Reflecting on his experience filming Dan Gilroy’s 2014 neo-noir psychological thriller Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal admitted the experience was “hard to shake” given his dedication to the character of con artist Louis Bloom.
A third installment in the (very unofficial) cinematic universe of unnerving films helmed by Gyllenhaal – alongside ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘Zodiac’ – ‘Nightcrawler’ follows Bloom, a troubled freelance video journalist who soon blurs the line between impartial reporter and participant his attempts to be the first to learn about Los Angeles’ criminal underworld.
“There was no escaping Louis Bloom in a lot of ways,” Gyllenhaal said in a recent video interview with Vanity Fair, during which he broke down his career. “I was looking for techniques. I’ve spent a lot of time making films trying to figure out how to behave and how to do it and if there’s a way.”
While the ‘Ambulance’ star didn’t specifically mention method acting – a technique that’s recently been making waves thanks to Lady Gaga and Jared Leto – he described it as “completely immersive[ing]“ even in the role.
“It was sort of a successful experiment, but I think I got away from it and realized, ‘I don’t know if I want to do it like this all the time,'” he said. “I don’t know if that’s – for me – what acting is always about. I think it was hard to shake off that experience.”
Gyllenhaal added that he wanted to focus on the character and the story because of Gilroy’s screenplay, which received a Best Original Screenplay nomination. “When you have someone who has written something this good, you will give anything for it because it is so rare to find. And so I was just deeply devoted to this character and this story, and yes, the side effects of that, it takes a bit of time to shake off.
However, he concluded, “It’s just acting in the end.”
Watch the full interview below: