Jake is featured on the cover of the Spring 2024 issue of L’Officiel Hommes (Italy) magazine. The spread includes a brand new photoshoot and interview with Jake. You can read the interview behind the cut, and view the photoshoot in our gallery. Digital scans have also been added to the gallery.
Gallery Links:
Magazine Scans > 2024 > L’Officiel Hommes (Italy) | Spring
Photoshoots & Outtakes > Sessions > 2024 > Session 2 [L’Officiel Hommes]
In Road House, your physical transformation, and of course the fight scenes, are striking. There will be a lot of talk about your training, as in the days of [Antoine Fuqua’s 2015 boxing film] Southpaw. What attracts you to this kind of transformation? Do you find that self-discipline and a sense of physical empowerment also translates to your personality in general?
First, I have to say that I am very excited to have audiences see Road House and the reimagining of the iconic original. I wanted to make the film because it was a fun idea, a great escape for people in a mad world. I was drawn to the joy in it, its sense of play. I love all aspects of acting and performance. I always have—emotional, physical, and everything in between. There’s not one part that outweighs another, though I am a physical person. I have, since I was young, played sports and known the joys of keeping in shape as best as one can. So I do love finding roles that allow me to do that. Road House offered me an opportunity to learn about Mixed Martial Arts and the skills required to be a UFC fighter, and I loved learning some of those skills. It was incredibly humbling.
How would you characterize Doug Liman’s direction?
Playful. Doug is an extremely kind and playful director. He’s a dear friend and has been for almost 20 years, so we had a blast. Doug is always ready for adventure and his direction reflects this. As is the film itself: full of fun, humor and a deep sense of play.
LOHI: “The Covenant” was recently released, where Guy Ritchie directs. What was it like working with him?
Quite simply, I love Guy. I love his way of proceeding and his sense of curiosity in all things. It’s provocative, funny and brilliant, just like his screenplays and films. Working on “The Covenant” was an emotional journey, given the subject matter, but it was important for all of us to get the story right. It’s a kind of parable, a story about the best parts of each of us, told without sentimentality. The film involves you on an emotional level, without falling into sentimentality
Are you still interested in the idea of moving into directing?
Yes. I grew up in a family where we mostly share stories and talk about stories. Story has always been a priority over anything in my work and so I would love to have the opportunity to
tell my own. My sister is such a brilliant writer and director, and it has been incredible to watch her take the leap. I would be humbled and honored to have an opportunity to do the same.
What roles do you find most interesting or significant in your career?
There is not a hierarchy to the roles or films I’ve made. For me, they each hold such significance. Not really because of the result, but because of the life that I lived making them. Each film, like every experience in life, is a lesson, and I’ve learned from all of them. I have had the opportunity to work with such talented, wise people. Some of those films have reached hundreds of millions of people, and some haven’t, but they are equal in their significance to me.
Which of the directors you worked with did you have the best chemistry with, and who did you learn the most from?
JG: Everyone! I love my relationship with Doug Liman, Guy Ritchie, Antoine Fuqua, Denis Villeneuve and many others. Denis and I have a special bond and are constantly in contact. Over the years, directors are closer to me in age and I think that makes a difference. But again, I really love all the directors I’ve worked with.
Could you give an example of how you prepare for a role?
Each role is different and requires a different form of preparation. But it starts with the script. I often dig into the script and try to look for clues or inspiration that comes to me at random. When I did Nightcrawler I read the script over and over and kept having this thought about coyotes in Los
Angeles roaming the hills. I grew up there and have spotted so many coyotes hunting at night; somehow it was a visual I couldn’t shake. So I decided to use that idea and create a character around it. Sometimes, it’s as simple as, “This character is a boxer; time to learn to box!” Usually, I just let the role slowly come to me and I find it, step by step with the director and all the wonderful department heads I’ve worked with.
Will the children’s book you wrote remain a one-off, or would you like to continue?
Oh, I really enjoyed writing The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles! I love my nieces so much, and it was an ode to that love. I wanted them to have something concrete to know how much they mean to me. I also had a lot of fun writing it with my best friend [Greta Caruso]. I would love to write another. Children’s books are perhaps one of the most difficult forms of storytelling—to maintain clarity and depth with just a few words is not for the faint of heart! I have so much admiration for that craft. I would love to have more opportunities in that space.
What do you think are your best qualities as an actor? As an uncle?
I am always trying to stay curious. To me, curiosity is one of the only ways to make our way toward understanding.
Are there any actors you consider role models?
Paul Newman is a role model for me. I was lucky enough to know him. I have deep admiration for him and his kindness, his humility in his faults, and his deep humanness. He was a good man and a legend. A North Star for me.
You are Ginori ambassador: are you interested in design? How is your house?
I love working with Ginori. I love their porcelain and the sense of joy conveyed by their design. And then Ginori collaborated with some of the most famous designers in the world. My house is a mix of things: above all I have a large collection of cookbooks. I love cooking and reading recipes.
Do you have plans to return to the theater?
Yes, stay tuned… I love the theater and cannot wait to get back on stage.
