Jake Gyllenhaal Opens Up About ‘Life-Changing’ Role in ‘Stronger’

Jake Gyllenhaal’s life was forever changed after he met Boston marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman. The actor phoned in to On Air With Ryan Seacrest on Thursday, September 21, and spoke candidly about his role in upcoming film Stronger, in which he portrays Jeff, a man who lost both his legs during the 2013 attack. 

“It’s been life-changing,” Jake shared with OAWRS, explaining that Stronger tells the story of the attack and Jeff’s recovery. “Essentially really it’s a story about getting through hard times into joyful ones.”

The Oscar-nominated actor said that what drew him to the project was the script and the way in which Jeff tells his true tragic story with a balance of emotion and humor. 

“For me, I’m constantly in awe of his strength and … his sense of humor and positivity,” Jake said of the survivor. “Jeff always says [service men and women in the military] are the real heroes because he was just standing there -- he didn’t have a choice -- but I think ultimately the real heroism comes from the amount of strength it takes to heal, to get better, to get strong.”

To get in character, Jake spent a year with Jeff, his family and his caretakers. 

“I just watched everything as best I could and then there’s an incredible team around me who does the work of making it look like I don’t have my legs … an incredible visual effects team and makeup [department and props],” Jake added. “It takes a village in so many ways to get any of this stuff right and they did an incredible, incredible job.” 

Listen to the full interview above and catch Stronger in theaters Friday, September 22. 


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