Jake Gyllenhaal - Maggie had the special gift

The thought that perhaps Jake is currently in New York City visiting his sister Maggie and her family has made me think more about the happy and enviable connection between Jake and Maggie. So today I've been inspired by new photos of Ramona's father, a very merry looking Peter Saarsgaard, on set in Vancouver and by an article written to promote Proof which contains a brief interview with Jake, recorded while filming Zodiac, and his co-star Gwyneth Paltrow. So, perhaps with Peter away, Jake is doing his bit - but without the organic diaper thing.



The film Proof has themes as old as life itself - sibling rivalry and the driving need to prove oneself to parents and oneself. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake are the children of performers, writers and directors and both took on the family business as children and had grand ambitons. It is this that Jake (and Gwyneth, although not together) discussed in an interview made while filming Zodiac in Los Angeles and published in September 2005 .



Jake admits to growing up wanting what Maggie had in abundance. She perfomed in school plays and "I remember watching her onstage and saying, 'That looks really fun'... Even at the dinner table, she would be rehearsing for something, and she'd be in the middle of spaghetti and get up and do a little dance. And naturally, I wanted to do that."

Not for the first time, Jake reveals that he began to perform while at home and that the reason for this was: "Attention, you know? What you want from your parents." Jake took to acting very quickly, not surprisingly, "especially as a kid". "I remember feeling more comfortable than a lot of the other kids that were doing it, ... Growing up around sets and watching people do it, well, why wouldn't you? A lot of it is just feeling comfortable. And once you feel comfortable, people want to nurture it more." But, when Jake won a major role in The Mighty Ducks his parents wouldn't allow him to do it and you sense that this ruling devastated Jake as only a young child can be. "It killed me at the time," he said. "I was really, really upset and hurt. But I remember quickly forgetting about it. So I think it was a good choice in the end." You can just imagine what that house was like at the time!



Although I think it's clear that Maggie and her little brother were fiercely competitive as children in their performance for attention from their parents, Jake is at pains to point out that they get on well, but nevertheless "There was a long time where I felt like my sister had the special gift, and I was always trying to match it, ... I feel equal now."

But, interestingly, Jake suggests that things wouldn't have run so smoothly if Maggie had instead been an elder brother. "We're lucky that we're different sexes," he said. "And I'm sure Gwyneth and her brother, they're lucky in that way, too." You can compete but you're not competing to be the same.

Whatever the potential hazards of two very talented and gifted siblings growing up together in a house with high-achieving parents, who had to combine being supportive in their children's choice of career with the broader concern of setting them on the right path, it's clear all's good now. As Jake said recently, Maggie and her family, his parents, and his friendships are the most important part of his life.


Peter Saarsgaard is a big part of that family although he often seems to be away working on another movie - recently, of course, filming Rendition with Jake. At the moment, Peter is in Vancouver filming Elegy, in which he plays the son of a teacher (Ben Kingsley) who finds himself falling for student Penelope Cruz. Whether called for by the plot or not, Peter was snapped throwing himself heart and soul into a rendition of Singing in the Rain, umbrella and all. More photos here.




Talking of films... the city of Chicago is bracing itself to be plunged into turmoil as the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight arrives in town this weekend for intensive filming. All leading characters are expected in Chicago so, sooner or later, Maggie and Ramona will be leaving NYC, so what next and where next for Uncle Jake? I hear Chicago has some excellent restaurants and let's not forget Heath...

A big thank you and hello to Jantoinette!

Pictures from IHJ and here.