All is quiet on the Jake Gyllenhaal front at the moment, possibly because Jake has slipped away to the north to San Francisco and Berkeley. Jake was seen by a few tweeters at Four Barrel coffee shop on Friday night and then on Saturday he was snapped at the Berkeley Apple store. I'm so glad they were able to get a picture - proof indeed that the hair (and the face pet) is growing.
Thanks to IHJ, we also learn that Jake has signed a poster that is being auctioned for Edible Schoolyard. You can read about that here and also bid for it. IHJ also has new pictures of Jake appearing on Radio Europa in Moscow, back in those glorious PoP days of May 2010. There are a couple here and more can be found there.
WDW Dibley Interlude
I'm a big Vicar of Dibley fan and, even though the series was filmed just a few miles from where I live, today was the first time I've visited the beautiful village of Turville. And in the gorgeous warm autumnal sunshine too. Sitting outside in the beer garden looking at the wood smoke pouring out of the chimneys, it was idyllic. If you've seen the show, you may recognise the church and the vicarage. Of course, if you've never heard of Vicar Of Dibley (starring Dawn French), as is very possible, then apologies and I hope you like the photos of one of the prettiest villages in these parts!
A Vicar of Dibley reminder!
We also visited the windmill at Brill, a medieval village known for its clay pits (for pots), and Fengest, a village with one of the loveliest churches I've seen. Built in the early 13th century at the latest, it has a curious double set of towers. The day was rounded off by the site of two fallow deer running past us on the country roads.
I've just got back from watching Piranha 3D. As a result, this post will have absolutely no mention of fish in it. Or water. Instead, I'm taking the opportunity to do a little more catch up from May and those glorious days of Prince of Persia's release on to the world, when Jake Gyllenhaal wowed the red carpeted crowds and photographers alike. In these videos from MovieWeb, we have some more red carpet action from Moscow and London and some other behind the scenes moments - notably of Jake posing for the cameras on that roof top in front of Red Square and on the stage in front of the audience.
A couple of caps of Jake on the stage in Moscow.
Jake talks about Anne Hathaway and women
After all the Love and Other Drugs excitement of recent days, here are a few words from Jake about what it was like to work with Anne Hathaway, in the past and today: 'Annie and I had been through a lot together during the filming of Brokeback Mountain. I was still struggling with the separation fromKirsten Dunst and Annie heard my whining for hours and comforted me. We know each other so well now that the love scenes for Love and Other Drugs were in the can after a day. I play a pharmaceutical spokesperson, who fell in love with a woman, played by Annie, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.'
Jake also tells us that he's friends with Lance Armstrong 'Yes, Lance and I are good friends. Like him, I love to ride a bike. I even privately rode 46 km of the Tour de France in the Alps with Lance.'
He talks about Maggie and Ramona: 'At home, our job doesn't matter - even though our whole family is involved with show business. Our father is a director, our mother is a screenwriter our mother. Three years ago, Maggie's daughter Ramona was born. Since then, I've been an uncle and I love that girl above everything.'
Jake talks about fatherhood: 'It's a huge responsibility because you have to be so selfless. But I'm really looking forward to becoming a father one day.' And does Jake find it hard to understand women? 'Sometimes yes, but fortunately I have spent a lot of time with my sister and her friends and I know how women tick (laughs). You just have exceptionally high power and energy.'
And a repeat of an old answer about the state of his love life: 'I am an ascetic, living in a cave. I no longer have sex and so I've become much more interesting (laughs).'
And finally...
Stephanie of IHJ sent me a link today that has made me laugh so loud and long. I hope you enjoy it.
If you're interested, you can read my review of Piranha 3D here!
Includes pictures from IHJ. No human was injured by a fish during the making of this post.
Today I thought I'd take a break from all the sport by watching a different sport, in addition to a bunch of other sports that I've been hooked on for the last two weeks. That means cycling and the Tour de France which kicked off today but not in France. Someone said to me this week 'If you don't have a bicycle you may as well be dead' and, while I would argue with the validity of that assertion, it is indeed true that you cannot race the Tour de France without one. Lance Armstrong began his final Tour campaign today (although not for the first time) and one can't help but wonder that if indeed this is the last Tour then maybe at least the final scene can be added to the Lance Armstrong Biopic.
