UPDATE! WDW Exclusive Part 2! Carey Mulligan speaks about Jake Gyllenhaal and the UK prepares...

UPDATE! Tomorrow morning at 10am Brit Time, Jake will be answering fans' questions on MSN. So, in the meantime tweet your questions to @msnents using #msnjake or follow this link to the webpage where you can also leave a question.

Jake appears on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show tomorrow and on th Graham Norton Show on the BBC at 10.30pm. Thanks to Gyllencrazy for the info that this will be broadcast on BBC America on 8 December.

So, if you're in London as of now, keep your eyes open!

On with the post!

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to share a fabulous report by Lisa and Ted from their NYC trip to see Jake Gyllenhaal at the Armed Forces event. If you see Jake at one event in a weekend then you can consider yourself truly fortunate, but two?! Earlier the same day - 11 November - Lisa and Ted attended a performance of If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet which was followed by a Q and A in which the full cast, including Jake, participated. Lisa even asked the first question. So, with no further ado, here is Lisa's full and brilliant report:

'On Sunday, November 11^th I attended If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet for the sixth time and enjoyed it just as much as I did all the other times!  The performances are tighter than ever and Enid Graham is a great addition to the cast playing Anna’s mother, Fiona.  This performance was extra special because Ted, who has been on a couple of other adventures with me :-), was able to join me in the states and we had tickets in the orchestra front row center.  It was amazing to be sitting that close and looking straight on like that and, yes, we did get splashed a few times!!

This performance included a Q&A and this time the full cast participated. Jake looked great in the mustard colored pants he had on in the recent ‘walking about NYC pictures’ with a brown button down shirt and no hat (boy, that head of hair is getting full – lookin’ good)!

When the cast first got seated Jake looked around the audience a lot - he seemed to scan each and every person.  He looked quite relaxed throughout, slumped down a bit with legs stretched out in front of him when other cast members spoke, sometimes with a distant look as if really concentrating on what they were saying.  He would nod in agreement from time to time as they spoke and would sit right up when he was asked a question as he readied to answer.

I felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to ask the first question which I directed to Jake (of course)!  I noted that he played a lot of different characters over his career and that Terry is quite a unique one and I asked if he could tell us what he liked and disliked about playing this character.  He said that he first wanted to say that it was the writing that attracted him to the play and he went on to say similar things that we’ve heard him say before about the story (i.e. the messy family situation, etc.) but I’ll be honest that when he was answering this question he was looking directly at me (he was doing that a lot – looking at the person who asked the question while giving his answer instead of looking at the audience as a whole) so there are definitely bits that went in one ear and out the other! 

He said that when he read the script that parts were written like poetry and he liked that Terry’s sentences were often unfinished and he had to finish them himself mentally.  He said it was funny how when you looked at the lines all of Terry’s were just on the left hand side of the page because they just stopped (he chuckled as he explained that). 

He continued that he felt Terry is just trying to be understood and has such a hard time expressing himself but he is dedicated to the truth of it.  He thinks that that’s where a lot of Terry’s anger comes from – not being able to verbalize it and that’s what he loved about it. He added that if you’re going to do something eight times a week you want it be something you really want to be a part of and he felt that this was an opportunity he might not get to play again. 



Needless to say I just nodded and smiled throughout his answer because, wow, it’s really hard to concentrate when those eyes are looking straight at you!  So hard, in fact, that I didn’t notice until much later that he didn’t mention what he disliked about playing the character of Terry – maybe there isn’t anything he dislikes about it?  

Jake seemed happy to answer any questions that came his way as well as jump in and add to some of the things being asked of the other cast members.  When Annie was asked about the relationship between Anna and Terry and if she even realized it was leaning toward a sexual nature she said that she and Jake talked a lot about that and both felt that this girl needed some type of positive attention – any type of attention – as she was so overlooked and being a 15 year old girl it’s not a surprise that she confused her feelings at times.  Jake took the microphone from her when she was done and wanted to add that it seems that people often confuse intimacy and sexuality and that you can have one without the other and that the way Anna and Terry are toward each other is just how these two people express themselves.

There was a question that’s been brought up before regarding this play about the two brothers speaking so differently and Jake grabbed the microphone right away and laughed as he said “well George is A LOT older” which got a laugh out of everyone (especially Brian who plays George)!  He went on to say that George had a lot of schooling, did a lot of studying and seemed to identify with that while Terry was closer to home and stayed closer to his mom.  He said he also thought that Terry wants to hold on to somewhat of a street-smart kid attitude so kind of talks in a certain way to portray that.


