Jake Gyllenhaal makes New Yorkers fit and has a chat with Jude Law plus more An Enemy stills

Jake Gyllenhaal is not only personally responsible for making us all want to plant our own vegetables, he's not single-handedly making the men and women of NYC fit. Attendance at Soul Cycle classes has sky rocketed since Jake began to frequent them. There is however a downside. One might get fit but one also might get a broken leg: 'I nearly fell off my bike when I spotted him' said one poor Soul (Cycle) to the media.  A full fitness report can be consulted in the New York Daily News.

Meanwhile, Jake has been spotted having a chat with Jude Law in the streets of NYC, no doubt Jake was signing Jude up for one of his classes.

Yesterday, Jake was back out in NYC, in the rain but with a smile on his face.

On 26 April, Jake walked round NYC reminding us of Spring...

And we have some more stills from An Enemy (Enemy Within), thanks to IHJ!

Good times! Thanks very much to IHJ for the pictures!

UPDATE: Nightcrawler! Jake Gyllenhaal seeing double: First image from An Enemy, plus poetry, basketball and a Drama League Award Nomination

Update! NIGHTCRAWLER!

According to Variety, Jake will be co-producing and starring in (probably) Nightcrawler alongside Rene Russo.

'Jake Gyllenhaal is continuing to focus on edgy, adult thrillers as he is set to star along with Rene Russo in the indie “Nightcrawler” that Tony Gilroy will produce. Dan Gilroy is helming from a script he penned. Story follows the story of a driven young man who discovers the nocturnal world of L.A. freelance crime journalism. Gilroy will produce along with Gyllenhaal and Jennifer Fox along with Michel Litvak and David Lancaster who are producing and financing via their Bold Films banner. Sierra/Affinity will kick off international sales in Cannes. CAA packaged the film and co-represents the film’s North American distribution rights with WME. The film marks the directorial debut for Dan Gilroy, who co-wrote “The Bourne Legacy” with his brother Tony Gilroy.'

So, another 'driven young man' role.... What do you think?

On with the post...

It's been another busy week for Jake Gyllenhaal. It's been so hectic, surely one could be forgiven for seeing double.

Yes, this week we've had the first image of Jake and Jake from An Enemy or Enemy Within. Whatever the title, it's certain that you'll get twice the Jake for the price of a cinema ticket. With the film due this autumn, it can't be too long before we have a trailer. Thanks to IHJ for this! And hot on the heels of the Nailed images too... (see last post - there are more Nailed images featuring Jessica Biel at Jessica.biel.com).

Jake has also been spotted over the last few days in the company of some very familiar faces. On 17 April, Jake attended the Poetry and the Creative Mind event hosted by the Academy of American Poets at the Lincoln Center, NYC. The resulting official pic is a bit of a who's who. Seeing Jake sitting next to one of my favourites, Kathleen Turner, is a cause for celebration.

Jake read Wild Geese by Mary Oliver and Ave Maria by Frank O'Hara. There are more details and images here. This is one of those events I would have loved to have attended.

On 23 April, Jake and Marcus Mumford joined Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor and Spike Lee to watch the Boston Celtics play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Gardens. I must admit that one's eyes are rather distracted in the photo below...

Marcus Mumford, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee gave a standing ovation as the Boston Celtics played the New York Knicks during a playoff game at NYC's Madison Square Garden April 23. One has to wonder at Jake's allegiance that night - maybe he cheered for both teams. Whether he liked it or not, Boston Celtics were defeated 87-71. I once umpired a game of basketball in 1985 despite having no knowledge of the rules - so I feel qualified to comment. Thanks to IHJ for the pics!

Also on 23 April, Jake was nominated for a Drama League Award - a Distinguished Performance Award no less - for his performance in If There Is! The awards will be held on 17 May - so much luck to you Jake!

Jake Gyllenhaal - Nailed, Prisoners and Enemy Within. Is Nailed finally within sight?!