During the last four years we've heard no end of rumours connecting Jake Gyllenhaal to the Lance Armstrong biopic. And that isn't surprising because, in 2006, when Lance was following rather than competing, Jake not only accompanied (from a bit of a way back) Lance up the hilliest stage of the Tour, he also spent much of the summer with him. Along with another candidate for the Lance role, Matthew McConaughey.
The three amigos spent so much time together, a play was written about them. But the movie and cycling worlds are fickle and before too long Matt Damon was the name mentioned, even Rob 'The Pale One' Pattinson and Chris 'beam me up Scotty' Pine got a look in. One fact remains, however: Jake Gyllenhaal is indeed a cyclist and he has the spandex to back it up.
Back in 2006: 'Jake Gyllenhaal talked to the press about his new buddy Lance Armstrong while in the French Alps with the cyclist to watch the Tour de France. "We became friends just recently, a couple of months ago. He's a pretty straightforward guy. He called me the other day and said like, 'You want to go riding?'" Gyllenhaal recently started riding as training for a film, and of his ride with Armstrong through the Alps, the Proof actor said, "When we first started riding it was pure adrenaline that kept me going. Then, up the hill, across the way, you could see him like a plane in the sky, he was moving so fast... I just learn from Lance every day, the tips I get. I have never pushed myself so hard as I do with him." Gyllenhaal also joked about his other mutual pastime with Armstrong - beer drinking - saying, "That's been the primary training." Next on the agenda, Armstrong is taking the actor to his seaside villa in Nice.'
Obviously I'll make a good cyclist because that's the kind of training I'm an expert in. Jake has spoken of that year to New Weekly: 'Q: How did you get into it? JG: My best friend is a cyclist and he had a tandem bike. One day he was like, "Let's ride." I got on the back of the bike and we were riding and we just started pushing so hard, working together on this tandem bike. It was so much fun. I just remember that one ride — from then on I started riding. Then I guess Lance Armstrong heard that I biked and so he called me one day: "You want to go for a ride?" Q: There was this phase where there were always photos of you, Lance and Matthew McConaughey … JG: [Laughs.] Yeah. Well, then I had to go to work. We all hung out during summer, then we all had to go to work.'
'"The rumour started because Lance and I are friends". When asked about Lance, Jake praises his friend "But what has impressed me most about him is what he has done for people." "What is it that Lance Armstrong has done for people?" You can almost hear the pause and the sharp intake of breath: "He's motivated them! Thanks to him millions of people have started to think about themselves and tried to find out what's inside them."'
More recently, this year, Jake said: 'Lance Armstrong said to me, “Just break a sweat once a day.” Break a sweat once a day — and not out of stress — and you’ll stay healthy for the rest of your life. And I think that’s really true. Find something to get your heart-rate up, that’s what I did with this. But it’s good also to get paid to do it. That really helps.'
As a keen supporter and campaigner for LiveStrong, I wish Lance Armstrong all the best for the Tour, as tomorrow it leaves Rotterdam and heads on to Belgium.
Moscow!
Jake Gyllenhaal is enjoying the delights of Martha's Vineyard and I can't say I blame him - the island is gorgeous (even though the sea there frightens me as that's where Jaws was filmed...). But after posting the pictures yesterday from Moscow, I have to revisit that place because Jake and Gemma both shone there. I visited Russia several times in the mid-late 1980s, during the Gorbachev years and just before. There were adventures. There were long journeys by train through snow and ice with steaming tea, burning vodka and dashing guards. Not surprisingly, I love the place. I remember sitting to watch the Moscow State Circus while a child behind plaited by hair and watching the Bolshoi Ballet with an American marine who'd snuck out from the embassy.
