What do you get if you combine Jake Gyllenhaal, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto? A very happy WDW, that's what. This week Jake appeared on an Actors Awards Roundtable alongside Matt, Jared (just think Highway), Forest Whitaker, Josh Brolin (will appear in Everest with Jake) and Michael B. Jordan. This treat is courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. The stars had auditions on their minds and you can read part of the transcript here as well as watch the video if the embedded player below doesn't work for you.
We hear in this interview about Jake's audition experience for Frodo in Lord of the Rings. Some things are not meant to be and for that I am truly grateful.
Thanks so much to IHJ for images from the Roundtable. There are scans there too so do go and take a peek.
Today I thought I'd take a break from all the sport by watching a different sport, in addition to a bunch of other sports that I've been hooked on for the last two weeks. That means cycling and the Tour de France which kicked off today but not in France. Someone said to me this week 'If you don't have a bicycle you may as well be dead' and, while I would argue with the validity of that assertion, it is indeed true that you cannot race the Tour de France without one. Lance Armstrong began his final Tour campaign today (although not for the first time) and one can't help but wonder that if indeed this is the last Tour then maybe at least the final scene can be added to the Lance Armstrong Biopic.
During the last four years we've heard no end of rumours connecting Jake Gyllenhaal to the Lance Armstrong biopic. And that isn't surprising because, in 2006, when Lance was following rather than competing, Jake not only accompanied (from a bit of a way back) Lance up the hilliest stage of the Tour, he also spent much of the summer with him. Along with another candidate for the Lance role, Matthew McConaughey.
The three amigos spent so much time together, a play was written about them. But the movie and cycling worlds are fickle and before too long Matt Damon was the name mentioned, even Rob 'The Pale One' Pattinson and Chris 'beam me up Scotty' Pine got a look in. One fact remains, however: Jake Gyllenhaal is indeed a cyclist and he has the spandex to back it up.
Back in 2006: 'Jake Gyllenhaal talked to the press about his new buddy Lance Armstrong while in the French Alps with the cyclist to watch the Tour de France. "We became friends just recently, a couple of months ago. He's a pretty straightforward guy. He called me the other day and said like, 'You want to go riding?'" Gyllenhaal recently started riding as training for a film, and of his ride with Armstrong through the Alps, the Proof actor said, "When we first started riding it was pure adrenaline that kept me going. Then, up the hill, across the way, you could see him like a plane in the sky, he was moving so fast... I just learn from Lance every day, the tips I get. I have never pushed myself so hard as I do with him." Gyllenhaal also joked about his other mutual pastime with Armstrong - beer drinking - saying, "That's been the primary training." Next on the agenda, Armstrong is taking the actor to his seaside villa in Nice.'
Obviously I'll make a good cyclist because that's the kind of training I'm an expert in. Jake has spoken of that year to New Weekly: 'Q: How did you get into it? JG: My best friend is a cyclist and he had a tandem bike. One day he was like, "Let's ride." I got on the back of the bike and we were riding and we just started pushing so hard, working together on this tandem bike. It was so much fun. I just remember that one ride — from then on I started riding. Then I guess Lance Armstrong heard that I biked and so he called me one day: "You want to go for a ride?" Q: There was this phase where there were always photos of you, Lance and Matthew McConaughey … JG: [Laughs.] Yeah. Well, then I had to go to work. We all hung out during summer, then we all had to go to work.'
'"The rumour started because Lance and I are friends". When asked about Lance, Jake praises his friend "But what has impressed me most about him is what he has done for people." "What is it that Lance Armstrong has done for people?" You can almost hear the pause and the sharp intake of breath: "He's motivated them! Thanks to him millions of people have started to think about themselves and tried to find out what's inside them."'
More recently, this year, Jake said: 'Lance Armstrong said to me, “Just break a sweat once a day.” Break a sweat once a day — and not out of stress — and you’ll stay healthy for the rest of your life. And I think that’s really true. Find something to get your heart-rate up, that’s what I did with this. But it’s good also to get paid to do it. That really helps.'
