A tale of Jake Gyllenhaal and a rug magnet from Morocco - &, if it all ends tomorrow, 'I have the things that matter to me in my life'

I advise you to wipe off the mascara and grab a bunch of hankies for this first video in the post tonight. It's emotional stuff. In it, Jake Gyllenhaal reveals with heartwrenching, raw feeling just how he feels when he receives the second thing he's wanted the most his entire life. Obviously, I have a few suggestions for what the first thing Jake's craved might be (many of them involve southern England and sunsets) but what is number 2? I'm sure you've already guessed - a rug magnet from Morocco. Yep, that was my guess too. Before you reach this magic (mini) carpet moment, you must watch Jerry Bruckheimer be bewildered.



As part of the catchup, I don't want to delay any longer posting this interview from the Toronto Sun. It includes more about what President Obama said to him and how his words all fitted in with Jake's strategy of bringing fun into his work day. '“I saw a lot of my contemporaries doing similar things and having a good time doing it, and audiences definitely want to see big entertainment,” Gyllenhaal says. “It’s not a fun time for a lot of people and they like to go to the movie theatre and have a good time.” Recently, he adds, he and some other actors met with President Obama. “He said, ‘You’re all entertainers. In the United States and all over the world, people are having a rough time, so just keep making us laugh.’ So this movie is my political statement,” he says, and he grins.'


'“I had an idea of what good acting was. I thought it was digging down to the very depths of your soul, but your soul consists of so many things — everything we do, joy too and fun and going back to being a kid again.”'

'“In the movie, some of the jumps I do, or the stunt guys do, it really is an issue of the mind. You see how powerful the mind is, that you can jump 25 feet in distance and 15 in height from something, and land unscathed. It’s almost a meditation. You’re transferring your energy from impact — there is no impact.” Almost every jump and stunt was done without wires, he adds, “and when there were wires, it was due to insurance issues.”'


'Growing up in the industry “is something that made me feel confident,” says the actor. “’Cause I grew up around different artists and on movie sets, and just like any child who grows up in any context, you end up feeling comfortable in that context. That was an advantage,” he says. By the same token, he explains, the family’s reputation — for good or ill — follows one around, and being immersed in the profession from childhood makes one critical of other actors’ work. “You have a critical eye for the process. When it’s your profession, that’s the way you are. And sometimes that takes away from the fun of the process.”'

[NB: Unfortunately YouTube removed this video... I like this video below from LA - a kind fan offers Jake Snickers - and we know how much he likes them]

'"I’ve seen the fickle aspects of the business from a very young age. Artistically, financially, I’ve seen my parents’ careers go up and down. As a result, I’ve walked into it a little more cautiously. That’s ultimately why I take myself a lot less seriously.”'


'To illustrate what he does take seriously, Gyllenhaal talks about Paul Newman, an actor he greatly admires, and the astounding charity work Newman did through his line of salad dressings and other comestibles. “That salad dressing, to me, was a sense of who he was, and how he did so much incredible good around the world. Yes, the movies stay with us, but more than that, we remember the person, the man he was. So the movie stuff, whether it goes away tomorrow, I have the things that matter to me in my life.”'

Including a rug magnet from Morocco.


Many thanks to Carol for the Evening Echo from 20 May (some WDW scans from that included) and to IHJ - And thanks to every one for all the great feedback on the WDW Makeover!