Jake took part in a number of interviews in Moscow. I'm afraid that my Russian is extremely limited (although at one time I could work my way around a menu). But here are some of the things that Jake said in one interview:
'Well, I don't want to make everyone sad, but nobody knows how much time he has left on Earth. So you should get everything out of life. Therefore, wherever I go, I like to get into a little trouble. For instance, when I went to Moscow, I thought - we must see the sights, but there are places that tourists don't see. I'd like to see more than that. I also love to climb mountains, for example.'
'When we shot one of the swordfights, John Sio, our operator, said: "Jake, don't think about anything, it's just a fight, wave your sword", and he always followed me with the camera. In the middle of the battle I had... And John got a sword in the face. It was rubber of course, but I remember being terribly frightened when he fell on his back. We stopped shooting, I told him: "Oh, forgive me, forgive me!" And he said: 'Damn, that was fun! "This shot went into the film. Now that was unexpected.'
'And the worst day was when Alfred Molina kissed one of the ostriches on the neck!'
'Oh, I have, oddly enough, very much in common with the horse. Much more than with anyone else. We became close friends. Incidentally, afterwards, he went with me to Los Angeles, and is now living in West Hollywood. We ... I don't even have the words to express what I feel! He always supports me in everything. He is my best friend. If we say that there is someone special in every life, then that is my horse - he easily saved my life. He has carried me through everthing, and still supports me. I taked to him yesterday by phone, incidentally. I said: "I'm in Moscow!"... This is a special relationship, thanks for the question!'
Source Code: 'Well, there are lots of explosions in the film. We do a lot of fights. A very dangerous fistfight... Duncan Jones, the director of the film, is very good with psychology and amazing in science fiction. So the film has a strong dramatic feel, it's not just a thriller. Instead, it's clever fiction heated with napalm, which will satisfy any fan of action games.'
Who was the boss on PoP: 'Actually, I think Jerry... But in terms of interaction with the actors from scene to scene, the boss - Mike... They always worked together, I saw that. But it's still a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. He's a big producer, people go to watch his films... But in my opinion, I'm still the boss!'
It's a holiday weekend in the US - something to do with casting off the yolk of some other country - which seems like a golden opportunity to think about Christmas. You mean you haven't bought all your presents yet? But never mind the presents, the veggie nut roast, the mulled wine and the Queen's speech - this year it's all about the decorations. With many thanks to BBMISwear, who is admirably setting a fine example in her preparedness, here is her newest Christmas tree bauble. It might not flash red and green, but it has other qualities.
Yes, no Christmas tree will be properly dressed this year until it has a bunch of flying Prince Dastan baubles. If there had been any doubt at all that Jake Gyllenhaal has moved on to a whole new level of fame following the success of Prince of Persia (well over $300m worldwide now) then all that is removed with his arrival as a Christmas decoration. This does beg the question of course of whether you can alternate your Dastans with ostriches - or, as Jake sometimes calls them, Austrians. Maybe a nice camel for the top.
As part of the Prince of Persia publicity, Jake appeared in a great interview with This is Notthingham, which featured in a post here a month ago. This interview appears elsewhere, but it contains a little bit more, and it's pure JakeSpeak.
'"There’s no reason to do a movie like this if you can’t do the stunts. It was all about functional fitness, being able to do everything that was asked of me,” he says. But he couldn’t have prepared himself for such intense media scrutiny focused solely in the direction of his newly honed abs. “Yeah, cue me taking off my jacket,” he says laughing loudly as the question regarding his physique coincides with him removing his coat.'
'“I think there’s a definite focus on vanity, and I think we all focus on it, which is so unimportant to me,” he says. “What’s interesting is the character being played. The images from the movie are the only thing people have seen so… And it’s fine, I mean it’s definitely flattering.”... Given Prince of Persia’s themes of fate and destiny, does he believe in ‘The One’? “‘The one’ meaning ‘the one great movie’, that’s what you mean, right?” he deadpans.'
'“Oh… a lady!” he says in mock surprise. “Do you know what I believe in? I believe in carnation and reincarnation. I believe it’s sometimes a daily thing, a weekly thing, where we reincarnate and become different people and change in our days, in our weeks, in our years. I mean I’m not the same person I was even when we made this movie,” he says. And the idea of ‘The One’? “I do believe in soul mates and I think that destiny has something to do with that, yeah,” he says with a wry smile. And with that he’s called to face the world’s press and no doubt more questions about those abs.' More here.
