Happy birthday, Jake! And a look back to 12-12-12

Doesn't time fly?! It seems barely one month let alone 24 since Jake Gyllenhaal was talking about diving with walruses to celebrate his 30th birthday. But, as sure as night follows day and holidays in Italy are followed by excessive credit card bills and an expanded waistline, every year along comes another birthday - the 32nd. So, altogether now, with one voice: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAKE! If the world's due to end on Friday, you might as well get a birthday in before it.

As someone born 6 days the other side of Christmas, please can I make a plea that you don't wrap Jake's presents in Christmas wrapping paper.



While I was away, Jake appeared on the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief, which took place in Madison Square Gardens and was watched by over 19 million Americans. As well as raising a huge amount of money, it also gave most of Britain's rockers a break from fog. Unfortunately, it's believed that some of them may have come back again. You can watch Jake's contribution above, with huge thanks to IHJ! If you were one of the lucky ones who placed a call and got Jake at the other end of the line, you may relive that moment below:



Happy birthday, Jake!

Thanks to IHJ for the pics.

Jake Gyllenhaal catch up - interviews, videos and charity dos. And how to audition for Prisoners!

It's Friday! That can mean only one thing - it's time to put your feet up, pour a glass of something red while nibbling chocolate fancies and catching up on another busy week in Jakedom. Jake Gyllenhaal resumes his stage career tomorrow, 8 December, as If There Is.... kicks off again for the last couple of weeks before Christmas. But there has been little time for Jake to put his feet up. Below is a fascinating interview Jake recorded in London at the end of last week.



Before returning to the US from London, Jake did another of his famous Jetlag Interviews - this time with GQ. Apart from talking about End of Watc, Jake took the opportunity to give us some advice: 'In work, never have any regrets and always leave everything on the field. And in life…at times, my grandfather would say to me, "This too shall pass". That's excellent advice.' Very George Harrison, if you don't mind me saying so.

Back in the US, Jake has been getting on using his stardom in a way that is clearly important to him - supporting charity. On Wednesday, Jake took part in ICAP's charity day which this year raised £11 million for those who need it. You can find more details here as well as photos here.

The lineup has just been announced for a Hurricane Sandy charity gala event called 12.12.12 which, coincidentally, will take place on 12.12.12. The concert will be broadcast around the world and so hopefully we will get to see a little of what Jake gets up to - obviously, if it doesn't involve performing with the Rolling Stones I'll be disappointed. Lots of details here. I must say how good it is to see all these events getting done before the end of the world on 21 December.

Talking of charity, photos have come to light of the Arts in the Armed Forces event that Jake took part in last month. Thanks to BBMISwear for the link! BBMISwear may be spottable on one of the photos at the site so take a look!

And finally...

If you've got some time on your hands this Sunday and you happen to live near Conyers in Georgia, then why not pop down to the Rockdale Career Academy to audition for a role in Prisoners? The instructions for those interested in appearing in a film called Prisoners that isn't about Prisons: 'Extras are needed to portray middle class men and women with suburban and rural community looks; police precinct men and women, such as detectives police officers and precinct staff; and hospital and emergency room staff types, such as nurses, doctors, orderlies, etc. Extras are encouraged to come dressed as the type of character they want to portray. They should also bring photos, a photo ID and be legal to work in the U.S. Those with acting resumes should bring them as several featured extras are expected to be used in the film.'

My distance from Georgia rules me out, which is a shame because I'm sure I could brush up my rural community look.

Thanks to IHJ and links for the pics!

WDW Exclusive Part 1! Jake Gyllenhaal at the Arts in the Armed Forces event in NYC on Sunday - a special report

On Sunday 11 November, Jake Gyllenhaal was one of the stars who appeared in the Arts in the Armed Forces event in NYC - an evening of staged monologues from American plays which was free to military service personnel and also open to civilians for a donation. I am thrilled that WDW had its very own reporters at the event who have done a brilliant job of not only enjoying themselves but also scribbling down full and thorough notes about the evening so that we can share it too. Of course, I mean Ted and Lisa!

