From the Shadows and back into the Spotlight

or ... OMG in the NYC

Many have read of Jake's chat with David Denby at The New Yorker festival this past Saturday. Several lucky people from OMG got the opportunity to meet up and go see Jake at the event getting close and watching Jake talk about his past movies, and his new ones. M and her husband flew to NY, as did PG, meeting up with Destiny, Tom and other friends for the evening.

Jake was there to talk about his past work as well as his upcoming movie LaOD, along with director Ed Zwick. As in such events, many of the questions from the interviewer were the similar ones we've all heard before, there were questions from the audience, and there a few new answers that came from evening. One thing many may not have known, and it was said during the evening, that friend Jason Schwartzman had been original cast as Donnie Darko.

Jake reflected on his career, his craft and the working with directors. He shared about his love of acting and spoke of how he is not done learning his craft and that he has to improve. And he spoke of wanting to make films that mean a lot to him as none of us know how long we will live.

He was asked if there are other things he wanted to do beside acting. And unlike in the past were he talked about cooking and other things he declined to say exactly what those thing are these days, but sounds like he does what to venture in other things besides acting.

He spoke of his family and Maggie and one thing he said is they are both so busy they rarely have seen each other's films and both have missed a few in each other's canon of films. He did say Maggie loved LaOD though.

And one thing that everyone had mention was Jake's reaction when they played the clip to BBM. How put his head down, closed his eyes, during the emotional good bye between Jack and Ennis.

Jake also spoke of his admiration for family friend the late Paul Newman "for creating an alternative to acting and said he too can make great salad dressing."

So here are the OMGer's talking about their evening together with Jake. I took all of their individual comments that they wanted shared with OMG and creating something that might sound like you are sitting listening to four friends reflecting over the evening around a table.

Thanks Tom, Destiny, PG and M.

Thank you for letting us share it with you.

This past Sat night I had the pleasure of attending along with several friends from OMG Jake's New Yorker Festival interview with David Denby. I found Jake Friendly, warm and very animated.

An enjoyable Italian meal was enjoyed in the cozy loft of the Le Vie restaurant by our party of seven prior to the NY Film Festival. We didn’t have to wait in line outside for long before receiving our tickets at Will Call and the speciality drink/Hors D'oeuvres reception was abandoned as soon as we found out the theatre was allowing seating. It was stunning to me that we were able to get seats five rows back from the stage, in the center.


First off we got there right at 9:00 with the intent of having wine but when we found out they were allowing people to take seats, we said screw that and headed to the auditorium. We were literally 5 rows back and dead center to where Jake sat. Not long after, I turned around to see how large the crowd was (they dragged in slowly) only to see Naomi, a blond woman and a man I have seen her pictured with before walk in. She sat very close to us so we got a great look at her. Much more delicate looking in real life than she looks in pictures. She did not see me looking at her, but the man did, so I was reluctant to turn around to take another look as I did not want to gawk at her or make her uncomfortable

Jake came in a side door but his entrance was over shadowed by a video ad by Jason Schwartzman that started to run just as he entered.
The theatre was small, the atmosphere very intimate. I will take away with me a few revealing moments from Jake’s interview: evidence that Jake is indeed bothered by the idea of turning 30 and the reiteration that he does seem to be thinking of a career post-acting. His age came up maybe a couple of times and the second time it did, Jake collapsed back in his chair and groaned “Guys, I’m not 30 yet!!!!” So I could tell it is bothering him. I thought that was funny because it lends a human element I could identify with; that anyone can identify with. Nobody really likes their milestone birthdays after that 21st, do they? Jake is no different, lol.
I wont repeat the questions Denby asked of Jake as I think they are showing up on various sites already and will probably show up on youtube. But overall I was very disappointed in them. Unoriginal and the same stuff he has been asked many times. If you are new to Jake, I guess it was interesting. But to long time followers it was really, this is the best you could come up with?

His mother was seated 3 rows behind us which was rather interesting and I was surprised to see that the interviewer, David Enby seemed to know the Gyllenhaal family as more than just acquaintances. If there was one thing I was disappointed in, it was that “the interviewer” asked mostly the same old, same old questions.
Jake was asked about several of his past performances and clips were shown from many of those movies including Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain and Zodiac. The clip from Brokeback was the very emotional scene where Jack tells Ennis he can't quit him and the usually stoic Ennis breaks down. I haven's seen that scene in a while and it sure was emotional seeing it sitting five rows from Jake himself. Jake spoke fondly of Heath and seemed very sincere

All the emphasis on sex was really coming from Denby. After all, he started out by describing Jake, among other things, as having masturbated in 4 scenes in movies (I can only recall 3), and the first clip they showed was the DD of him starting to masturbate on the shrink's sofa. And Denby asked about Jake's comment about the kissing in BBM. No way of knowing for sure, but it could be due to LAOD and perhaps Denby trying to find some kind of theme to build on.

A couple of clips were shown with the most notable being the BBM I cant quit you scene. Jake called Heaths performance incadescent. Said Heath inspired him to lift his own performance. Mentioned that he and Heath had been friends before they did BBM and that there as a real attraction there. Yes, he used the word attraction. The BBM clip was very moving given Heath's death and I wondered how Jake felt listening to it. He did not look at it but kept his back to the screen and his head down during the clip. Jake was very careful not to make light of the movie or the questions about the two men kissing.

