[Updated again!] Jake at the gym 26 June. In an (almost) non-sporty post, Jake Gyllenhaal admits 'I'm very theatrical' plus the PoP/NBA promo

Updated update: Michelle Monaghan talks a little - and I mean a little - about her forthcoming project, Source Code. 'I've got a film that's coming up that's called Source Code with Duncan Jones directing. Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright – incredible sort of sci-fi. It's a really incredible ride, and you kind of really don't know which direction it's taking you... She's kind of a girl that's a little bit lost, and she hasn't really found her path in life, and she's a little bit confused. She meets a random guy on the train, and he kind of helps her sort out her life and her future. He's very enlightening to her.'

'Random guy on the train' - A new way to describe Jake.

Update: Jake Gyllenhaal leaves the gym in Studio City, LA, yesterday (26 June), wearing a great Stand up to Cancer (SU2C) hoodie. Please note how I'm not mentiontioning the sunglasses. Many thanks to IHJ, there are lots more there.




On with the post...

Now that I have entered into World Cup denial (what World Cup?), I'm not going to give sport another thought ever again or at least for about 18 hours. Jake Gyllenhaal is the perfect distraction, of course, with Prince of Persia providing the ideal alternative to all these sporting calamitiesoccasions. So welcome to a (not entirely) sport-free post.


Jake Gyllenhaal's penchant for sport (which I'm not mentioning in this post) is well-known and has been made good use of by movie and TV companies, as can be seen in this special promo video which incorporates a whole new element into the Prince of Persia movie. No longer is the film about Dastan and Tamina - it's now about Dastan and the NBA. Evil Uncle Nizam has also got a new job.



Many thanks to BBMISwear, who saw the entire Boston Celtics and LA Lakers game on 22 May, the game where Jake and Chris sat by the court's edge and Jake got an interview while Chris got the beer. In this video you can see the interview, and then there are a few extra minutes in which you can see Jake and Chris by the side, as well as Chris reclaiming his seat after having sat on the floor during the interview.



I did watch quite a bit of the game and I can honestly say I am none the wiser for it. But that's because Jake Gyllenhaal is sitting by the side. Obviously, if he hadn't have been I'd be completely au fait with this game for tall people.


I'm continuing my world tournament of PoP interviews and today here is one from Brazil (recorded in London). Bearing in mind that my Portuguese is even worse than my ancient Greek (and I can only speak two words of that), I'm relying on The Internet for my translation. Hopefully, any Brazilian readers can fill us in. Rather disappointingly, for a post which is avoiding sport at all costs this evening, Jake does again compare Prince of Persia to a grand sporting occasion. He also doesn't go abroad too much on holidays as that would mean going to bed early.


On the film being hard work: 'True, but not as much as it seems. With the whole team generating this kind of energy, it's impossible not to be infected by adrenaline. I like making movies of all kinds and sizes, but this was almost like a sporting event, where I had to jump, run, fight ... Yes, it was tiring.'


'I still have all the muscles, but not at the same size. Well, I felt good .... I don't want to spend all the time describing what I felt, but it was great, because I felt he was capable of anything... I feel sexy when I feel good inside.'

Was the hair real? 'Almost all of it, yes.'

'As a young person - I think I still feel young - I am still laughing about it [the project]. And perhaps because I had already done more serious roles, I realized I could make a movie that would give me the opportunity to enjoy myself more. There are people who think they have to be very serious to be a good actor, but I totally disagreed with the idea as I gained more experience.... I don't think torture is the best path to creativity...' [Flashback to Rendition interviews.]


On how well-liked Jake is by audiences: 'I do not know what I can say, but I can tell you that some people don't like me, I already knew a few. And I don't like that very much. I think it's important people don't like me (laughs). Of course, taste, it's taste whether they like me. I am an actor ... But I also think it's healthy to make choices that make people upset or uncomfortable. It would be depressing if one had to please everyone.'


'I just love my sister and I was always impressed with her work. This is despite us not speaking much to each other about what we're doing. That doesn't mean I don't know what she's doing. She was recently nominated for an Academy Award (Crazy Heart), which seems only right, because I felt embarrassed because I'd received this recognition and she hadn't. Maggie is an amazing sister. And an incredible mother. TWhat makes me love her even more.'

Is Jake an amazing uncle? 'An uncle incredible !?... Let's say I'm not (laughs). I guess I'm a good uncle. I'm working on it. But an uncle's not supposed to be awesome (laughs).'


Jake's best friends: 'I have a number of friends who grew up on the island where I lived with my parents called Martha's Vineyard and in Los Angeles. My best friend is a chef and he lives in Martha's Vineyard.'

What does Jake would like to do: 'What I'd like most to do is ride a bike around the world and surf with my friends.'

Holidays? 'Every once in a while. But more often when I'm abroad, I have to go to bed early.'


'Which was the last CD you downloaded?' 'I like the Kings of Leon very much, and I think I did download Eminem'

Did he pay? 'I paid, I paid!'(laughs)

'Yes, I played the original [game], I must have been about eight or nine years old. Then, just recently I played the latest Sands of Time game and I got a little addicted. This allowed me to see the differences between game and narrative history in a film.'


Watching his parents on set as a child: 'I think I was more interested in playing Prince of Persia than being an actor. Of course, I grew up knowing very well the different departments of a film. And I remember my dad giving me a walkie-talkie and running errands between the various departments. Later, I realized it was fun and it could make money (laughs).'

'My sister was much more involved than I was in plays at school and she sang a lot. I remember returning from school in her car and she sing very high! I was always very theatrical.'


Is it easier for men to be successful in Hollywood? 'I think that's something that's changing. Maybe the past it was like that. For example, Meryl Streep is becoming a serious case of longevity. But it also has to do with talent. And I think my sister has the same talent, although that may be presumptuous. I do not think it's important whether one's an actor or actress.'

How would Jake assess his work in Brokeback Mountain? 'It was a very interesting project, although we never would have dreamed the recognition that it got. That was a movie with lots of action, ie, it had some action (laughs) but it wasn't quite the same as in Prince of Persia, for example. The film conveys a certain rigidity and an intimacy unlike anything I've ever done. It was an intimacy between myself, Michelle and Heath. It was very special.' More here.


And there we go, a whole post with (almost) no mention of sport in it. Includes pics from the non-sporty Vampire Weekend video and IHJ.