To say Jake Gyllenhaal is underrated would not be wrong, for despite his 32-year-long career the actor has only been recognized for a handful of his roles. Known best for his Oscar-nominated role in Brokeback Mountain, the actor gained traction when he appeared as the villain Mysterio in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Despite the immense praise he received for the role and him expressing gratitude for the way the superhero flick changed his outlook on acting and life, it isn’t the movie Gyllenhaal is most proud of. Instead, the actor maintains the closest to his heart is the one that ultimately gave him his breakthrough in Hollywood, Donnie Darko.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Breakthrough Forgotten Thriller Is The Closest To His Heart
Despite acting in numerous supporting roles, Jake Gyllenhaal‘s breakthrough was when he starred in the psychological sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko. During an interview back in 2017 with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that the psychological thriller was in fact his most rewarding movie ever.
“I was super young when I made October Sky…and then also Donnie Darko, so those are different sides of me…I believe in hope, I believe in love, I believe that the human mind is really complicated, so yeah, I think Donnie Darko, to me, is one of my favourite movies I’ve made and what I’m most proud of because it does sort of define, not the way I look at the world literally, but there are a lot of things in there that I believe about the world.”
Portraying the role of a troubled teenager haunted by bizarre visions and hallucinations, Gyllenhaal received widespread fame and praise for his portrayal. While the movie certainly brought him to the forefront of Hollywood, it was his recent starring in Spider-Man: Far From Home that helped make him make him worldwide famous. Even then, the actor seems to love his cult classic more than any other movie he has starred in.
Jake Gyllenhaal Is Grateful For Marvel Flick Changing His Outlook On Acting
Despite being somewhat prejudiced towards his breakthrough film, Jake Gyllenhaal is particularly grateful for being able to star in MCU’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The actor in an interview with Vanity Fair revealed how the movie helped change his outlook on acting.
“What was interesting, when I went into Spider-Man: Far From Home… I think I was taking myself too seriously. In fact, I’m sure of it. I think I had really lost that sense of play and fun that I am… It was such a cathartic thing to be able to throw away all that seriousness and really become the actor that I think I’ve always wanted to be in a lot of ways… And find the play and the fun and the gratitude that I’m here and I get to do this. And, oh my god, like it’s all about the family of making a movie.”
The Prince of Persia star added how not only the movie helped him enjoy the process of acting but also helped him realize the importance of enjoying every moment ‘cause life goes by super fast‘.
Donnie Darko can be streamed on Amazon Prime, while Spider-Man: Far From Home is available to watch on Disney+.
