened to him since then, when the Times reporter asked his question.

I think this PoP stuff might be difficult for Jake in some ways, because the making of the movie was associated with Reese and her kids - wanting to do it, in a way, for them. Being with them as he prepared, having them there part of the time as he filmed. I'm sure he imagined seeing the film with them. I don't think he imagined doing all this promotion alone :(

So though I do think he's genuinely happy, this has to be somewhat bittersweet.

UltraViolet said...

I loved that he chose the bay window for his interview because he wanted the sun on his face. That inpires poetry.

Love that, Sheba!

Thanks for the Italian interview, ciao. Some very interesting stuff in there, about single v. coupled life. And it seems Jake, like many people, prefers himself less muscular and with less hair! On his head :)

Bobbyanna, I liked that interview you posted, as well. The Hans Christian Andersen project sounds interesting/risky.

I've never seen Wicked, but I did love Godspell back in the day!

Mary, yay - so glad you're going to the premiere :) Can't wait to hear all about it.

I also really hope Jake will be on Ellen. I had assumed Disney/Bruckheimer would get out more people than Jake to promote PoP. Glad to see Ben doing a show, but Gemma should also be on some things. Or Jake and Gemma together.

I guess we'll see what else comes up.

FL said...

This Hans Christian Andersen thing. Man, risky is definitely a word I'd use. Anyone who knows me knows my deep love for Wicked (OBC). But Stephen Schwartz caught lightning in a bottle with that one. He's since penned more forgettable than memorable tunes. Ohhhh, I don't know, I don't know.

Anonymous said...

By now Jake has learned that things don't always work out like you think it will and the opening of POP is different than he thought, esp. with the kids. But sure seems like he is enjoying it.
I like the Hans Christian Andersen idea. It is a risk and that could mean it won't do well( Or be a surprise hit) Probably wants to take the "risk" because its interesting to him and giving it a try is the satisfaction in it.
Isn't one of the things we like about Jake is his willingness to take risk.
If he has a "flop" its not going to stop his career. He's always going to be an actor for as long as he wants (and maybe some directing too).
and...
Stephen Schwartz receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 8, 2008
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, and three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards

Anonymous said...

The Hans Christian Andersen musical sounds fantastic to me! I love the concept, and I really really loved Wicked. Elphaba was just an amazing character (the backstory of TWWOTW), and beautiful, and she gets the guy too! Interested to hear more. :)

UltraViolet said...

Glad to hear folks are excited about this possible new project. We do know Jake is a risk-taker!

New post for today.