This week marks the birthdays of a bunch of Jake's ladies and so this post is to wish Happy Birthday to them - in particular, Jake's very own Ruby and Pia. I have it on good authority that Ruby is approaching a landmark this week and I don't mean Big Ben. Much love to them both and a huge personal hug for being such great friends over the last year and longer.
Pia and I both adore Cannes Jake and Pia's present is this video, which shows a truly stunning and radiant Jake Gyllenhaal receiving a huge amount of well-deserved attention at the Cannes photocall, before the premiere of Zodiac last May. It lasts nine glorious minutes. There is also a shorter version of the photocall, which includes an interview with Jake - you can enjoy that video here.
As for Ruby, I know she loves this guy. Hopefully this will do til we get to a bar after she's back from a whole week of celebrating.
The other birthdays include, of course, Reese Witherspoon's yesterday while today two more of Jake's co-stars are also celebrating: Catherine Keener from Lovely and Amazing and Hope Davis from Proof. In 2002, Jake was listed as being the 'Teenage actor most worth envying: Jake Gyllenhaal, who seduced Jennifer Aniston (The Good Girl), Catherine Keener (Lovely and Amazing), and Ellen Pompeo (Moonlight Mile) onscreen in the same year.' Catherine is, of course, the wife of Dermot Mulroney who starred in Zodiac - a small world indeed.
Hope Davis said an interesting thing about why she took on the role of Claire in Proof: 'I feel like I’m a tough audience member, you know, it takes a lot to make me laugh and when I sat down and read the script…that’s how I got involved I met the writer Steve Conrad in Chicago when I was working on Proof and he told me the story he gave me the script and I laughed so hard reading it.It was brutal. That scene on the porch where she tells him how she really feels…I just thought it was hilarious.'
Catherine and Hope both shared scenes with Jake in their movies unlike, of course, Reese in Rendition. Jake said in one interview that he was glad to be sharing a poster with Reese and Meryl Streep because otherwise they were almost not a part of the same project - the Washington story was very separate from that set in North Africa. However, while Jake and Reese did not share screen time, they did share red carpets.
Talking of Rendition, tomorrow sees the release of the UK/European edition of the Rendition DVD. This means that a sizeable potential audience, denied the opportunity to see the film in the theatres, will at least be able to see the film. There have been some excellent reviews in the UK press. The Sunday Mail: 'Gavin Hood, director of the compelling Tsotsi, takes on a big budget movie here for the first time and it's an absolute winner.' The Scotsman says: 'The pacing and linear approach to the unfolding events are held steady, and the key performances here are pretty near pitch perfect.'
IndieLondon, in a review republished for the DVD, says: 'Rendition brilliantly combines intelligence with excitement to set the standard by which others should be judged. It’s stimulating, provocative and comes highly recommended.'
UPDATE:
Since writing this feature yesterday, coincidence of coincidences - it seems Catherine Keener is in final negotiations to star with Jake again - this time in Nailed! 'James Marsden, Catherine Keener and Tracy Morgan are close to getting "Nailed." The trio are in final negotiations to star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel in David O. Russell's romantic comedy "Nailed." Keener ("Into the Wild") will play a self-serving congresswoman.' Did I say it was a small world earlier? Well it just got smaller!
Easters
Last year, we saw Jake out in Santa Monica for a family lunch for Easter. Famously, Jake was clutching a chocolate bunny. I thought I'd have a look to see where Jake was for the Easter week in 2006 and it turns out he was in NYC having a holiday with family and friends and being all sporty. I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I did - and we thought Jake was hairy for the Rendition publicity - I'd forgotten what Jake was like when he got some time off from filming Zodiac.
Includes pictures from IHJ and Just Jared.
