Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger starrer, Brokeback Mountain, is one of the finest pieces of cinema. The movie is set in the mid-1960s and delves into the sensitive concept of the complex relationship between two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal). Both actors did an excellent job depicting their respective characters and used their acting skills to showcase the whirlwind of emotions their respective characters felt.
Portraying someone you are not is basically the job of an actor, but every role comes with a challenge of its own. For Jake Gyllenhaal, in the 2005 movie, kissing another man was a little “terrifying” and he shared his tale of the struggle. But Sir Ian McKellen was not too happy about how the actor put it.
Jake Gyllenhaal once upset Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen is one of the greatest actors in cinematic history, his talent and excellent range as an actor has left an indelible mark on the history of cinema. So, when a respected actor like McKellen has his views on someone or something especially related to the movie industry the world is all ears.
During the promotion of the film, Jake Gyllenhaal made some revelations that bothered Sir Ian McKellen, who himself had lived the kind of situation that Gyllenhaal’s character had depicted, that is being gay back in the 60s. The senior actor was hurt by the way the Marvel actor worded his struggles. The actor shared in an interview with Out,
“I knew it would be a difficult film to make, and something that would put people off, but I didn’t know how difficult it would be to get made. My closest family members, my godfathers, were a gay couple, so it was something I just inherently had no prejudice about.”
In an interview at the talk show, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, the Magneto actor shared,
“I got very upset when one of the actors said it was the most terrifying job he’s ever had because it involved him kissing another man. Imagine how rude that is. Suppose I said the most appalling thing I ever [had] to do was kiss Helen Mirren!”
The comments did not sit well with McKellen and he took to himself to point out the actor’s mistake. The way Gyllenhaal highlighted his struggles seemed a bit upsetting to the senior actor.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger weren’t sure of the movie’s success
Brokeback Mountain was a critical and commercial success, but before its release, no one was sure that it’d be considered the masterpiece that it is remembered as today. After the filming was over and the two actors watched the film after the edits were made, both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal weren’t sure of the movie. Gyllenhaal later shared in an interview,
“Heath and I— When I first saw the movie, I saw him out somewhere, and I was like, ‘Did you see the movie?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ I said, ‘What did you think?’ He’s like, ‘I’ve no f***ing idea!’ I was like, ‘Me too.’”
The actor further went on to reveal that during the filming he was going through a rough patch in his life and filming a movie that talked about such deep and intense emotions was a bit hard on him. His character’s struggles resonated with him,
“Personally it was kind of a rough time in my life, and it mimicked a lot of things in the movie that were going on. I was just exhausted emotionally from it. It was hard.”
Despite all the challenges and struggles and somewhat harsh methods of Ang Lee, both actors did an amazing job in the film. The film went on to receive four Academy Award nominations and won three for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. It made $178 million against an estimated budget of $14 million.
The movie did face certain controversies and was considered ahead of its time, but now it is a part of the National Film Registry’s archives and is considered a cinematic masterpiece.
Source: Alan Carr: Chatty Man | YouTube
