Sir Ben on Jake: 'He has a lovely, effortless confidence, which is perfect for the Prince'

Sir Ben Kingsley on Jake Gyllenhaal: 'we have a wonderful fight, Jake and I, a vicious swordfight. The lovely quality that Jake brings to his role is confidence, he has a lovely, effortless confidence, which is perfect for the Prince, really perfect.'



This is a compliment indeed, coming as it does from the likes of Sir Ben, that Jake has found the confidence and assurance necessary to bring the Prince to life. You can also see the video clip here. And did someone mention a swordfight?




Includes pictures from IHJ.

Making sacrifices and the intensity of Jake

Bedhead Hair - not everyone can pull it off, but Jake Gyllenhaal has it mastered. Whether due to a lost comb and an alarm clock without batteries or due to hours spent carefully teasing hair whisps with expensive product made from the biproducts of Hawaiian bees, Jake's hair doesn't fail to delight (most of the time). It's preoccupied us, it's possibly preoccupied Jake, it's certainly preoccupied members of the press.


Jake's hair has been dyed, twisted, twirled, flattened, extended, cut (massacred), stretched, tweaked, fluffed for his movies - can any other actor's head of hair have received such treatment during his career? But Jake is a lead in these films and his hair is all part of creating the character. For other actors, it's more of a matter of whether the hair gets in the way.


Take Calgary teacher, band-member and part-time actor Dan McDougall for example. Despite being given the wrong script in his audition, Dan was lucky enough to get selected to play the part of the toughie bartender in Brokeback Mountain - the one who advises Jack Twist to rope calves instead. But Dan's 'musician's hair' was an impediment - it blocked out Jake. 'The day he arrived on set, the costume and make-up people started shaking their heads. "I wear my hair long for our band and they felt it was all wrong for the look. They wanted to cut most of it off." It was Lee who came to the rescue. He overheard the discussion and suggested the make-up people braid McDougall's hair and hide it under a wig. That worked until they decided to shoot scenes of Jake over my shoulder.'


'"Ang came up and asked if I'd let them cut my hair. Of course, I said yes. I told him being in his movie was more important than my hair. Besides, hair grows." A year later when Lee flew into Calgary for the special crew and cast screening of Brokeback, he singled McDougall out at the party. "He thanked me for making such a sacrifice for his movie. That's the kind of amazing guy Ang Lee is." McDougall was also impressed by Gyllenhaal: "He's incredibly professional for someone so young. He can turn on his character the instant cameras role and he's so convincing. The first time I delivered my line he barked back at me with such intensity that he frightened me. Ang came running over to explain I was supposed to be the toughest one in that scene. I just hadn't expected such intensity from Jake." McDougall says once cameras stopped rolling Gyllenhaal could turn into a real prankster.'


Talking of Brokeback Mountain. I may be crossing Will Ferrell off my Christmas card list. During the run up to the Oscars in 2006...


Big thanks to IHJ for new old pictures from TRL (USA), where Jake demonstrates so well that, even having a famously hat-defyingly large head and perfect hair, he can wear a cap with attitude.


Includes pictures from IHJ. Scans from WDW.

The Other Jake Top 10 - more than ten top ten bits

The thing about Top 10 lists is that they always miss the mark - yesterday, in response to People's failure to admit that Jake Gyllenhaal is sexier than Hugh Jackman, WDW posted the Top Ten of Jake. I'm afraid to say that this list also proved inadequate and lacking in so many Jakeways and so, tonight, we have the Other Top Ten of Jake (the alternative version). I'm beginning to think that Jake has more than ten top best bits but I won't admit defeat just yet. The following are in no particular order - mathematicians advise that perfection cannot be relative.


1. Jake in bed. I think I could stop here and go no further but I'll resist.



2. Tongue. Jake has a tongue and knows how to use it. Unfortunately, Jake has not read the instruction manual and fails to realise what it does to those who see it poked out at them.