With all the excitement of Prince of Persia, I'm afraid it's inevitable that I've lost sight a little of Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal. I'm waiting for Knight and Day to reach the UK to see Peter on the big screen again. His big-headed appearance in Green Lantern is more disturbing a prospect. As for Maggie, Crazy Heart has recently been released in the UK on DVD and Nanny McPhee is on the way.
But this week we have had the first reports of new projects for both. The news of Maggie's did originate in the Mail but even so the news that she may be making a movie about the Victorian origins of the vibrator couldn't help but make me think about Jake's forthcoming film on viagra. Surely a DVD pack made in heaven...?
The rumours surrounding Peter's possible new project are a little more staid but equally ambitious. He 'is attached to star in a biopic of the country music legend Bill Monroe, the man who helped create the bluegrass genre. Sarsgaard (An Education) reportedly approached Oscar-winning writer Callie Khouri (Thelma and Louise) about helping to rewrite the first draft of the script, ostensibly with himself in mind as Monroe. While the bluegrass biopic is still in early stages of development, it will likely come together as a low-budget independent film, with Finn Taylor (The Darwin Awards) in the director's chair.' Of course, this also means we could get a singing Peter! Can't be bad.
This post is illustrated with some great new pictures from the Moscow premiere of Prince of Persia, courtesy of IHJ. Looking at these pictures, I can't help but feel sympathy for the Twilight fans in Leicester Square last night who waited for hours for the Eclipse premiere and not one of the three main stars turned up. Although, admittedly, it would be difficult to find a premiere as odd as my experience of the Zodiac LA premiere...
With huge thanks to IHJ for what must have been a very late night, we too can enjoy images of Jake Gyllenhaal in Red Square with Homer Simpson! We can also watch Jake on the Late Show with David Letterman... in that suit...
Back later with a full post! A big thanks to Steph, especially from those of us on this side of the pond *)
I realise that this is the second post of the day - there's so much going on, you should just be thankful it's not the 13th! However, Geek Syndicate has published the entire London press conference, winning for themselves a giant tick on my Thank You chart. I'd also like to thank the friend for the heads up. So here are all seven videos that take you right through the event, from introductions to apologies for Jake's slightly controversial comments - for instance, saying that he'd heard that real Persian princes didn't like Jake's accent in the film, but did like the hair. And then there was something about Austrians and barbarians.
'I have been studying Parkour since I was a young child so it was really a good role for me, a perfect fit, as well as I've always really wanted to play a prince. Some people might say that I am, in a lot of ways, a princess and so I thought that playing a prince would be fitting.'
'No doubt, speaking in an English accent was the hardest part for me. I think it's daunting trying to do any service as an American to such a beautiful, fluid speechpattern that you all have and we are just barbarians in comparison... It helped being surrounded by an all - an international crew - but primarily British cast and somewhat British crew and so I would speak every day... I would get out of the car and I'd have the accent on all day and would sort of journey from one region to region around England with a different person I would talk to. And I would mimic them and sometimes I would sound like them in takes and Mike would say 'Dear boy! You don't sound right! Do it again!' 'Smashing!' That's my favourite line. 'Cut!' - that's when you know he's excited about a take. So I would say that the accent was most daunting, particularly in front of the British press.'
The ostriches... 'The most terrifying day of the shoot for me... They seem like they have eyes similar to mine but really they don't, they do dangerous stuff to you and so I would like to stop that from happening again.'
Gemma Arterton on her costume: It was quite loose 'thank goodness. You'd have got an eyeful otherwise, Jake.' 'It would've been hot' was Jake's response.
Gemma: 'I took the piss out of Jake and he took the piss out of me. We all take our work very seriously but I certainly don't take myself very seriously and I think that Jake's the same. So we had fun and I think that you definitely can see that in the film.'