Here, then, is their full account, along with scans of the programme. But, even better, this is just part one of two because Ted and Lisa also attended another Jake event at the weekend and details of that will follow in the next post. Over to Lisa and Ted (the photo below is of course of Ted, Lisa and a certain actor from the famous Nailed set visit):

'Ted and I attended the Arts in the Armed Forces charity event that Jake took part in on Sunday evening. The intimate 200 seat theater was filled with military members and their families but a small number of tickets were held aside for civilians who were willing to donate to this organization, which Ted & I were happy to do. Once again we found ourselves in the front row center and were blown away by the diverse group of actors that took to the stage reading passages from a variety of plays both old and new. 

When we arrived at The Lucille Lortel Theatre there were only a handful of people gathered outside waiting for the doors to open. Jake came out of the theater and milled about for a bit on the sidewalk (wearing his Boston Red Sox cap much to my delight!) When it was time for the patrons to enter we did so (Jake was still outside) and were happy for the general admission seating and seats again in the front row. After getting settled there was time to spare so Ted strolled out to the lobby while I stayed in my seat and spoke with a woman about the private reception that was planned for later that evening. Ted came back to his seat and informed me that Jake was hanging out in the lobby (believe me it was hard to remain in my seat after hearing that but that’s what I did). A few moments later Jake came walking toward the stage and crossed right in front of our seats – Ted said hello to him as he passed and Jake stopped, smiled, shook his hand and said hello and asked how he was. Ted said he was great and I looked up in pretty much disbelief (how on earth did I not see him walking toward us)?! I said hello as well – he did the same and he shook my hand and I couldn’t hold back a quick “Hey, Red Sox!” as I pointed to his cap – he chuckled and gave an enthusiastic “Yeah”! In hindsight I can’t imagine why either one of us was showing excitement toward the Red Sox based on the 2012 season but I guess that doesn’t matter all too much! Jake headed backstage from there and that was that. It all happened quite suddenly and was pretty surreal.

Shortly thereafter the event began with a lovely introduction by co-founder Adam Driver and some amazing readings by thirteen actors, including Frances McDormand and Michael Shannon among many others as well as two musical interludes by a talented musician. All the actors sat in folding chairs that were placed on the stage and watched and listened as each person performed center stage and joined the audience with great rounds of applause as each actor completed their reading. There was such a wonderful vibe on stage as well as throughout the theater. Similar to the Q&A earlier in the day, Jake scanned the audience a lot and seemed to look at every single audience member. I’m not sure if he does this because he is looking for people he knows or just likes to get a handle of the type of audiences he is speaking to – very interesting.

Jake was the 12th actor to read – he read the following excerpt from Arthur Miller’s play “All My Sons”:

It takes a little time to toss that off. Because they weren’t just men. For instance, one time it’d been raining several days and this kid came to me, and gave me his last pair of dry socks. Put them in my pocket. That’s only a little thing…but…that’s the kind of guys I had. They didn’t die; they killed themselves for each other. I mean that exactly; a little more selfish and they’d’ve been here today. And I got an idea - watching them go down. Everything was being destroyed, see, but it seemed to me that one new thing was made. A kind of…responsibility. Man for man. You understand me? - To show that, to bring that on to the earth again like some kind of a monument and everyone would feel it standing there, behind him, and it would make a difference to him. (pause) And then I came home and it was incredible. I…there was no meaning in it here; the whole thing to them was a kind of a - bus accident. I went to work with Dad, and that rat-race again. I felt…what you said…ashamed somehow. Because nobody was changed at all. It seemed to make suckers out of a lot of guys. I felt wrong to be alive, to open the bank-book, to drive the new car, to see the new refrigerator. I mean you can take those things out of a war, but when you drive that car you’ve got to know that it came out of the love a man can have for a man, you’ve got to be a little better because of that. Otherwise what you have is really loot, and there’s blood on it. I didn’t want to take any of it. And I guess that included you.

It was a very moving piece and Jake read it from what looked like a fairly small piece of paper that he had folded in his pocket.

When the readings were complete Adam Driver stepped up to thank the actors who all stood together and got a big round of applause. He also thanked the audience which prompted the actors to applaud as well – a happy occasion indeed! It was a very relaxed and intimate event where the actors and audience felt comfortable mingling together, this seemed to be the goal of the organizers who wanted an event that focused on the readings and what they meant.