2. The dimple. So good, there's more than one.


3. Sweaty Jake. Jake is irresistible when he's exerting himself.


4. Spandex-clad-thighs. Just as well that we don't see these too often anymore. I don't know if I could stand it.



5. Bedheadhair. Jake needs no gels, he needs no product, not even a brush. Hair and a pillow is all that's required for number 5.




6. Showering Jake - difficult to have more fun with a sponge and a towel...


7. Lips that are ready for action...


8. Gesturing Jake. Best when eyes work together with fingers.


9. Bendy, flexible, strong Jake. It is not possible for Jake to be too bendy, flexible and stong.



10. Wateryeyed - emotion, deep feeling, passion - just look into the eyes (but don't let go...).



Includes pictures from IHJ.

The Top Ten of Jake Gyllenhaal - A rare harmony indeed

It's that time of year again - People has been telling us who the sexiest men alive are. Hugh Jackman is the winner, and several of the usual suspects are further down the list than usual this year. I must confess that several higher up the list are completely unrecognisable to me and do not look old enough to vote (but that may be my fault, not theirs...). Nevertheless, when you look at the video of the sexiest 100 men in one minute, the final luxuriant shot is of one Jake Gyllenhaal, reclining in the back of a car, and daring any other man on the planet to compete with him in sexiness.


Not surprisingly, when it comes to awarding the title of sexiest man alive, there are going to be disagreements, and so there have been. The Mirror has decided to give us its half-clothed top 10 and one of its favourite torsos belongs to Jake. PhillyBurbs also disagrees with People and puts Jake in its top ten: 'Ever since the days of his thoughtful, moody character Donnie Darko I haven’t been able to get rid of this boy’s lips and eyes from my dreams. Giant bunny rabbit and falling jet engines be damned; Jake, I can be your girl.' Form an orderly line...


One cannot doubt that, when the Prince of Persia fills the cinemas and theatres of the world in 2010, Jake will be on every list - not that it matters, to us or to Jake, of course. As it goes without saying that this place would vote Jake Gyllenhaal number one in every possible hotness poll, I have decided to adopt a different approach and instead propose the Top Ten of Jake.

No. 1. The sky blue eyes, complete with eyelashes, unruly brows and a twinkle. Even in black and white, you can feel the colour.


No. 2. Smiling lips, or lips to kiss with.



No. 3. The hair - admittedly, the hair can vary from week to week, almost from day to day, but it always wins our attention.




No. 4. Just the right amount of facial scruff. Again, this position can vary according to how itchy it gets.



No. 5. The chest, with hair of course.



No. 6. Leading on naturally from the chest, we have the treasure trail. I ask for a moment's silence...


No. 7. The fingers and hands. Whether ringed or ringless, these expressive digits like to play.


No. 8. The legs. Depending on how much cycling Jake does or doesn't do, Jake's legs and nerve endings have had to endure a fair amount of waxing, and for that, I'm sorry. But they always look great in those long jeans.


No. 9. The arms. Or, more specifically, those biceps. More than a little bit of the 5 pounds of PoP muscle can be found here, I think.



No. 10. It seems right to end with the end.



Includes pictures from IHJ.

Broad grins, best kisses, widest smiles

A reminder this evening, of that night back in 2006, when Jake Gyllenhaal went up to a round stage (leaving his pack of Starbursts under his seat) to collect the MTV Best Kiss popcorn trophy from a cheeky and frisky Justin Timberlake and a less cheeky Eva Mendes. 'This is a real honour, not just for me and Heath but for all of you, that you picked this movie and this kiss over all the other ones.'



I was very happy to come across this video again.


Talking of happy, when Jake smiles his broadest smile and grins with every muscle of his face, it's a pure delight to see. And so here are a few pictures of times when Jake has been fit to burst and when we have burst with him through the sheer thrill of a happiness shared with a very special man.











In this picture, you can almost see through the mask to the broad smile it fails to hide.


Includes pictures from IHJ, Towleroad, scans by WDW.