With a day to go til his NYC stage debut, Jake Gyllenhaal talks about acting, directing and surprising his fans

I am delighted to say that I am back! No longer are the walls around me canvas; the little flickering candles and lanterns are now bona fide lights, and instead of moths and mosquitoes I have a fridge full of beer (admittedly it has no food in it) for company. I also have a lot of catching up to do. I thought I'd get things started with the most obvious bits and pieces from the last few days, with thanks to everyone for the emails and tweets - especially BBMISwear, Susan and Mermon.

With If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet kicking off this Friday, it's not surprising that it's attracting attention. There is 'A conversation' with Jake in BroadwayWorld. I was interested to see that Jake mentions again the influence of Danny Kaye on his acting ambitions. Jake also talks about his character Terry: 'I love the way he talks, how he moves through the world. He is desperate to pull the truth out of everyone around him, but he is unable to face his own. He is a constant contradiction and like this broken, beating heart with legs.'

Especially intriguing are Jake's comments about his relationships with directors: 'If I have an idea, I will always share it – I’m not shy. I don’t believe in a dictatorship, but in the end it’s the director’s decision as to what will be suitable to their production. I like a director who has a clear and simple sense of what they want to say.' And, then, how about this? 'Variation keeps me inspired. I always like finding roles that are different from the one I played before. And I love playing intentions in scenes differently every night on stage and in every take on a movie. I always try and challenge myself and surprise my fans. It makes it fun for everyone.' It really does.

Do read the rest here.


Jake is also featured large in today's New York Times, which also includes a photo of Jake in rehearsal for the play. The interview shows how Jake has been reflecting on his career's direction, something so many of us do around these key birthdays: '“Around the time I hit 30, I asked myself if I was respecting acting as a craft,” he continued, frequently brushing his fingers through his thick hair, free of its black-on-black Yankees cap, “and if I was doing the right projects that deserved my attention and where I’m learning in a way that you might not feel at 15. So now it’s like I look at acting more as building little delicate cricket cages, with care and more thought.”'

Jake's young co-star in the play, Annie Funke, also talks a little about what it was like to work with Jake: '"I just reached a breaking point because I hadn’t quite realized before, until Jake was poking me, what it felt like to be picked on and bullied and how all of that must make Anna feel,” Ms. Funke said. “I was just completely overwhelmed. And Jake grabbed me and hugged me, and we finished the scene. He has looked out for me completely.”'



This post includes two video features on Jake from the Hollywood Reporter. If you're unable to see the videos, try here and here. There are also photos from the screening of End of Watch in the Hamptons last Sunday with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Seinfelds (with thanks to IHJ).