Jake Gyllenhaal sits down with Q guest host Brent Bambury to talk about his latest film, Enemy — an erotic existential thriller in which he plays two identical men — and his unique relationship with Montreal director Denis Villeneuve.
In the psychological thriller, Gyllenhaal plays the dual roles of a nervous University of Toronto professor and his confident doppelganger. He opens up on the complexity of playing the contrasting characters in the film and exploring the conscious and unconscious mind.
The Oscar-nominated actor also explains the deep collaboration he and Villeneuve have on set, the trust between them and how their fraternal honesty shines through in the on-screen product.
There’s no denying Jake Gyllenhaal is a heartthrob, but meeting the actor in person, it’s clear that the 33-year-old is first and foremost an artist. It’s evident in his recent choice of roles, and in the passionate and thoughtful way he speaks about his craft. 
Jake Gyllenhaal is pretty much the ideal candidate for a film interview. For what I do for a living, there’s nothing worse than an actor who sleepwalks his or her way through an interview (though, considering how many he or she are often subjected to in a given day, it is at least understandable), not giving any thought to what is actually being said, just spitting out rehearsed line after line of predetermined PR-speak. I’m honestly not sure if Gyllenhaal would even be capable of that. He’s quick-witted, but also puts so much thought into his answers that often I just want to interrupt and tell him that everything will be okay. It’s obvious that Jake Gyllenhaal cares — which is almost unique in a world in which it’s cool not to care.