The actors milled about a bit afterward in the aisles of the theater and on stage – Jake was on stage chatting with his fellow actors so we chose not to interrupt (although that was hard to do)! We filed out and chatted with other patrons on the sidewalk in front of the theater. When Jake came out he had on his jacket, backpack and Red Sox cap and greeted two friends who looked to be waiting outside for him. He talked to them for quite a while and then we moved along with some of the crowd and headed to the private reception being held at the Cowgirl Café which was around the corner. Jake never made it to the reception but we had a fantastic time talking with many people there – from actors to musicians to Marines. When we spoke to William Jackson Harper we learned that some of the actors did not receive their reading assignments until as late as that very morning. We noticed that Jake read his excerpt right from the paper with not many moments looking up at the audience. We thought that not only was he probably not given a lot of notice regarding his reading but also having a matinee performance that day he must not have had a lot of time to digest the material. But he did a great job nonetheless as did everyone!'

Part 2 to follow! Thanks so much to Lisa and Ted for going to so much trouble.

Jake was also in the Sunday Times on Sunday - thanks to IHJ for the scans.

Behind the scenes at the Edible Schoolyard & the beginnings of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway's 'long history together'

Jake Gyllenhaal's last day in New York City was spent productively. He added his name to the support of Edible Schoolyard and then he shaved most of the beard off. A casual look at the photographs and at a news video from the event (which makes no mention of Jake at all), demonstrates that Jake did not push himself forward. In fact, with many thanks to Ned, the editor of Sheepshead Bites, we have an account of what happened. And it's also thanks to Ned that we have many of these great pictures from the day at all! Appropriately enough, the photos below are Ned's as are the words:


'The event was actually kind of funny. Jake was not supposed to be there, and word is that he dropped by because he was in town and had already done fundraising for the project. No one really acknowledged him, and when I first saw him sitting up front with the Councilman, I said, "Oh, look, a guy that looks like Jake Gyllenhaal." Then I didn't pay him any additional attention.'

'Later, while photographing the kids in the garden, the NY Post photographer said to me, "So did you get a photo of the actor?" I asked what actor, and he said "The guy with the sunglasses over there." Standing in front of Jake was a huge fat guy with sunglasses, who I happen to know is a city worker. So I said, "You have no idea what you're talking about. That guy's just some bureaucrat." Then the fat guy moved, and the Post guy says, "No, it's Jake something-or-other."'


'Then it all clicked, and I got a bunch of photos.'

'He's very approachable. He hung around even after most of the media was gone, and people were just chatting with him. Seems like a good guy.'

This is just the account that I love to hear and, although it puts a big smile on my face, it doesn't surprise me in the least because we know all too well that Jake is indeed a good guy. Thanks, Ned!


The Big Apple

The business of opening edible schoolyards and shaving meant that this was one of the very few days from Jake's visit to the Big Apple when he wasn't spotted at a restaurant, cafe, foodshop or milkbar - or even Sun in Bloom. Fortunately, there's one thing about the Edible Schoolyard that is bound to appeal to Jake: it's edible.



Intimacies and complexities

Vogue's feature on Anne Hathaway is now available to read online and it includes a marvellous interview, which demonstrates that the filming of Love and Other Drugs proved to be a cathartic experience for Anne and, no doubt, Jake had his part to play in helping her through a rough time. As can be seen in this excerpt:

'“I tried not to like the script as much as I did, because it scared me,” Hathaway says. “What if it becomes a melodrama? What if the audience doesn’t find these challenging characters charming? There were so many things that could possibly go wrong with it.”'


'If it’s a mismash of genres, the film is held together by the old-fashioned movie-star glamour—and chemistry—of its leads. Reuniting five years after Brokeback Mountain, they further develop what Gyllenhaal calls “the intimacies and complexities between Annie and me, because we have what’s starting to be a long history together, professionally and as friends.”'