Link for the above video interview

There was a question for Annie and Enid about the mother and daughter relationship which they both spoke a little about and then a couple of comments that made people shake their heads a bit (but that always seems to happen at a Q&A)!  One was from an older woman who wanted to tell anyone who would listen that the British accents didn’t sound right and caused her to not understand one thing that was said and she thought someone should make note of that – this caused a combination of discomfort and a few chuckles from the audience and cast members alike!  Another older woman mentioned a photo of Jake that she saw in the NY Times as part of a review and that he had a red beard and she wondered what happened to it which caused Jake to grab the microphone and say “I think you got a bad copy of the NY times” which got quite a roar of laughter from everyone! 

All and all it was a very interesting and entertaining Q&A and it was wonderful to hear Jake talk about this project which is obviously very dear to him. 

I do have to thank a group of friends who joined Ted and I after the play and helped me write a thorough recap of the Q&A as it was a lot to remember but we wanted to get it all written down so we could share!'

Thank you, Lisa!

Carey Mulligan on Jake Gyllenhaal in End of Watch

This - a presentation for SAG - is very special. Carey's words on the performance of her friend Jake in End of Watch:

'I remember so vividly Jake's demeanor when he was preparing for "End of Watch." I have known him and regarded him as a dear friend for several years, and during that time I was very struck by some fundamental change in him. He was energized, he was completely present and he told me with such excitement about the work that he was doing to get ready for his next movie. A large part of the work involved was observing protocol on the midnight shift with the LAPD. Both he and Michael Pena witnessed pretty tragic, unpleasant scenes that affected them both. His descriptions of the ride-alongs were charged not with voyeurism but with a profound respect for the policemen and women whom they were observing. His reinvigorated sense of perspective and humility was palpable. I sensed just how deep he had already gone, and that the experience was filling him in some new way. Not that Jake had ever taken work lightly ­­-- quite the opposite -- but what was so distinct on this occasion was that this work was releasing him. He seemed more free, more alive and more comfortable in his skin than I had ever known him.'

'Watching Jake in "End of Watch," I saw all of that joyous freedom on the screen. His complete ease in scenes with the brilliant Michael Pena makes those moments wrap around you in all their infectious warmth, and pulls you into the car with them. Their comraderie is the most beautiful portrayal of friendship in the truest sense: absolute trust, love and unflinching loyalty. It is a love story that broke my heart and Jake's work is fearless. He is not daunted by the intimacy of their relationship, the lightening fast emotional changes, the dichotomy of bravado and honesty or even a meticulously choreographed first dance at his wedding. When he stood to speak at the closing of the movie, with such quiet grace, I realized I hadn't thought once of the Jake I know as my friend but only as the character he embodies in this wonderfully special movie.'

Speaking of awards, Michael Pena has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Spirit Award although Jake and David Ayer were not nominated - mixed news there.

End of Watch and the UK

Jake is set to arrive in the UK imminently for his flying promotional trip. Tomorrow night Jake's appearance on the Graham Norton Show is recorded (before airing late on Friday night), during which he will be surrounded by Jeremy Clarkson and James May of Top Gear as well as Joan Rivers. Getting a word in will prove quite a feat but I'm sure Jake will manage it. Also, unlike other chat shows, if Jake is first on the show he'll be there on the sofa throughout. If he's last on, he'll be fighting for airtime with Clarkson - could be interesting. Could be controversial. Could be petrolheady. Not having Top Gear's Richard The Hamster Hammond and Jake on the show is a missed opportunity that Norton may rue til the end of his days - or at least til the end of the series.

Also on Friday, Jake is taking part in a BAFTA screening and Q and A in London.

On Friday morning, Jake is due to appear on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show - not something I'd wish on many people but hopefully it will go well and Jake won't be overshadowed by the announcement of flood warnings.

No doubt, there will be more! Especially as End of Watch has been causing such a great buzz over the UK since its release last Friday.

Thanks to IHJ for the lovely new pictures!

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.

WDW exclusive - Jake Gyllenhaal the 'French Fry dude' who loves to dance plus some Damn Yankees and Source Code chatter

With Love and Other Drugs in the American cinemas and while Jake Gyllenhaal's busy maintaining his caffeine levels over the holidays - liking the hat - I now have a chance to catch up a bit and post a treat.