Gemma tells ET a bit more about working with Jake: 'As for Gyllenhaal's body in the movie, she tells ET it was like "hugging a pillar." "It's amazing, really. He was in such amazing shape and worked very, very hard at it," Arterton says of her sexy costar. "It's like a piece of art." After a series of near kisses in the film, the actress says simply of the actual smooching scene, "It was a moment I suppose."
Talking of ostriches (or was that Austrians?) the offical Prince of Persia site has released more footage from the Mighty Ostrich Race. We are assured that no animal was hurt in the making of the film, but we're not so sure about Jake and his post-ostrich trauma.
The NYMag meanwhile has been proving the verity of Jake's medieval Persian locks and muscles - as if any were needed.
Thanks to IHJ for the Russian pic! A little different from Mayfair...
Never mind Cannes, last night the place to be was Moscow - Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton set the red carpet alight as Prince of Persia premiered in Russia. Gyllenhaalism is not bound by borders or barriered by language as this fantastic PoP progression around (hopefully) much of the world shows. Nevertheless, I've been practising my rusty and, indeed, non-existent Russian to come up with the perfect phrase for a Jake Gyllenhaal Russian Red Carpet Experience: Мы любим тебя, Джейк' - this either means 'We love you, Jake!' or 'My slave Davos was eaten by a lion, do you know where I can get another one?' In other news, you'll be glad to hear that I have retrieved one of Lego Dastan's swords from the barrel of my Dyson vacuum cleaner.
We're lucky enough to have a clip from the red carpet, which shows that everywhere Prince of Persia takes Jake, his fanbase will be there too to cheer him on.
I'm still catching up with posting interviews, but I did like this one with the Sunday Mail, which shows that Jake also enjoys sports that are more familiar to us Euros (I still maintain that Jake has a secret cricket passion): "There is a very early entry in my diary, from when I was six, and it says 'soccer is my life!' "I played school soccer and it became my obsession. Of course, I'll be watching the games. I would really like to go to the World Cup finals." [My local does a great job following the World Cup, Jake, especially if you fancy watching a game with a pie and pint?]
'For the first time I can say that America is my team and not have people roll their eyes or nod in a kind of pitying way. I think we have a great team and real potential to definitely show something for the first time.'
Elsewhere in the interview, Jake speaks of the hot desert '"It was hot but it was fun. The desert is really cleansing, the sand exfoliates your skin and there is a nice, warm, dry sun. I definitely breathed in my share of sand."... He reveals he was excited just driving to the massive film sets which were created in the desert for Prince Of Persia. "It was like going to a sporting event when you are the captain of the team," enthuses Jake. "There were cars lined up along the road for five miles and there was an army of film crew and the sets were 100-feet high! Every day I did feel like a kid." The film also helped him realise another childhood ambition - to have his own action figure. He said: "That is like fulfilling the dreams that I had when I was eight. "When he is playing with an action figure what young boy doesn't think that maybe one day... ? "So to be one is incredible. If you were to go back to the eight-year-old me and say that one day I will be in a movie that looks a little like Indiana Jones and it is the video game that I am actually playing, called The Prince Of Persia... I think that my head would have exploded."'
For the future: 'And he also stars in another wacky comedy titled Love And Other Drugs in which he is cast as a Viagra salesman. He jokes: "That research was interesting."... There are other Prince Of Persia computer games which could be adapted for the screen and he loves the idea of returning to the desert for more movie adventures. "I am totally game," added Jake. "I love the character and his world. I think it is super fun."'
In another interview, Jake elaborates on the scale of filming Prince of Persia: 'It required a lot of technical work that I usually do in movies, but this was learning how to do the rudimentary aspects of Parkour, learning how to swordfight which involves learning martial arts and having martial arts training and learning choreography, really complicated choreography, and having two swords that I use. Learning how to horseback ride proficiently in a way that I could do stunts, learning a British accent and on top of all of that, on a movie this size, when you make a different choice, like if you block out a scene for instance. If you make a different choice in the middle of the day, you say, “Well, maybe I should be over here,” but if you make that choice, it affects 1000 more people than it would on a smaller movie or on other movies. It’s just the sheer size of it. I guess I could compare it to going to a sports event. Every day on set I would drive up to set and there’d be 500 cars lined up for five miles before you even got to set and you would get to the base camp for set and it would be like an army tent setup camp. Then we’d get onto set and there would be these massive sets built, 250 feet high with every intricate detail done so that they could shoot anywhere, and then 1000s of extras. I would get suited up every morning and take 40 minutes to put on my costume. I had these crazy intense boots that I wore that wereParkour style so that I could do the stunts. I think you can see it on the poster a little bit. I had all these different things that were attached to my costume and it took a long time. So it was kind of like getting prepared for some big sporting event.'