As a keen supporter and campaigner for LiveStrong, I wish Lance Armstrong all the best for the Tour, as tomorrow it leaves Rotterdam and heads on to Belgium.
Moscow!
Jake Gyllenhaal is enjoying the delights of Martha's Vineyard and I can't say I blame him - the island is gorgeous (even though the sea there frightens me as that's where Jaws was filmed...). But after posting the pictures yesterday from Moscow, I have to revisit that place because Jake and Gemma both shone there. I visited Russia several times in the mid-late 1980s, during the Gorbachev years and just before. There were adventures. There were long journeys by train through snow and ice with steaming tea, burning vodka and dashing guards. Not surprisingly, I love the place. I remember sitting to watch the Moscow State Circus while a child behind plaited by hair and watching the Bolshoi Ballet with an American marine who'd snuck out from the embassy.
Jake took part in a number of interviews in Moscow. I'm afraid that my Russian is extremely limited (although at one time I could work my way around a menu). But here are some of the things that Jake said in one interview:
'Well, I don't want to make everyone sad, but nobody knows how much time he has left on Earth. So you should get everything out of life. Therefore, wherever I go, I like to get into a little trouble. For instance, when I went to Moscow, I thought - we must see the sights, but there are places that tourists don't see. I'd like to see more than that. I also love to climb mountains, for example.'
'When we shot one of the swordfights, John Sio, our operator, said: "Jake, don't think about anything, it's just a fight, wave your sword", and he always followed me with the camera. In the middle of the battle I had... And John got a sword in the face. It was rubber of course, but I remember being terribly frightened when he fell on his back. We stopped shooting, I told him: "Oh, forgive me, forgive me!" And he said: 'Damn, that was fun! "This shot went into the film. Now that was unexpected.'
'And the worst day was when Alfred Molina kissed one of the ostriches on the neck!'
'Oh, I have, oddly enough, very much in common with the horse. Much more than with anyone else. We became close friends. Incidentally, afterwards, he went with me to Los Angeles, and is now living in West Hollywood. We ... I don't even have the words to express what I feel! He always supports me in everything. He is my best friend. If we say that there is someone special in every life, then that is my horse - he easily saved my life. He has carried me through everthing, and still supports me. I taked to him yesterday by phone, incidentally. I said: "I'm in Moscow!"... This is a special relationship, thanks for the question!'
Source Code: 'Well, there are lots of explosions in the film. We do a lot of fights. A very dangerous fistfight... Duncan Jones, the director of the film, is very good with psychology and amazing in science fiction. So the film has a strong dramatic feel, it's not just a thriller. Instead, it's clever fiction heated with napalm, which will satisfy any fan of action games.'
Who was the boss on PoP: 'Actually, I think Jerry... But in terms of interaction with the actors from scene to scene, the boss - Mike... They always worked together, I saw that. But it's still a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. He's a big producer, people go to watch his films... But in my opinion, I'm still the boss!'
Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop (aka half of Travis) are continuing their On The Road musical tour of the US and have now reached Austin, Texas. Songs are only part of the story, the rest comprises chat, anecdotes, slideshows and those all-important questions, turning what is ostensibly a gig into an admirable scientific survey of which Jake Gyllenhaal is hotter.
'There aren’t too many performers who take time out from their “het parade” to go to the slide projector and poll the audience on whether they prefer the musclebound Jake Gyllenhaal (click) to the more slimmed-down Jake (click). But this was that kind of silly and satisfying show.' A full report - with translation from the Scots - here.
No doubt Travis (or at least half of Travis) would be very interested in Empire's newly released poll of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars (Men). Disgracefully, Jake Gyllenhaal was only 16th (surely because a computer somewhere can't count) but one could argue that this is not bad going for a megahot actor who's set a new trend for movie delays. For once, a poll site has chosen a hot picture of Jake. It is therefore curious that some people, in the vote at the bottom of Jake's page, want him further down the list and not up. So vote, dear WDW readers, vote! Johnny Depp tops the poll and the pale and not very interesting Robert Pattinson is unbelievably No 2.