Back in May this year, Jake put in an inordinate amount of airmiles to promote Prince of Persia around the world and in so doing came face to face with quite a few of the people here, myself included. BBMISwear saw Jake in Toronto when he was up there to appear on eTalk on 25 May. We've seen here the videos that she took of those off camera moments when Lisa and Ted reminded Jake of their South Caroline meeting and his allegiance to Boston (something to do with sports...), but we've seen little from the show itself. But now, thanks to BBMISwear, here are six tastey morsels. And that's not including Jake, Lisa and Ted, all of whom get quite a look in here. And as Jake says himself: 'She's from Boston' (that'll be clip no. 6).

Clip no 1: C'mon Canada!




Clip no 2: Jake loves to clap and some details on his Prince of Persia co-star (and they don't mean Gemma...).



Clip no 3: a swordfighting lesson. Don't try this at home.



Clip no 4: Jake Gyllenhaal the 'French Fry dude' and American Jake and Canadian Jim. Some thoughts on Damn Yankees.



Clip no 5: 'I dance wherever I go' and filming Source Code in Montreal.



Clip no. 6: The sports one.... 'We're going to make you wear green!' (that's those Boston people).



Many thanks to Ted and Lisa and to IHJ for the wonderful picture from the Love and Other Drugs NYC press conference. There are lots more there.

Prince of Persia brings Ted, Lisa and Jake Gyllenhaal together again! An exclusive WDW report of an Amazing PoP Adventure

It's the day on the poster - 28 May - Prince of Persia is out! And we have something special to mark the day... In April 2008, Jake Gyllenhaal had an amazing adventure - Ted and Lisa had lunch with Jake on the set of Nailed in South Carolina and the story of their extraordinary day became the stuff of GyllenLegend. But who would have thought then that, a little over two years later, a Persian prince, a blunt dagger and an awful lot of sand would work their magic and the paths of these three would cross once once? Oh yes! Jump forward to 25 May 2010, a TV studio in Toronto, and behold the words of Jake: 'What are you doing here?' I don't think it was a coincidence...




In a WDW exclusive here is the full report from my dear friend and our very own BBMISwear Lisa and the much loved Ted (DontyouwanttosayGB on LJ), complete with fantastic photos from Ted and enviably steady videos from Lisa. Over to Lisa (I supply some stage directions).



The scene is set: 'With Lisa’s pushing, Ted spoke to one of the production people from the TV studio and mentioned that we spent some time with Jake on a movie set in South Carolina and hoped that, if she got a chance to tell him we were here, that she would do so. She thought it was great that we came up for the taping and took the copy of the picture of us with Jake to give to his publicist and mention we were there! (Note: After the taping she told us she saw that we talked to him during the breaks but gave our picture to his publicist anyway – it makes us laugh to think maybe Jake got to see this picture we have cherished for the last two years)!'





'Jake arrived at the ETalk CTV Studio at 5:15PM and stayed until close to 6:00PM! There were approximately 60 people in the live studio audience – a real intimate in the round setting. Lisa and Ted were 5th and 6th in line and got great seats facing the chair Jake was sitting in – literally looking into that face for 40 minutes straight! The two front rows of lowered seats in front of us were reserved for VIPs so were not a choice for us but our seats were stools and higher than the seats in front of us so the view was magnificent!'




'The audience was told that that we were not allowed to go up to him, or him to us so no photos “with” or autographs – the small intimate setting was obviously not set up for that type of chaos but it was fine with us as we got to basically “sit with him” in such a small space and crowd for 40 minutes! We could take as many pictures “of him” as we wanted during “commercial breaks” but these breaks are quick and spread out throughout the taping. If anyone was caught taking photos once told to put cameras away at the end of each break they would be escorted out so we of course followed these rules!'



'When Jake arrived the crowd went nuts – he was in a great mood – smiling and upbeat the entire time! During the commercial breaks he was very sociable and fun with the audience! The pictures here are self-explanatory and were taken throughout his time at the studio during those quick commercial breaks. He was usually rushed to get back in good position in his chair and ready to go but took the time to wave and say hello to as many people in the audience as he could during these breaks.'


If you take a look at this screencap from the highlights video I posted a day or two ago, you can just about make out Ted and Lisa to the right. Look for the guy in green. Always stand next to someone in green, or next to a photogenic blonde or a very tall person - if possible, combine all three.


