'The most flattering piece of casting since Colin Firth played Nick Hornby' and 'Do you ever wish you were in front of the camera?'

Well, I suppose any post has to begin with an update on what is happening in that bizarre and surreal place that some people call The Nailed Set. Nikki Finke posted a third update yesterday suggesting that the Director's Guild was set to join the fray alongside the actors' union and the story has now moved to today's New York Times.


But in The NYT there is a note of optimism: 'The independently financed film, “Nailed,” halted production but is expected to resume shooting early this week, according to a person who is involved with the film but spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid conflict with colleagues.' This optimism is backed up by a couple of sightings of Jake over the weekend working out in the Strom Thurmond gym in Columbia, once on Saturday and again on Sunday, this time by the brother of our very own scout on the ground, Nicole. (I will admit to some distraction offered by the eyewitness account of Jake lifting weights - surely a sight everyone should be allowed to experience at least once in a lifetime?) The hope that everything will be resolved is also supported by an IMDb comment today, in caps no less (but here converted), that 'Things seem to be falling into place in Columbia. Hopefully this little glitch is the last of its kind and things will run smoothly from now on.' A hope I share.

So, with the hope that Jake is getting back down to work, I thought it would be safe to look elsewhere for the moment.


Jake as a 40-year-old balding Brit?

A recurring theme here is taking a look at the roles Jake put himself up for but, for what ever reason, didn't happen, probably for the best,or roles that Jake's name has been linked to rightly or wrongly as his career has blossomed. Here's one role that really made me sit up and raise one eyebrow higher than the other.


In October 2004, Jake was being linked to the role of author Toby Young in the movie How to Lose Friends and Influence People: 'It will see Young — famously short and bald — being played by Hollywood pin-up Jake Gyllenhaal, best known for The Day After Tomorrow and Donnie Darko... The story is based on Young’s two-year stint as contributing editor of Vanity Fair, the American magazine, in the late 1990s and his repeated unsuccessful attempts to seduce women from his glamorous New York circle of friends. His brushes with modern American political correctness are painfully recounted. On one occasion he arranged for a female stripper to perform in the building not realising that it was Bring Your Daughter to Work Day in the office.'


However, the Brit Toby Young was then 40 years old, 5 foot 8 and with little hair: 'He says he is “flattered” that Gyllenhaal is being lined up for the film. “Anyone who hasn’t met me and then sees the film will be very disappointed when they find out what I look like,” added the writer once described as a “bald homunculus” by Peter York, the style critic who bankrolled the Modern Review, which Young edited for four years before his stint on Vanity Fair. “It is the most flattering piece of casting since Colin Firth played Nick Hornby in the film version of Fever Pitch.”'


While this role did not come to pass for Jake, the film itself has been made and will be released this autumn. The role of Young (here called Sidney Young) went to the very enjoyable British actor Simon Pegg and the cast also includes the likes of Gillian Anderson, Kirsten Dunst and Jeff Bridges.


Do you ever wish you were in front of the camera?

This leads me on nebulously to a cameo role that Jake made in a film perhaps unintentionally. In 2005, Martin Short donned fatsuit and latex to star as the eponymous Jiminy Glick, an entertainment journalist with no knowledge of the business, who headed off to the Toronto Film Festival to interview the stars - the real ones - on the red carpet. The plot of Jiminy Glick in Lalawood is beyond me, it involves murder mysteries, and its purpose seems random, but it has a great few seconds with one bemused Jake Gyllenhaal, who is asked (not unreasonably, perhaps) 'Do you ever wish you were in front of the camera?' You can see the moment in this clip.



What with this at Toronto and Abby Singer at Sundance, Jake must be expecting anything at film festivals these days. He always handles such moments with class.




Romeo and Juliet in sand

Thanks to everyone who identified the mystery Gemma who has been linked to the role of the Princess in the Prince of Persia and who may well have to suffer an arduous summer romping in the desert with Jake Gyllenhaal. Apparently, she is Gemma Arterton, a UK actress just out of RADA, who was in the recent (I can't say it wthout grimacing) St Trinians film. Thanks very much to Pickle, who sent me a link to Gemma's fansite where the news was joyfully announced at a time when Orlando Bloom was still associated with the Prince's role: 'Her character falls for a pauper prince in an Arabian Nights-style version of Romeo and Juliet. She reportedly beat the cream of Tinseltown talent to be handpicked by producer Jerry Bruckheimer. “I’m speechless! I’m thrilled beyond words. This is an absolutely golden opportunity.” She said.' This story wasn't from the Mail as suggested, it was from the Daily Star, not one of Britain's finest, as is clear from the title of the article: 'Orlando's Gulf Phwoar'.


The good elements to draw from this article, is that the project is being presented as an Arabian Knights version of Romeo and Juliet and that the Prince of Persia is an impoverished prince, which raises my hopes and expectations that the shirt will be an optional and prohibitively expensive extra.


Includes pictures from IHJ.