Hollywood is truly a small world. You never know which actors competed against each other to play some of the most iconic movie characters. But every time I learn something new, like that Jason Statham was wanted to play Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders instead of Cillian Murphy or that Sebastian Stan wanted the Captain America role, I’m totally flabbergasted. Now, I’m shocked once again after Road House actor Jake Gyllenhaal talked about a few movies he was being considered for with stiff competition, including The Dark Knight and the chance to wear the Batsuit.
Gyllenhaal oozed nothing but positivity, good vibes, and dedication to his craft while talking to Howard Stern. When he spoke about going for Batman, he got real about how serious it was for him as he had aced all the initial auditions. Surprisingly, he also revealed that he had the same feelings while auditioning for the role of Christian in Moulin Rouge against Heath Ledger and Ewan McGregor. As he put it to Stern:
It was like a screen test. You put the [Batman] costume on… I also auditioned for Moulin Rouge. And it was me, Heath, and Ewan McGregor. It got that far. It’s where I first heard of Heath. They’d shuffle us in and out of rooms…That’s how it goes.
Stern mentioned that not getting those roles had to “shake” his confidence, but Gyllenhaal admitted that was never the case. In fact, he said that while he was disappointed, he had too much to be proud of to really get hung up about the rejections. He explained that:
What I felt was disappointed when I didn’t get it. [But] in the end you learn to go, ‘There’s another one. I can try and go in and audition for another one. I’ll get something else.’ That’s the thing. You keep that attitude.
As he continued, all I could notice was that he’s all about self-love and celebrating the good things that happened. He got a bit more insightful and explained that he took those as opportunities to really be proud of his skills, the talent others saw in him to even be considered, and understand that other roles would work out. And, honestly, I really dig how he’s all about seeing the glass as half full. He said:
When you get that far there’s a real legitimacy. It’s not like they’re [just] going, ‘Oh thanks so much,’ you know? They’re going, ‘I saw these aspects of you that I really wanted in the role and [that] I think are wonderful, but in the end I ended up moving [another] way.
Gyllenhaal still has an extensive CV of fan-favorite movies that is more than impressive. He’s played a wide range of characters including Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist who becomes obsessed with the famed murderer in Zodiac. And, of course, I can’t forget Donnie Darko and his iconic cowboy role alongside Ledger in Brokeback Mountain.
Most recently, he’s taken on the lead role in the Road House remake, playing Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter who ends up working in a bar in Florida. In this one, Gyllenhaal is the highlight in a world that’s all about beautiful beaches and brute strength. It’s gotten mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes so far.
Even though we didn’t get to see Jake Gyllenhaal go up against Ledger’s Joker or pine for Satine’s love, the good news is that his future on screen is seemingly limitless. There’s been ongoing chatter about him being the next caped crusader, and while he hasn’t confirmed or denied, he said it would be an honor. He’s also starring in another upcoming action movie by Guy Ritchie, along with playing Iago in Othello on stage. So, we’re going to see a lot more of him in the next few years, and I’m totally excited for that.
You can check out Gyllenhaal’s latest action flick, Road House, with an Amazon Prime subscription. With it, you can also watch some of his other hits like Nightcrawler and End of Watch.