'Hathaway says that she “fell in love” with her character, a free spirit who, faced with a life-changing illness, shuts down emotionally. “I heard her voice so strongly in my head, and when that happens I just can’t tune it out,” she says. “She feels like a girl you might actually know.” One of Hathaway’s most salient qualities, of course, is that she herself feels like a girl you might actually know. With her thick mane of hair, Bambi eyes, and huge smile, Hathaway is capable of generating serious allure, but she has always been more of a friend’s kid sister all grown up than an unapproachable screen siren. As Lone Scherfig, her One Day director, says, “She has some of the quality of Elizabeth Taylor or Judy Garland or someone who is not iconic because of her beauty or her goddess status but because of her warmth and depth and humanity. She’s not a Hitchcock blonde—she’s a real person.”'


Fingers crossed that this is indeed just the beginning of a silverscreen partnership between Jake and Anne.

Pictures from Sheepshead Bites, Vogue and IHJ.

Jake Gyllenhaal digs up Gravesend (or opens Edible Schoolyard in NYC)

Update: Looks like Jake is leaving the Big Apple today with this from everyone's favourite organic foodie place Sun in Bloom: 'Jake Gyllenhaal stopped by Sun In Bloom to say good bye & pick up his breakfast & food for the plane. He's been so supportive and is a delightful human being! It's energizing to be surrounded by light'.

With barely time to digest his food after the Edible Schoolyard dinner and auction in NYC on Thursday, Jake Gyllenhaal yesterday attended the opening of the first Edible Schoolyard in New York City. In Gravesend to be precise, which as a Brit, did give me something of a doubletake. Edible Schoolyard is a programme that aims to bring schoolchildren as close as possible to the source of their food so that they know and understand what they are eating. It also provided Jake with the perfect chance to get a little bit dirty with a shovel once again.

The benefactor of this Schoolyard, contributed to by Jake, is John Lyons, the president of production at Focus Features, the company behind, of course, Brokeback Mountain. The four pictures below are from Sheepsheadbites and you can read a full account of the event there.

New York City Council has posted some photographs from the event on Flickr. There are a couple here and you can see all the others here.


The great thing about these photos from yesterday is that, for the first time in a while, we can see Jake's beautiful smile. On a side note, I have no doubt that Jake's recent experiences living as Sasquatch in a cave outside LA has helped his credentials for this project no end. Fortunately, Jake did get the chance to eat something.


Update: Thanks to IrisGirl for the information that Jake's edition of Shalom Sesame is the episode on Passover which, if the DVDs follow the pattern of Jewish holidays, will be out in the spring. Thanks for the info!

Pictures with thanks from Sheepheadsbites and NYC Council.

[Updated] Edible Jake Gyllenhaal, more from Leadville and Anne Hathaway covers Vogue for LAOD

After the invitation and the glimpse in yesterday's post, today we get the official pictures from this week's charity dinner and auction for Edible Schoolyard in NYC. While providing Jake Gyllenhaal with the perfect opportunity to eat and talk food, it also gives us a good look at the Face Pet for the first time. The bear has clearly been tamed while retaining an element of feistiness. Please note how I'm not mentioning the shoes.


We hear more details and see another picture at WWD: 'Alice Waters held her second fundraising dinner for her Edible Schoolyard organization at Craft on Wednesday night, with the help of co-hosts John Lyons, Fernanda Niven, Jonathen Sheffer, Brett Williams and Jake Gyllenhaal. It turns out the actor is a voracious chef: he most recently whipped up a veal stew. "I love to read cookbooks and I subscribe to a lot of cooking magazines. I scour the internet for interesting recipes," said Gyllenhaal, who shops for the local and seasonal. "There's a [food] co-op at my niece's [Ramona, daughter of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard] school," he said. "We get a lot of stuff from there."' Big thanks to a reader for the link.


While ignoring, as a veggie, the 'veal stew' reference, I did notice this: 'I scour the internet for interesting recipes'. I have great confidence therefore that the scouring will reveal the below for Jake.

The WDW Veggie Saturday Special

Ingredients
1 large egg, some plain flour, 2 lemons, a lime, just the right amount of milk, not too much granary sugar, tequila, a brush of oil (the memento Leaning Tower of Pisa oil bottle is optional), triple sec.