I hate to say it, but I'll say it anyway.... are we actually going to see Nailed after all?! I wish I had a pound for every time we've discussed over the years the possibility or otherwise of this doomed project ever seeing the light of day. I'd be rich enough to buy a cow. But Jessica Biel.com has alerted us to the fact that IMDb has given Nailed a 2013 release date with Universal Studios at the helm. This is a vast improvement on the previous infinite 'unknown' date and is also a huge surprise! They also report that there are rumours that Jessica has finally shot those missing scenes (they're the scenes with the nail so are really rather crucial). David O'Russell famously washed his hands of the project but this does sound the most hopeful 'news' we've had yet.

To add the icing on the cake - actually, not just icing but meringues and candles - IHJ has published the first promo shots from Nailed and, well, they contain their own surprises. I've read the script and I'm still surprised!

Thanks to Amanda for the link!

Prisoners

You know a movie's release is getting nearer when ET visit the set. Now is the time for Prisoners. You can watch it here:



There is set footage here:



We also have, thanks again to IHJ, a cast and crew picture.

Enemy Within

Finally, An Enemy is An Enemy no more. It is now 'Enemy Within' - better, I think.

Jake Gyllenhaal - Edible Schoolyard, much food talk, Words of War, a bit of basketball

Jake Gyllenhaal is, I think you'll agree, very edible. It's therefore extremely appropriate that he should be honoured by Edible Schoolyard at its inaugural Spring benefit on 15 April at Essex Market in NYC. This event, hosted by a charity with which Jake has long been actively involved, was supposed to happen last October but was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.

In the New York Observer: “Seriously, it’s one of the areas of my life where I hold everything with love and no judgment,” said the actor. “Anything that is fresh from a garden is my favorite food.” Mr. Gyllenhaal’s mother, screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, corroborated his story. Apparently he didn’t even object to broccoli as a kid: “He was very adventurous, and always, from the time he was really little, a spectacular cook,” she said proudly.'

The Wall Street Journal:  'Mr. Gyllenhaal grew up with gardens in his homes in Los Angeles and Martha's Vineyard. We wondered, who had a greener thumb, he or Maggie? "Me," he said, after a short pause. As brothers cannot always be trusted to assess superiority over their sisters, we asked Naomi Foner, Mr. Gyllenhaal's mother. "It's Jake," she said. "He helped me plant our vegetable garden and worked really hard at it."

'Ms. Foner is also a fan of the organization. "Most kids in New York don't see gardens," she said. "And people only know what they know. When you expand their horizons, you're giving them an enormous gift." She then sought out a photo from her iPhone depicting her granddaughter, Gloria, mauling a garden-grown tomato. "I mean, is there anything better than a warm tomato that you grew yourself right off the vine, maybe with a little bit of salt and olive oil?"'

Jake also had this to say during his speech: '“It’s about more than just what you eat—it’s about being connected to the earth,” he explained. “Like, what would New York City be without Central Park? I mean, there’s not much edible food in there…but still. That idea exists within the city, and it should exist in every public school.”

At the event, Jake also mentioned his teenage job as a busboy on Martha's Vineland. His boss was asked all about it in New York Grub Street. 'Well, he was very young. I think he had just turned 16 at the time. On Martha’s Vineyard in July and August, it’s crazy-busy. Every night is like a busy Saturday night, so you need everybody to show up to work, right? He had his mother call into the restaurant to say that he was sick for the day. My buddy and I who ran the place were like, "Oh my God. I can’t believe that Jake’s mother just called to say that he’s home sick and can’t come to work."'

'So the next morning, we went to the drugstore and bought a baby bottle and a little pacifier, and when he came back to work, we gave him so much shit. We just didn’t let up. Every day for the rest of the summer, we kept on giving him water in a baby bottle. He was just telling me how that kind of resonated with him in terms of work ethic, so I thought it was kind of cute.'

Sounds a right hoot... I can see why Jake took up lifeguarding.

Words of War

On 8 May, Jake will take part in another charitable event - Words of War hosted by the Headstrong Project at IAC HQ in NYC: 

'This cocktail fundraiser is designed to further support the mission of the Headstrong Project, to help veterans recover from the hidden wounds of war in order to lead full and meaningful lives. Specifically, “Words of War” will support comprehensive mental healthcare for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The evening will include a war poetry reading by Jake Gyllenhaal.' 

