Interview

PHOTO, OCTOBER 2007

JAKE GYLLENHAAL

Since Donnie Darko, he's shown himself to be an eager actor. From oddball neuroses (Bubble Boy) to the raw emotional center he cracked wide open in Brokeback Mountain, he's devoted himself to his roles. Even in action blockbusters like The Day After Tomorrow, he worked to bring an "artsy" element to the schlock (to the consternation of his co-stars). He's been the same way with love; in his relationships with Kirsten Dunst and Reese Witherspoon, he was the one who's all in. That kind of person tends to be the one with the most to lose—but all told, we like his chances.

DAVID FINCHER: Have you been biking?

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: I bike every day. I never thought I would be somebody who devoted so much of their time to that type of physical activity.

DAVID FINCHER: Be careful—you don’t want to get so big you can’t fit into your suits. That’s what I first noticed in Rendition—this guy is pretty fit for a rendition observer.

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: Well, we were shooting that in the middle of a desert outside of Marrakesh, and I’d go running a lot. I imagine that as a director, when you’re filming, every possible second of your time is filled. But as an actor you have so much free time your mind wanders. Running is a really good antidote for a mind that tends to spin around a lot.


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