Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most dedicated actors in Hollywood as evident in the roles and projects he takes in. He is not afraid to transform himself to fully embody the character he plays. He may have done it when he portrayed Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but that doesn’t even come close to what he did in Southpaw.
Fans have seen him bulk up and even starve himself, but gaining body mass is just as demanding as losing weight. His commitment to his movie roles is just beyond incredible.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Intense Training For Southpaw
Jake Gyllenhaal is widely known for his role as Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Playing a comic book character would force him to undergo an intense workout to get into the shape of a supervillain. But, his training for that wasn’t as insane as it was for Southpaw.
The 2015 sports action film saw the actor transform into a boxing champion. Of course, playing the part entailed him to have the same workout as a professional athlete. His trainer, Terry Claybon, told E! News that upon meeting the actor, he knew they had a lot of work to do. He didn’t have the body of a real boxer.
He wasn’t in any shape at all. We met at a boxing gym, and he was jumping rope. Just the way he was jumping rope, I knew we had a lot of work to do. Everything we did in training was as if he was having a professional boxing match.
Gyllenhaal had no days off; he trained six hours every day, seven days a week for six months. He also started his morning with an 8-mile run and 1,000 sit-ups, followed by flipping 350-pound tires and advanced jumping rope sessions.
Jake Gyllenhaal Reflects On Playing A Boxing Champion
Gyllenhaal shared in his interview with Sky News Entertainment what he has learned while playing Billy Hope in Southpaw.
I really believe that freedom is on the other side of discipline, and I don’t believe myself to be sharp enough to be able to just show up and kill it. I need the belief in myself and the belief in what I’ve learned over a long period of time to come in and be able to commit to something.
Not only was he able to transform his physical body but his confidence also improved. He said he was able to handle pressure much better now. If such was the effect on him, then the role did him really good.
Gyllenhaal’s conviction for his role in Southpaw is only one of the many great things about him as an actor. It’s a shame that even now, he still doesn’t get any accolades for his efforts. Nonetheless, his passion supersedes any prize or award.
Southpaw is available to watch on Netflix.
