It's true, Jake Gyllenhaal can make us laugh - plus Robert and Jake's friendship

Hot on the heels of Jake Gyllenhaal's cameo in the SNL musical serenade of the hairy (in more ways than one) Iranian president, comes an article expressing admiration - and surprise - at Jake's sense of humour and comic timing. The admiration part I understand but the surprise? I thought Jake's comic timing in Bubble Boy and even The Good Girl was legendary. Didn't Jake even manage to get a laugh out of Zodiac ('Do people ever call me names?')? And, as I recall, there are two lines in particular that raise a laugh in what David Fincher describes as Jake's Torture Movie, and Jake's responsible for both. I've included this picture because I can't help smiling when I think of Jake up a tree.


So before we get down to celebrating Jake's sense of fun, which has brought many a laugh to filmsets over the last few years (just ask David Fincher, Gavin Hood, Anne Hathaway, Susan Sarandon, Austin Nichols and - if she'd been in a scene with him - Reese Witherspoon), let's look at what has been said. At the Rendition press conference 'Director Gavin Hood was ranting about the potential of film, Hollywood's hunger for money and why we need more movies like All the President's Men. It was well intentioned, and Hood should totally be a guest lecturer on college campuses. But he went on a wee bit too long about his idealistic visions of a Hollywood in which studios forget about their coffers.'


'That's when Gyllenhaal put an arm around him—the arm was key—and made a crack about Hood's next project...Wolverine. It was seriously hysterical. Jake made his director blush like a freshman boy in speech class. So, why won't Jake put that swift wit to use on camera? "His family is just very serious," says one Beverly Hills-agent type. "They want to see their kids in smart films with a political angle. And their family is obviously close."'


I did enjoy the part about Jake making Gavin blush like a schoolboy and that Jake's comment (how I wish I knew what he said) was 'seriously hysterical'. But I think it's a strange argument to say that Jake hasn't made a comic film because his family are so very serious - after all, Jake's first role was in the comedy City Slickers and later on Jake was a joy to behold in Bubble Boy. Just think of that scene when Jimmy tries to buy a bus ticket or - my personal favourite - when he attempts to steal the beer. Not much 'political angle' in that film, just plenty of bad taste, insults directed at everyone and the kind of humour that makes your sides ache. I know The Good Girl isn't a laugh a minute, but there are scenes in that which show Jake's comic timing to perfection and with great subtlety. In that film, Jake makes us, and Jennifer, both laugh and cry. As for the matter of whether it's the lack of a good comic script preventing Jake from sharing his humour with audiences - I find it hard to believe that Jake will never act in a comedy again - the script will come and the time will come and it will be amazing.


Regarding whether Jake is funny or not, just watch him on Conan and watch him on Jonathan Ross next week (although I can tell you what isn't funny about Jonathan Ross - trying to get tickets, that's what...). And take a look at him here.



Robert Downey Jr and Jake exchange words

The mutual admiration between Jake and his Zodiac co-star Robert Downey Jr is well known and possibly partly due to them pulling together during the onslaught of take after take by their merciless and obsessive, albeit loved, director. A friend reminded me of their assessment of one another, made when Robert presented Jake with the Young Artist Award for Artistic Excellence at the close of 2006 at the Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Awards. This event was also attended by Lance Armstrong.


Robert said of Jake “He’s just the real deal... What I respect about him is his process. The people that I hang out with, the people that I hang with that I’m close with, the people I respect—sometimes it’s an external thing, but largely it’s his character. Are you living by a set of principles that you really adhere to? And I see him doin’ it, and that’s why I got his back forever.”


And Jake had nothing but affection for Robert in return. “I love Robert.. We worked together on a movie and we became really close after that. It’s very rare that you have an experience like that and you keep a real friendship. When you keep that connection and it means something and it’s deep to you, that’s awesome — and that’s what Robert and I have.” I will even forgive Jake the use of the 'awesome' word because it's in such a wonderful context.


Jake's take on the paps

When The Day After Tomorrow was released, Jake was asked if he was worried about all the attention that this film, and those that followed it, would bring. This is what he said with that wise head of his on young shoulders: "If it were to happen I would have a better perspective on it then, but I know what this is about. I knew what I was getting myself into and if I didn’t, well, I shouldn’t be doing it. And if I’m going to complain about it I shouldn’t be doing it either. I know what it’s about, there’s a part of me, a part of that masochistic side that likes it and then there’s also part of me that doesn’t like it either at times. And there have been a few times recently where it’s gotten into places where if I leave—we talk all day, and then I leave and go home and I need to take my dog for a walk and then there’s these guys taking pictures of me taking my dog for a walk, it was for a little while a time when I could just unwind and now it’s not that same time anymore. But I know what it’s about."


Includes pictures from IHJ.