On working with (or 'for') Sir Ben Kingsley: 'Specifically working with someone, I would say “for” because he is Sir Ben Kingsley, working for Sir Ben Kingsley is just incredible. When you work with somebody of that level, that stature, who has that amount of experience, that many years, and has done such extraordinary work, it’s kind of an actor’s dream come true. The interesting thing about Sir Ben is he has a real childish play to him. I acted really, really conservatively around him when I first started acting and he was like, “Come on.” He sits up straight, he seems so regal but he really likes to kind of get down and dirty with his acting and so do I. So, it was great fun and a real honor.' There's much more to this interview, so be sure to read it here.
In this interview, Jake is interviewed by another Jake, leading to some mutual appreciation.
Jake features on two British TV shows tomorrow (Thursday):
08.30-09.25 GMTV with Lorraine (for sure) 18.25 Live from Studio Five (I think)
I wouldn't be too surprised to be back later - there is a lot of catching up to do and who knows where the PoP team will turn up next! Many thanks to IHJ for these fantastic pics from Russia.
The Prince of Persia team is in Moscow! Continuing Jake Gyllenhaal's new trend of being interviewed in high up places (see below), Jake, Gemma Arterton, Jordan Mechner, Jerry Bruckheimer and Mike Newell brave the Moscow rooftops for a photocall with a great backdrop. Admittedly, it's not easy to appreciate the architectural and historical wonders of Moscow, when you have Jake Gyllenhaal and The Jacket in front of you. Having had some amazing adventures in Moscow and Russia over the years, I hope Jake and the others get to see a little of the city (overground and underground), and enjoy a taster of the fiery liquid.
Vodka will make a pleasant change, no doubt, because all the evidence suggests that Jake has been overdoing it on the tea while in London. So much so, he even tells Terri at Extra that his ideal woman must like tea. Obviously, I'm English, I can't get enough of the stuff... Particularly when it isn't tea. But it is rather nice to see Jake being interviewed while at High Tea - I can see clotted cream and a bunch of dainties. Full version here.
Jake also revealed how much he wants to play Joe Namath - when the project is perfectly ready - and how he trained for Prince of Persia. Somehing about riding round stars' homes in LA on a camel and eating twigs.
Talking of tea, Jake told the Sun: 'I love being in London and can walk around pretty free. I love going to Hyde Park, travelling around on a double decker bus and having a nice cup of tea! People are very welcoming in London. It's one of my favourite cities in the world.' Sitting next to Jake Gyllenhaal on a double decker, something every Brit should experience at least once.
Jake looked down on London Town from up high for two interviews. In the first, for ET, Jake proved that his flirting skills are finely honed and not adversely affected by jetlag. You can also see Jake taunt his fanbase.
Jake was also emotional during a rooftop interview for 10 Daily. One minute Jake's talking about his passion for Snickers and, in the next, the ordeal of being hot and sexy gets to him and he takes a moment. As always, whenever Jake is interviewed, I find myself laughing out loud and today, we have had so many, it's been a very good day. And no end in sight as the PoP tour continues.
There are more videos today from London! And here are some of them.
We also have quite a lot more from the London press conference.
Updated to add this great video in which Sir Ben Kingsley talks about Jake's greatest gift as an actor.
I still have much of my own stuff to upload and so I'll do that just the moment that I get the chance in this busy PoP schedule. I will also be emailing the three winners of the little competition later this evening! Many thanks to IHJ for keeping on top of the vids and for the wonderful pictures from the Prince of Persia's European Tour!
