The role that made Jake Gyllenhaal feel insecure: “I’m not like this usually”
When he’s not getting abused by Taylor Swift fans, Jake Gyllenhaal can usually be found in very successful movies. Following a breakthrough role in Donnie Darko as a 21-year-old, he has gone on to run the full gamut of cinema. Heartbreaking dramas (Brokeback Mountain), sci-fi thrillers (Source Code), blockbusting superhero romps (Spider-Man: Far From Home), he really has done it all.
In his time on screen, Gyllenhaal has brought several highly recognisable characters to life. In the aforementioned Far From Home, he played the enigmatic Mysterio, becoming the first actor to embody a live-action version of the iconic villain. In the 2015 movie Everest, he plays Scott Fisher, a famous mountaineer who lost his life trying to scale the world’s highest mountain. However, when it comes to the character with the biggest cultural reach, you have to look at Gyllenhaal’s career on the stage.
The brother of Maggie has appeared in a number of high-profile plays on London’s West End and in his native United States. He played Seymour Krelbourn in an off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors and was nominated for a Tony for his work in the 2021 run of Sea Wall/A Life. In 2025, he took on one of Shakespeare’s most memorable parts, playing Iago in Kenny Leon’s interpretation of Othello. If that wasn’t enough pressure, the title role of the piece would be played by Denzel Washington.
Speaking to IndieWire, Gyllenhaal revealed that he had been extremely nervous to take on such a famous character. “I was beginner beyond beginner,” he said. “I’m not like this usually. I had to spark my brain with other people’s brilliance. I watched everything I possibly could.” He sought particular comfort in Sir Ian McKellan’s interpretation of the part from a 1989 run at the Other Place and Young Vic theatres in London. He also played the character again in a 1990 TV movie.
McKellan and Gyllenhaal are just two of a myriad of famous actors to play the scheming bannerman, who plots to ruin the life of the title character by falsely accusing his wife of infidelity. Christopher Plummer played Iago in a 1982 version, which saw James Earl Jones portray Othello. Rory Kinnear won plaudits for his take on the classic villain in 2013, opposite Adrian Lester. In a 2001 TV adaptation, Christopher Eccleston plays ‘Ben Jago’, a corrupt police officer and a thinly veiled version of the character.
Despite preparing for the part for around a year, Gyllenhaal was still nervous. “I struggled in the first few previews,” he admitted. “To fall back on techniques makes me feel insecure. I’m used to doing 10 takes. If you go home and your voice is shot, you’re like, ‘At least they got it.’ So I do vocal warm-ups before the show.” In the end, he had nothing to worry about. This version of Othello has become the highest-grossing play revival in history, selling out every performance and taking almost $3 million in ticket sales.
Getting to grips with one of Shakespeare’s most famous creations is no easy feat, but Gyllenhaal seems to have absolutely smashed it. Acting opposite someone the calibre of Washington must certainly help, but let’s not take anything away from the actor, who seems to have made the part his own.
