It’s quite common for actors to suffer a few injuries while performing any sort of physically demanding roles in movies, especially movies involving sports. The same could be said for Jake Gyllenhaal, who is famous for his exceptional range and ability to mold himself into the required character for the movie.
Following his time at the movie, Southpaw, which went on to garner around $94 million at the global box office, it did come with its own set of problems for the actor. As while delivering an exceptional performance in the role of the trained boxer, the actor wasn’t immune to injuries.
Jake Gyllenhaal suffered a serious blow during his time on Southpaw
Delivering an exceptional performance in the role of Billy Hope in Southpaw didn’t come off easy for Jake Gyllenhaal, as during the production of the movie, the actor had to take some real blows to his face. Even though the Spider-Man: Far From Home actor put a lot of effort into achieving the perfect physique and learning the skills to deliver a convincing boxing performance, the actor wasn’t immune to injuries.
The actor expressed that just in their second week of shooting, he took a big blow in his face and the crew was worried that whether Gyllenhaal will be able to continue filming after it. He said,
“I got hit pretty hard in the face. All the producers ran [over]. I don’t think out of real worry for me, but just the fact that we were only two weeks into shooting. There is something jarring about being hit in the face. I don’t know how to explain it. It wakes me up.”
But despite a few inconveniences, the actor didn’t fail from delivering an immaculate performance and the movie also showcased the actor’s ability to shift into any character the script demands.
Jake Gyllenhaal went to great lengths to achieve the desired physique in Southpaw
After losing around 30 pounds for his role in Nightcrawler, the actor went on to gain around 15 pounds of muscle for his role in Southpaw. The actor also had to go through a rigorous diet and training process to achieve the desired body for the character and was able to achieve the perfect physique for the movie. However, the actor doesn’t see it as much of a big deal and brushes it off as part of the job. He said,
“People have a lot of other s— they have to do that’s more interesting and more important, so I don’t blame them for being like, ‘Oh, wait, how many sit-ups did you have to do?’ Or, ‘Oh, wow, what did you eat to lose that much weight?’ But you’re missing the point,”
But it’s safe to say that the blow at his face was worthwhile for Gyllenhaal, as he went on to garner immense appreciation for his role, and the movie is still talked about to this day and is deemed a classic.
Southpaw is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: People
