Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the few actors who can perform in any genre of movie. He frequently provides directors with more material to work with than they anticipated because of his method of acting style. For instance, compare his role as a villain (Mysterio / Quentin Beck) in Spider-Man: Far From Home to his powerful depiction of an emotionally troubled teenager in Donnie Darko.
But his most well-known performance may have been in the 2014 Dan Gilroy neo-noir psychological thriller movie, Nightcrawler. The film had a lasting impact on the seasoned actor in a number of ways. The movie also received high marks from critics who praised Gyllenhaal’s acting as well as Gilroy’s screenplay.
According to The New York Times, Gyllenhaal accepted the role because of the compelling script and the opportunity to collaborate with eminent actors like Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and the late Bill Paxton.
Jake Gyllenhaal Was Affected by Nightcrawler in a Profound Way
Jake Gyllenhaal proved his unwavering dedication to his craft by genuinely losing himself in his character of a manipulative journalist while filming Nightcrawler. The talented actor went to great lengths to fully embody the protagonist, Lou Bloom, and as a result, reportedly required an astounding 42 stitches.
Gyllenhaal broke a bathroom mirror in one scene, which actually resulted in a real injury. The actor needed 42 stitches in his hand but managed to finish the movie by hiding his pain from the camera and the crew. He once related the tale on a Hot Ones episode:
“Fun fact: (In) the opening of that movie, my hands are behind my back. The opening two or three scenes. We shot those scenes last and because I had a huge cast on my arm, we’re hiding it throughout the opening of the film. It wasn’t as a mistake, as all stunts go, you never really know how it’s gonna go; any good stunt is a little bit of a mistake.”
Gyllenhaal, who is renowned for his immersive performances, pushed himself to the limit while filming the psychological thriller film, directed by Dan Gilroy. He continued:
“We were all so jacked about that opening sequence, you know, we come out of the car and there’s all this live fire, we approach and you meet the characters for the first time. It was all meant to be one take so when we go it… everyone was so excited.”
Jake Gyllenhaal Lost 30 Pounds For His Nightcrawler Role
Jake Gyllenhaal decided to give his all to his portrayal of a cunning journalist in Nightcrawler which has the potential to be contentious and fruitful. He also made the decision to fully immerse himself in a Method acting routine in order to convey the script’s mood.
He revealed to Variety that he lost 30 pounds for the role:
“I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.”
The Brokeback Mountain actor would occasionally only eat a few nibbles of meat, crackers, or kale salad, or he would not eat at all:
“When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent. It’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.”
To maintain his lean physique, Gyllenhaal would run 15 miles from his home to the film set each evening:
“There was a general sense that he was a coyote. I just wanted to live that way.”
The actor, 42, also acknowledged that having a dark role like Louis Bloom caused him to occasionally experience nightmares:
“I always have nightmares. I don’t really believe in nightmares. I don’t believe the things that scare us are in our dreams. I think they are us communicating with ourselves. Even if I’m scared, I think they are helpful sometimes.”
For the unversed, Nightcrawler was hailed by critics as one of the best movies of 2014, and it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards among other honors.
You can stream Nightcrawler on Max and DIRECTV.
