Jake Gyllenhaal and Independence Day! ('It's not over til the fat lady sings')

Alien invaders, rousing presidential speeches, expendable hoards, exploding buildings, big hair, mad scientists, pet dogs with ten lives - Yes, it's 4 July and that can mean only one thing: Independence Day. Never mind the fireworks, it's all about storming the space ship and seeing off the ugly aliens. Roland Emmerich enticed Jake Gyllenhaal to make his own disaster movie due to Independence Day and, there's no doubt that Jake enjoyed himself as he paved his way to becoming the star of his very own big action movie Prince of Persia.


So, to celebrate Independence Day, here are a few words from Jake on the subject: 'I loved Independence Day, and that was a big part of me really wanting to do this movie [TDAT]. It has a great sense of humour – I found myself laughing at the secondary characters getting squashed, like the reporter who gets hit with an Angelina [Jolie] billboard.' I was quite moved by that bit myself.


[Aside: The Day After Tomorrow wasn't quite like Prince of Persia: 'I didn’t have to get in shape, work out, or go on a special diet. I was playing a normal person, put in extreme circumstances.' However, Jake's character Sam - or Wet Sam as I like to call him - did take his shirt off to help out his inner core temperature.]


When talking about which actors inspired him to take on the role of Dastan, Jake mentioned those two heroes from Independence Day: 'WILL SMITH – “He’s the man, in everything he does. That’s what a hero should walk like, talk like, act like. He always delivers the goods.” JEFF GOLDBLUM – “He usually plays a villain or freak, but in Independence Day, he was a hero and I guess because it was so unexpected, it made it all the more powerful.”'


Jake also has spoken of how he told friends Will Smith was an inspiration for his role in The Day After Tomorrow: 'I told them that I think Robert De Niro is a genius in "Raging Bull," but I also think Will Smith is a genius in "Independence Day." Good acting is good acting; it doesn't matter what kind of a movie it is. A movie that makes a lot of money can be as rewarding as a movie that doesn't make any money.'


And again: '"Will Smith is my hero. He's a genius, he really is, and you also realise that M*l G****n or Harrison Ford are incredible at this type of thing.'


Happy 4 July to all American readers - may it be alien invasion free!


Includes pictures from IHJ.