Lovely & Amazing Jake G

BASIC FACTS

• Name: Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal
• Birthday: December 19, 1980
• Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
• Age: 30
• Hair: Brown
• Eye Color: Blue
• Height: 6’1 (187 cm)
• Astrology Sign: Sagittarius
• Heritage: Is of Swedish (noble) and Russian-Jewish descent.
• Hobbies: Cooking
• Favorite Color: Green
• Pets: 1 dog named Atticus (German Shepherd)
• Claim to Fame: Playing the disturbed title character in Donnie Darko (2001)

FAMILY

• Mother: Naomi Foner, writer, producer
• Father: Stephen Gyllenhaal, director
• Sister: Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress; born November 16, 1977

EDUCATION

• 2 years at Columbia University, New York, New York
• Harvard-Westlake High School. Los Angeles, California; Graduated 1998

INTERESTING FACTS

• Jake’s first car was an 1990 maroon Volvo.
• He got a driving lesson from family friend Paul Newman.
• Jake is said to be a wonderful cook and he owns many cooking books, magazines and loves to cook for his friends and family
• His fans call themselves “Gyllenhaalics”
• Jake was nominated for an Academy Award (Supporting Actor,2005) for his work in Brokeback Mountain and won a BAFTA award for the same role as Jack Twist.
• Jake’s “unofficial” Godmother is Jamie Lee Curtis.
• Jake favorite way to exercise is biking.
• He likes Rufus Wainright.
• His favorite color is green.
• He wears contacts.
• He attended Columbia University but dropped out after his sophomore year back in May 2000 to pursue his acting career.
• He bought his then girlfriend, Kirsten Dunst a white and grey kitten for her 22nd birthday.
• Jake’s mom Naomi Foner, gave Jake a ring that reads “Mine the darkness and see by the path you leave behind.” Jake says that ring is very special to him.
• Jake dated Kirsten Dunst for nearly 2 years but they brokeup in July 2004. They have been spotted again in 2005 but claimed to be just “good friends”.
• He is very politically smart and is involved in such organizations like ACLU and Rock the Vote.
• He used to be in a band called “Holeshot” but Jake got kicked out after dating the drummer’s girlfriend. Jake says that he was the lead singer and they played “bad music”.
• Jake was considered for the role that Ewan McGregor played in Moulin Rouge but Jake was the youngest to audition so he didn’t get the part.
• Jake was up for the part of Bruce Wayne (Batman) in the new Batman movie, Batman Begins. But a poll on the Warner Brothers website basically determined who would be the next batman with Christian Bale having the most votes.
• He hosted the 2003 Sundance Film Festival Awards alongside Zooey Deschanel where he danced and sang on stage.
• It was rumored for a while that Jake was up for the part as Superman in the new Superman movie (2006) but the director wanted someone who was more unknown so they chose Brandon Routh for the role.
• Jake’s family has a house at Martha’s Vineyard.
• He went to Elementary school with the guys from Maroon 5 whom he is still friends with today.
• Jake was rumored to be dating such celebrities like Natalie Portman, Jenny Lewis and even Chelsea Clinton.
• He worked as a Lifeguard when he was younger and even had to pee on someone’s leg after they got a jellyfish sting.
• Jake thinks the sexiest part of a women is to see the back of her neck or a little glimpse of her collarbone.
• Jake now drives an Audi.
• He claims Jennifer Aniston was his best on-screen kiss ever
• He loves Harry Potter.
• His production company is called “Nine Stories”.
• Jake first caught the acting bug watching Ed Wood, Tim Burton’s 1994 biopic of the awful-movie maestro starring Johnny Depp.
• When he was younger He got many parts even in the movie “The Mighty Ducks” but his parents wouldn’t let him do it and he was very angry with them. Now he says “In the end, I thank them to high heaven that I didn’t do the things I got.”
• When asked if he was “unfazed by being part of the “50 Hottest Bachelors” thing in People or one of the “Hottest men under 25” Jake simply replied “I love that shit.”
• During a powerful scene in Jarhead, Jake actually knocked out his own tooth because he pulled to hard on a rifle. He said he looked down and saw his tooth but kept going on with the scene. He and his co-star Brian Geraghty didn’t talk for about 3 weeks after the incident.
• Jake was once arrested by the rent-a-cops at a Beverley Hills mall because he was dared to go into a Speedo’s store, put on a speedo (bathing suit) and walk out of the store leaving his clothes behind.
• He was once a house (that lit up) and a Ocean’s Spray cranberry juice box for Halloween when he was younger.
• When asked to comment on his infamous “santa hat dance” in Jarhead, Jake said it’s nothing “abnormal” because he “enjoys being naked”.
• He likes music from Death Cab For Cutie, U2, 50 Cent, Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.
• Jake apparently drove Jarhead co-star Peter Sarsgaard crazy because he kept playing the same U2 and 50 Cent (Candy Shop) song over and over again.
• Jake’s signature sunglasses are from the brand called BLINDE
• He ran, swam, biked and did 500 push ups a day to bulk up for his role in Jarhead.
• He likes woodwork and he even made a mahogany-cedar table for his mom.
• He used to be a bus-boy at a fancy restaurant and was “a damn good bus-boy” at that!
• Jake loves to watch the Food Network shows like “Molto Mario” and “The Iron Chef”.
• He is the God father to Brokeback Mountain co-stars, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams’ baby Matilda Rose.
• He is an avid cyclist and has been seen recently bike riding with his “inspiration”, 7 time Tour de France winner - Lance Armstrong.