In a week where many people will finally get to see Doctor Parnassus, it's good to see that Heath Ledger is also on the list - at No 14. To mark the UK release this weekend, there is a new poster and a new website.
Half of Travis will also be happy to see that Jake features in another poll - he is No. 6 in the Wonderwall Top 10 Fittest Celebrities, pleasantly sandwiched between past co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Biel. Matthew McConaughey is not surprisingly No 1 and also not very surprisingly Robert Pattinson is nowhere to be seen in this poll.
Many thanks to IHJ for keeping us watered during the Jake Drought with some new old pics of Jake enjoying LA winter weather back in December 2006. When you look this good in a white t-shirt, it's only right that you enjoy year-round sunshine. There are also some new pictures from the Bubble Boy publicity - hmmm, appropriate, I'd call it.
Obviously, if England had managed to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament we would be getting ready to watch them lose in the final tonight, but they didn't and they won't and so instead we can sit back for some stress-free footie fun as Spain and Germany take each other on. It does make a change from the tennis, after all.
So through this extremely tenuous link, it seems appropriate that in a Q&A at the beginning of the new Parade magazine, there is a question about Jake: 'Is it true that Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a biopic about New York Jets great Joe Namath? A: Yes. Jake - who says he's often told he resembles the lengendary playboy-quarterback - is looking forward to playing "Broadway Joe." But the red-hot star has a busy dance card, and it could be a while before he slips on Joe's famous NO. 12 Jets jersey. Jake will soon start shooting Prince of Persia and has two other movies that already wrapped. Nailed, a political satire with Jessica Biel, and Brothers, involving the Afghan war, with Tobey Maguire.' Thanks to Trekfan for the information!
Jake has said 'I used to play football here and there, but I don't anymore.' No doubt, that will have to change in the run up to the biopic. Back in 2006, Jake was seen attending a game in Texas along with Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey. He may have to catch some more games.
The possible sightings of Jake and Reese around London - being listed as among the attendees of the Nelson Mandela birthday concert and shopping in London at the weekend - gather pace and I wonder if Jake's going to be spending this evening in the traditional English manner of watching 'proper' football over a pint of lager and some pork scratchings. But Spain or Germany?
'He was a good man' - Christian Bale on missing Heath
For the main focus of Parade - Christian Bale and The Dark Knight - you can find out more here, including this quote from Christian about Heath Ledger: 'He was a unique character, a very infectious character. He was a good man, and I was glad to have spent time with him. He was somebody who I’d been seeing on a daily basis for months. It takes a long time to accept that someone’s gone, when all body and mind are telling you that this is somebody you will know for a great deal of time. He was something of a kindred spirit to myself.'
Remember, last year, the fun the media had with the Three Amigos of Jake Gyllenhaal, Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey? As if cycling around Malibu and the Hollywood Hills was some sort of cover for some Spandex love. Lance we could understand - Jake is, by all accounts, an accomplished sportsman and athlete, running and/or cycling everyday. Lance is a worthy hero, not only has he dominated his sport, he's also done that and beaten cancer at the same time. Matt waxes and wears bandanas. While Matt has now sold all of his homes in LA and is safely settled in his trailer of love, it seems that Lance will forever be asked whether Jake is playing him in a forthcoming biopic.
I would show a picture here with Jake, Lance and Matt, but somehow Matt was always about 30 minutes behind... (or was that three hours?)
But ignore all that, because the story of the Three Campeneros has now been brought to the LA stage - it will be playing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Hollywood on selected dates until the end of May. Only 5 dollars - sounds a bargain. Anyway, it depicts the competition between Jake and Matt to play Lance's role in the biopic. We are told that the performance is 'short and sweet'.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that supposed to be Jake on the right?
For more information, and booking details, read this