Put a medium heap of plain flour into a mixing bowl. Dent the top and add a large egg. Mix it in roughly and then add just the right amount of milk and vigorously mix until it has the texture of a watery mud slide. Heat frying pan and a touch of oil (not necessarily from a miniature Leaning Tower of Pisa bottle) until it is very hot. Pour about a half of the mixture and spread around the pan. Heat. When a golden brown on the underside flip. Or get someone else to flip and stand back. Maybe do it over a sink or a big work surface. Do the other side.


Meanwhile take a cocktail shaker and add one generous measure of tequila. To it add a measure and a half of Triple Sec. Squeeze a lemon in (avoid pips). Add a little hint of lime. Add approximately five largish ice cubes. Shake.

Remove pancake from pan and as you dress it, repeat the process with the other half of the mix. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the pancake and squeeze the juice from half a lemon and spread. Dab a few drops of tequila across the pancake and add a hint of lime. If you have cointreau handy in your cooking cupboard, this may be added now. Roll pancake and repeat with second cooked pancake.

Finish shaking cocktail and pour into a suitable glass. Add a slice of lime. Salt around the rim is optional. Insert Prince of Persia DVD into DVD player. Settle back and eat, drink and indulge with the WDW Saturday Surprise. (c) WDW.


[Update] For a great account from someone lucky enough to eat pizza with Jake and Anne Hathaway in NYC, take a look here. A taster: 'When Donnie Darko walked past us I (and the rest of the women and men in Franny’s) couldn’t help but notice how darn attractive he was. Tall & brooding, part of that attraction was absolutely due to the way he was dressed. He looked like a movie star. Navy sweater paired with a brown overcoat and knitted scarf. Dress shoes and jeans. Mr. Brokeback looked stunning.' I love that Anne eats pizza and I love that Jake and Anne have pizza together.

Running Jake

Christopher McDougall, the author of Born to Run, has been shedding a tiny bit of light on Jake's appearance at Leadville this summer: 'Q: There are a lot of rumors out there about your book being turned into a movie. Apparently, last August, you were in Leadville with Jake Gyllenhaal, who might play you in the film. Can you shed some light on this subject? A: You know, there’s stuff going on, but from what I understand about Hollywood, there’s always stuff going on and most of it turns into nothing. All I can say right now is that there are people interested. They are exploring it, but it hasn’t gone beyond the level of exploration. At this point, there is nothing confirmed or set up at all. There is a screenwriter working on a script, but I don’t know where that’s going to go.'

'Q: So was Jake with you at Leadville? A: Yes. He was there sort of checking out the scene. He hadn’t been familiar with ultra running. He came with his brother in law, Peter Sarsgaard. I’ll tell you one thing: those dudes can run. They are very strong runners.' So it sounds like Chris did do some running with Jake and Peter.


And finally...

Jake's Love and Other Drugs co-star Anne Hathaway is on the cover of November's Vogue to mark the release of the film. Beautiful! All it needs is a dash of Jake. Source.


Includes pictures from IHJ and links. Thanks IHJ!

Jake Gyllenhaal on the menu - and a whole lot more including Shalom Jake and a sexy romantic

Jake Gyllenhaal is, you may have noticed, quite a foodie. So much so, anyone else who ate out that much would be wider than they are tall. It's only appropriate then that Jake should be involved with a food charity. Last night, the Edible Schoolyard hosted a private dinner in New York City with chef Alice Waters as guest of honour. And there at the head of the menu is a particularly tasty morsel - Jake Gyllenhaal.


For $1000, diners not only drank cocktails for a good cause, their appetite was given a boost by mingling with Jake Gyllenhaal. Very fortunately, a tweeter at the party captured an image of Jake and Alice Waters (a longtime heroine of his) together. Many thanks to Julie. As you can see, Jake also brought the Face Pet along but it was very well behaved and even looks like it may have had a trim.


Shalom Jake

The DVDs are now being released bit by bit for Shalom Sesame. Jake is one of several well known faces to appear in the series, which introduces children to Jewish culture and Israel. I'm not sure yet which episode will feature Jake - not one of the first to be released - but, in the meantime, we have a taster. Last seen in the Street with an octopus stuck on his head, we now get another look at Jake as he was then. In one of the scenes - and you won't be surprised - Jake appears to be chewing.