There are more details here

In NYC

There are wonderful new old pictures on IHJ of Jake in NYC back in 2011. Last week, though, Jake was also in the city. Jake and 'Jay-Z kicked back at the rapper's 40/40 Club in New York City Monday night, watching the NCAA championship basketball game in the Owner's Lounge. The two, joined by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, exchanged a big hug when they met up, then spent the evening snacking on the club's signature wings and sipping D'Usse cognac.'

Many thanks to IHJ for such fab pics! It's so good to see Jake out and about again, past and present.

You can never have enough Jake Gyllenhaal audiobooks - first Great Gatsby and now Ducklings!

A quick update today to remind you that Jake Gyllenhaal's reading of The Great Gatsby is available today to listen to. No longer will commuting be a pain, now the longer the drive the better. Who needs to learn a foreign language when instead you can fill your car journey with Jake's well-formed vowels?

The audio book - all 4 hours and 49 minutes of it - is available from Audible.com. You can listen to snippets here. In the UK, you can download it from Amazon. The CD will be available on 7 May to buy if you want something tangible to keep.

However, if the Great Gatsby is not to your taste and you fancy something a little less....human, then you are in luck! It would appear that Jake has caught the narrating bug and has managed to combine it with a healthy interest in ducks. Jake is also narrating for the nook three kiddie books by Robert McClusky: Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine. Admittedly only one is about ducks but I like ducks. Of course, Jake once very nearly appeared in Howard the Duck but his mother wouldn't let him (sensible woman). Thanks for Gyllencrazy for the tweet!

Film rumours, stage award nominations, Berlin memories and a WDW interlude

Twitter gives and it takes away... Thanks to Twitter - which, as well all know, is not the most reliable of sources despite being the most lavish - we learn that Jake Gyllenhaal will not take the place of Jude Law in Jane Got a Gun opposite Natalie Portman. The cowboy hat will instead be worn by the head of Bradley Cooper.

But hot on the heels of the disappointing news is the hint of a rumour of some more possible good news. Someone tweeted that Jake has signed on to appear with Colin Farrell and Amy Smart in The Land of No Return to be released in 2014. This could be a remake of the 1978 film. If so, Jake may need to pull on all of his Man Vs Wild training. Of course, all of this is floating about up in the clouds of rumour and we may never hear more about it again. If it comes to pass, the worry may be that it will mean a return of Sasquatch Jake...

There is some great news this week. Jake has been nominated for a Lucille Lortel award as Outstanding Featured Actor in If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet. In further good news for the play, Annie Funke has also been nominated for Outstanding Featured Actress and Beowulf Boritt for Outstanding Scenic Design. Personally, I would have thought that being called Beowul Boritt is reward enough. This bodes well for the Tony Award nominations which will be announced at the end of the month. Jake has good form for his stage career, having won an Evening Standard award for his debut in This Is Our Youth back in 2002.

Berlin memories - Two years ago today

Two years ago today I saw Jake in Berlin at the premiere there of Source Code. A fabulous day, not least because I also met Sasha and other friends and got to explore this incredible city (and drink beer in the zoo). For a trip down a very happy memory lane, here is the first report and here the second.

WDW Interlude - Broughton

Last week, we dodged the remaining snow drifts on the motorbike to visit Broughton Castle, a moated manor house in north Oxfordshire. This beautiful house, built in the 1300s, was the home of William Fiennes in the first half of the 17th century who led forces against Charles I at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642. Rather appropriately, we then headed to Edgehill for fish pie, overlooking the site of the battle in a castle folly that is now a wonderful pub.

Next to the Castle is the manor's church which contains the most impressive tombs, including one that was restored in the Victorian period to its medieval gaudiness. Wall paintings also survive.

To provide a link to the movies, Ralph Fiennes is related to the family that still owns the Castle (and serves the most delicious Victoria sponge cake and tea - although not by them personally...). There are film props in the tearoom.

Photos by IHJ and me.