Side note from Ted who does live in Canada and so saw the results. 'He thinks that this highlight clip is all that there was on the actual broadcast…if this is the case that is real short…there is tons of footage! They do sometimes put clips into future shows we were told. We’re still on the hunt for anyone in Canada who taped the actual show so we’ll see for sure soon I hope.'



The video clips! I admire Lisa's professionalism when it comes to recording Jake. I could certainly learn a lesson or two (I have a video still to show you in a few days and you'll see just what I mean). Over to Lisa for a DVD commentary on Video Clip 1: 'In this video clip you see Jake and ETalk host, Tanya Kim, pose for the professional photos we've seen on the internet. At approximately the 40 second mark I yell out (twice) "Hey Jake...South Carolina...remember?" - he hears me the second time and says "South Carolina?" and seems unsure (at this point I'm hand gesturing to me and Ted so he can take a good look and maybe remember - ha ha)! Then he says "That's right, that's right" (pretty loud in there so hard to hear). I love the big smile and hand gestures as he remembers!! Then he adds a surprised "What are you doing here?" and I told him I flew up from Boston to see you and he says "Oh yeah" like he figured as much (not surprised to see me following him out of the country I don't think - LOL)! Right then one of the production people (you will see on the video) comes over and cues Tanya to get ready to tape again and a production off camera tells everyone to be ready so this conversation ended quick - but I loved every second of it while it lasted!!!'



Lisa's DVD commentary for video clip 2: 'In this clip Jake is hanging between taping and says at one point “It’s gonna get hotter in here”! One girl yells out “Jake you’re so hot I love you” – he looks uncomfortable at first with that but is nice and there is a funny exchange but I have no idea what was said! It quiets down a bit and I figured I have to ask if he really remembers us or was just being nice so at the 50 second mark I asked “Jake do you really remember our lunch, or not?” – again he uses his hand gestures and says “Ya, what are you guys doing, what are you guys doing up here, you working?” and Ted responds “I’m working here but she’s up from Boston” and I say at the same time “I’m visiting”.



I love how he is so matter a fact talking to us – just shooting the shit! Love that!!! He nods and at that point my video ran out of space (1 minute intervals on this thing) but at that next moment a production person put it all to an end anyway as we were moving into taping again!'


Lisa sets the scene for Video Clip 3: 'In this clip things are winding down...they're getting ready to do the sign off, etc. Their going over with him what to say - will probably use for future promos, etc. He does a quick little dance move...so cute!! You'll see my camera goes vertical showing the state I am in - LOL!!!!!' Now that's a camera move I appreciate.



This is Boston Lisa we're talking about and so we have sportstalk. I have no doubt that Jake took one doubletake at Lisa and realised CelticsGate would pop right up again. 'Toward the end of the taping of the interview, after the "do you remember us" "what are you doing up here" exchange Tanya tried to get him to talk about Hockey (of course...we're in Canada!) and it was obvious how little he knows about the sport though said he is just getting into it and Jerry Bruckheimer is a huge hockey fan and got him into it. He said "I'm an NBA guy and there's something going on with two teams right now" and does a hand gesture of going back and forth like teetering. I, of course, knew exactly what he meant and yelled out "CELTICS"! And he pointed at me and said "Ya, she's from BOSTON"!! Everyone laughed! I may never see this on a tape (unless I get an in with someone at CTV) but I absolutely loved it!! I even talked to him DURING an interview...I was ballsy, huh?! LOL!!' With a capital B, my friend.'



Mind you, we are talking here about the person who hurled herself through the postoffice hatch in Gloucester in a vivid re-enactment of Moonlight mile. If we'd have had the dog with us, the match would've been perfect. And a cat.



And most definitely not finally!

It's Prince of Persia day! Yes! 28 May has arrived - the day on the posters - and one of the many aspects of this film that I will always rememeber and love is how it brought so many of us fantastic Jake experiences, thinking of Lisa and Ted in Toronto, my roving reporters and friends in San Francisco and LA, and myself and my good friends in London. I was thrilled to be sent a special tweet this morning, just for me, from Jacky in LA, who got to see Jake at the LA premiere and had a perfect moment. Jacky described it to me as 'an hour & 56 minutes of heaven'. This was the result and many thanks to you, Jacky.


Photos by Ted and Lisa and Jacky. The big smile on my face is all mine :)