A very attractive make romantic

Last not seen naked on the Love and Other Drugs poster, Ed Zwick has been talking some more about his much anticipated movie. 'Part of my job is to be aware of what actors are out there and what they're doing, look at their work. I'd seen Annie do Jonathan Demme's movie ("Rachel Getting Married") and I'd seen her do Shakespeare in the Park, and she was really fantastic and brave and ambitious artistically. And Jake had done this movie a friend of mine wrote called "Jarhead," and I'd seen his work before that. I got to know him a little bit and realized that to know him was to have (witnessed) something that movie audiences hadn't necessarily seen, which is the depth of his charm and his humor and this very attractive male romantic... and I felt, "Oh hey, you know what? I'm going to show that to people." Because it's there.'

You can read much more here.


You will not believe it...

...But Mills and Boon readers think Simon Cowell is sexier than Jake and Gyllenhaal and Johnny Depp and that Jeremy Clarkson is only slightly down the hot list than Jake! 'The mega-rich X Factor supremo secured 17% of the vote among swooning females who named him as their ultimate hero in a Mills And Boon book. Simon edged ahead of actors Johnny Depp and Jake Gyllenhaal, who each secured 12%, while Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson came fourth with 10%.' I know, I didn't believe it either but you can read the whole sorry tale here.


Jake and Kathryn Bigelow

Variety reported today: 'After "The Hurt Locker," it's not surprising that actors want to work with Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal on their next project, but even for jaded Hollywood, the roster of actors they've been meeting with is impressive. Will Smith, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Christian Bale, Javier Bardem and Jake Gyllenhaal have either asked Bigelow and Boal for a look at the script or taken meetings to discuss the film.' I have to say, it's hardly surprising.

But it's good to know Jake's hungry for a good script.


Includes pictures from IHJ and links.

Jake Gyllenhaal to head the Stand Up To Cancer TV spot tonight, and Donnie Darko released on Blu-ray

This evening, Jake Gyllenhaal will head a public service announcement for Stand Up To Cancer. The spot will air during the Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game (which begins at 8pm Eastern Time) and 'draws parallels between victory in baseball and the triumph of beating cancer through teamwork and collaboration with the message that an end to cancer is now beyond a dream; it is within reach.' The spot is in advance of a TV special for the charity which will be shown across networks in the US in September.


We've recently seen the very physical evidence of Jake's support for Stand Up To Cancer with his hoodie worn last month (perhaps a gift from the commercial shoot?). It is very good indeed to see this addition to the long list of charities that Jake supports - planting trees in Mozambique, encouraging young people to vote, New Eyes for the Needy, gay rights, the Green Schools initiative in LA, ACLU, literacy, Global Green, young readers and writers in prison, Haiti and LiveStrong (and no doubt I've missed a bunch).








On top of this, we've also seen Jake in films with a message, however entertaining that message has been - The Day After Tomorrow, Brokeback Mountain and Rendition, to name just three. There was, no doubt, a message in Donnie Darko, but I don't think I understand it (maybe something to do with smurfs).


Back on MV...

After recent sightings of Jake enjoying his holidays in Martha's Vineyard, there was another posted today - after previously 'yukking', this time he was supping - in the Chilmark Tavern. I can't post a picture of Jake in the Tavern but I can post a picture of the Tavern, which wasn't at all how I expected when I saw it. Much more intimate, friendly and low-key (even has a cashpoint).


Donnie Darko reborn on blu-ray

While we await the release of Prince of Persia in September, you could do far worse that spend some money on the release of Donnie Darko on Blu-ray. Ou on 19 July in the UK, Total Film has awarded this extraordinary film with 5 stars. It is clear that, despite this film being placed squarely in the culture of the 1980s and despite it playing with time, this movie remains a timeless classic. And when one wonders, as TF does here, what is it about this tale that still exerts such a pull. It's almost impossible to put a finger on it - maybe it's because it's almost everything about it.


This edition includes both versions (I can never decide which opening scene I prefer) and Jake's wonderful commentary. There are also some fun accompanying scenes, including Jake entertaining the crew with his infamous Irish jig. I can still only look at that through latticed fingers...


Includes scans from WDW, pictures from IHJ and WDW. Thanks to Stephanie for the logo!