Destiny & I were talking about it tonight. I think what Jake was talking about when he was talking about the "attraction" was not just himself but the entire cast and crew. I'd like to hear it again but I'm pretty sure that's what he was saying, although he did clearly include himself.

I thought it was interesting that when Denby asked about what he'd said about kissing Heath at the time of BBM, Jake answered that whether you're kissing men or women, it's ackward and not sexy because everyone is watching. When he was asked who he liked kissing the best of all his co-starts, he laughed and said he couldn't answer than, but then said well, maybe he could since it was a New Yorker audience. To me it seemed like he was going out of his way with the comment about kissing men and women being the same (perhaps to make up for the comments during POP interviews and promotion?), and injecting a small bit of sexual ambiguity into the way he answered that he wasn't going to answer who he enjoyed kissing the most.

Jake was his usual self. He rambled on some answers, tried to be charming and funny a bit and sometimes failed to answer the question asked of him. A couple of times Denby sort of cut him off when Jake rambled and did not let him finish his thought.

Jake seemed fidgety, but then I think he often is in interviews. But unlike most of his interviews, he was kind of subdued. I think that in some of his more recent interviews for POP his merriment seemed kind of forced, so just as glad to not have that. I couldn't tell if it was Jake being more comfortable with himself, resigned to where his career is now, or not feeling good about where it is now.

We were lucky enough to see a couple clips from Jake's upcoming movie Love and Other Drugs. David Denby gave it rave reviews.

And what going going on in the poster for LaOD? Why did Jake have his hand over his mouth? Did Zwick offer to get naked, after they told him they were tired of taking their clothes off, to the shock and horror to Jake! He said that the reason Jake had his hand over his mouth was because Ed was in the room naked and he wasn't suppose to tell. And was Anne photoshopped ?

Yes, Jake or Ed ( I cant remember who) did make the comment about her head being pasted on. I remembered the statement clearly because of all the photoshop discussion when Special posted that photo of Jake by himself. But I could not tell if it was said as a joke or for real. Ed also said something like "they put her on Jake's arm", like she was added after, not while Jake was there, regardless. I do think the promo photos are probably done separately and photoshopped as a rule. Hollywood is all illusion and that way each star is lit to their best advantage. I also think they are pushing the sex and nakedness angle for this movie way too much. One of the clips had Jake and Anne kissing, and I am sorry, but Jake kissing a woman just does not work for me. When he kissed Heath in the tent, it looked like a real kiss. The kiss with Anne looked like a Hollywood kiss. Of course it is just a clip, but that was my reaction.

Regarding the poster, I do recall that was what was said about why the hand over the mouth, i.e., Zwick being in the room naked, and that Anne's head was photoshopped.

One huge thing I forgot was that they showed a clip from LOAD. Two actually. But one of the lines in the clip was "Just because you cant prove something, does not mean it is not true." Given all the you cant prove he's gay allegations that are flung by some commenters, that line blew me away.

I could sense how seriously Jake takes his craft. Jake talked about his childhood and competing and taking a back seat to Maggie. That competition sure seems to link to his ambitions. Jake sounded like he was at a point where he will just sees where things lead in his career but sounded like he was willing to move on to other venues if the time came. He did not share those backup ambitions with the audience.
He also kept talking about how much he'd learned, sounds like he had some regrets about the way he has worked with directors in the past, and some regrets about how he viewed the movie business and the work that I felt was a reference to POP.

As for new items of interest, he mentioned he regrets not finishing college. He wants to do a movie with Ryan Gosling (that drew a female scream from the audience) and he expects to do other things with his life besides acting. Oh, Denby mentioned that Naomi will be directing soon but did not say what.
I also loved that Jake said that his idol was Paul Newman. I believe Jake would love to have a career like Paul's. He also mentioned that he thought he could make an equally good if not better salad dressing which could give a clue of his back up plan for his career. I also like to believe he admired Paul's one mate for life relationship with Joanne Woodward.

Jake spoke of the importance and support of his family of course with Mom closely by.

After the event [Naomi] tried to get Jakes attention and was told by the blond that he was going to a NewYorker after party. I also heard the blond lady say that Chris was coming in later or the next day, I'm not sure as it was difficult to hear exactly.

I thought the crowd itself was subdued. No screaming women, except for the Gosling mention. The clapping after each clip was more polite than enthusiastic.


Jake's beard was long but trimmed shorter. To me he looked pensive, subdued, no big smiles like when he is with Austin. Not unhappy, but not the happy bubbling man that we once knew. He used to talk about his love of acting, but I think while he still likes it, there has been a change in how he views it and that other things have taken on new meaning in his life. He mentioned that we can not be sure how much time we have and need to make the best of it. A reference to Heath's death I am sure.

Its hard to remember all he said or my impressions it was so exciting just to be so close to him.

Jake was fairly open, engaging and interactive with the audience during the course of the interview, as well as while answering some of the open mike questions which happened at the end of the show.

The only time he really seemed animated was talking about Zwick and making LAOD. He really seemed to have enjoyed working with him.

It lasted longer than I ever thought it would – we received basically 1 ½ hrs and afterwards, Jake did shake a couple of hands from the fans and posed for a picture or two before being escorted out a side door.

He does not look 6’ tall and he has lost his PoP butt.

I think Jake's performance in LAOD will be a welcome and well received success. I can't say I heard anything new from Jake but did enjoy the interview. Most of all I especially enjoyed the time I spent with my friends from OMG in NYC. I wish everyone could have been there.

And where else would you finish up your night but across the street at place named Jake's.

Thanks again guys.