Jake Gyllenhaal looked very different from usual at the Hollywood Film Awards Monday night, but he had an explanation. He lost around 20 pounds for a role in a new movie he’s making.
Gyllenhaal, who was at the event to pick up an award for Prisoners, told E! News lost “somewhere around 20 pounds” for Nightcrawler.
He said that he didn’t lose weight by exercising or eating healthier than he normally does. The Oscar nominee said it was all mental.
“Like I'm playing a character who's hungry, figuratively and literally, who's driven in ways to do things and succeed at any cost,” he told E!. “And I think that defines a generation in a lot of way so I wanted to get their mentally and then have it transform me physically, because I am not one to rely on science as much as I am on just sort of instinct. That's sort of the character.”
He also explained the weight loss to Us Weekly, noting that he’s really excited about making this new movie. “I just love this movie,” he told the magazine. “That’s how I did it. There really was no technique."
Gyllenhaal co-stars in Nightcrawler with Bill Paxton and Rene Russo. It was written and is being directed by Dan Gilroy.
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