Jake Gyllenhaal says the unexpected opportunity to become roommates with his brother-in-law and co-star Peter Sarsgaard is a moment he will always cherish.
Fresh from dominating the UFC octagon at Road House, the Oscar nominated actor has traded in his mouthguard for the courtroom in the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent.
Peter Sarsgaard with his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake’s older sister. Photo: AP
Based on the 1987 novel of the same name and made into a film starring Harrison Ford in 1990, it follows a criminal lawyer accused of killing his co-worker and lover.
Despite the challenging subject matter, the filming process gave Gyllenhaal a moment in time for which he will be eternally grateful.
“We had to live together for most of it,” he tells Sky News.
“Most of the time we both live in the same city but he is with his family and I am in my life and we see each other but we don’t live together, so it was a very special moment in our lives that we really have to be like partners fourth”.
He adds: “It’s not a normal situation in that sense, but man, I appreciate it and we got a lot closer as a result of it.”
Sarsgaard He married Gyllenhaal’s sister, actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, in 2009 and they have a son together.
The 43-year-old says he has only known “wonderful things” from working with people he knows off-screen.
‘The most powerful note I’ve ever been given’
“I think there’s an honesty there, it’s really surprising.”
He says having moved beyond the “introductory moments” allows actors a space and environment where they can reach a new level of connection in a shorter period of time.
“In our case, with my brother-in-law and I, we are very dedicated to our work, to acting, to storytelling and things like that, so I think we also understand it as a craft, so we can contribute things of our own. relationship. in scenes that are real in a fictional space, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
“And then we can go home and have a beer and laugh and enjoy it.”
The Spider-Man star’s appreciation for Sarsgaard doesn’t end there.
Peter Sarsgaard. Image: Apple TV+
He even credits his brother-in-law for the most memorable direction he’s ever received as an actor.
“He once came to see me at a show I was doing on stage, and his only note to me was that there is power in stillness, and I remember that a lot because I think it’s true.
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“I think, particularly as an actor, but in general in life, I think we have a tendency to want to move and express ourselves, and I think a lot of times stillness makes people lean in and also makes you focus on listening.
“And it does a lot of really powerful things. It was an incredible note and it came from Peter.”
“People love crime thrillers”
Gyllenhaal leads the cast of Presumed Innocent as Rusty Sabich, a Chicago criminal lawyer facing murder charges.
Sarsgaard plays lawyer and prosecutor Tommy Molto in the series.
This is Gyllenhaal’s first appearance as a television lead and he has insights into why people are so attached to crime as a genre.
“It’s the biggest question mark, right? It’s the ultimate mystery. And I think a thriller, a crime novel, is always very interesting, especially when it’s a story that unfolds over many different hours.” “.
Gyllenhaal adds: “It’s a lot of fun, although the subject matter is very intense, and I also think we’re fascinated by the extremes of human behavior, that’s our nature, fascinated by ‘what’s it like?’ and ‘how is it possible?’ and things like that”.
The first two episodes of Presumed Innocent are now available to stream on Apple TV+, with a new episode released every Wednesday.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
