Jake wants to get the power back in his hands again?

Hot on the heels of Sporty Jake, we now have the promising prospect of Jake Gyllenhaal back on the stage - move over Broadway Joe, Broadway Jake is back! According to today's New York Post the play Farragut North has been taken from off-Broadway Second Stage Theatre and director James Lapine and is now in the hands of well-known stage and screen director Mike Nichols, who is all set to put the political drama on Broadway, during the Presidential campaigns of Autumn/Fall 2008, and with Jake Gyllenhaal at the helm.



This all sounds perfect but who can say at this stage whether Jake's role in this will come to fruition? - sources are few and far between and Chinese Whispers are doing their thing across the world wide web so that now it sounds as if Jake is already having costume fittings. It also makes one wonder the reason for the shift in theatre and director - with Jake on board, Broadway seems more apposite for his debut on the US stage and the whole affair becomes that bit more irresistible.


I hope you will forgive me but I got wrapped up in West End Jake yesterday evening for the post on This is Our Youth and I did some more furtling around. This is partly because there is something so appealing about the thought of London Jake, especially for me who spends so much of her time in this fine town. And now, this Jake seems closer as the prospect tantalises of Jake on another stage, in another great city. Jake received superlative reviews for his performance in This is Our Youth - one can only imagine how his presence and talent will dominate a stage now, after five years of honing his craft.


Here is one such review of the London play: 'This Is Our Youth is a wonderful discovery. Three talented young stars of the future, all of whom have already made some high profile films, give up their time to appear onstage in London, visiting the basics of their craft. For one, Jake Gyllenhaal (Warren), this is his stage debut, all the more hard to believe as he gives such an accomplished and secure performance... Tousled haired Jake Gyllenhaal is immensely likeable as he conveys Warren's tendency for a rather naïve honesty. He can only tell the truth in response to Jessica's question, "Do you want to mess around or do you want to have a serious discussion?" Gyllenhaal gives Warren all the fidgetting mannerisms of gauche youth. It is Warren who becomes more assured in the course of the play, when he is able to bite back at Dennis' put downs.'


Jake was also interviewed for the Telegraph when he was in London. I particularly like this interview just for the little glimpse it affords of Jake walking the same streets (Notting Hill in this case) that I visit every working day: 'In his spare time, he has seen several theatre matinees, and explored Notting Hill and Hampstead Heath on foot - an odd sensation for an LA native: "It's weird, using your legs for anything but pushing a gas pedal."' The photos below show Jake in London in 2003 - I believe that is Kirsten's bag in the first picture(!), taken in Notting Hill.




What is especially interesting about this interview is that in it Jake tells us why he decided to take to the stage and this may well indicate his reasons for wanted to do Farragut North next year - that's if he does, of course. This is Our Youth followed a quick succession of movies for Jake and it is possible that he views Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, Zodiac and Rendition as another quick moving conveyor belt of film production and film publicity and he wants to step off, take a breath, before getting back on for the next block. We must hope though, that there could be one more film (at least!) between Rendition and this pause for breath.


'One reason he wanted to work in the theatre is his over-exposure to Hollywood. "There's a kind of monotone drone about life there," he reflects. "You do one film, then you're up for another." He says he has learned to see through the hyperbolic flattery that is the currency of industry conversations. And he needed a change of pace. "I did five films last year," he says, looking bemused. "It was fine, except the power is not in your hands in terms of how your performance is shaped. To be able to have some sort of say over a story was really the big thing that made me want to try theatre."'


Before I leave this interview, there is a little comment at the end, which made me feel for Jake. He is discussing The Good Girl and his co-star Jennifer Aniston: "She's great in it, and this will allow people to see Jennifer in a new way," he says. "And yes, we make out in the film. That wasn't hard at all, except for an uncomfortable, awkward sex scene." He sighs. "I don't know if it looks that way on screen." Jake then goes on to say how lucky he has been: "These days, a lot of children are forced into growing up quickly. For me, it could easily have been something else. I don't think I'll look back on my youth with too many regrets."


Final thoughts

Now briefly back to Mike Nichols and his Broadway Venture. It also looks like Nichols will be bringing another great actor to the stage, Morgan Freeman, who may star in The Country Girl. His wife may be played by Frances McDormand, whom I recall was also caught up in the Christmas fire at Manka's Inverness Lodge along with the Gyllenhaal family. Another link is that I believe Mike Nichols is married to Diane Sawyer who came over a little peculiar and light headed when she interviewed Jake as part of the Zodiac promotion in the Spring. She mentioned that Jake's SNL performance had had quite an effect on her - didn't she say that she fell out of bed? Mike Nichols may well have had a practical demonstration of the appeal of his potential leading man.


Includes pictures from IHJ.