Denis Villeneuve names the most interesting actor he’s ever worked with: “We are flirting with disaster”
Since making his Hollywood debut with 2013’s Prisoners, Denis Villeneuve has risen to the pinnacle of the industry in little over a decade by delivering quality and quantity in equal measure, becoming known as one of cinema’s most jaw-dropping visualists and ambitious creative minds.
Only one of Villeneuve’s seven most recent features hasn’t been nominated for an Academy Award, dating back to his previous feature Incendies. Looking at Dune’s ten nominations and six wins, the smart money is on the sequel following a similar path at the next edition of the Oscars.
There are few in the business to understand the importance of atmosphere like Villeneuve, with his impeccable aesthetics always complemented by stunning cinematography, engrossing narratives, and richly-drawn characters, who are regularly played by some of the greatest actors on the planet.
He’s worked with Oscar winners Melissa Leo, Viola Davis, Benicio del Toro, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Javier Bardem, as well as superstars and top-tier thespians like Amy Adams, Hugh Jackman, Paul Dano, Josh Brolin, Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Oscar Isaac, and Timothée Chalamet.
However, none of them were the most interesting performer the filmmaker has ever worked with. Instead, it was an actor Villeneuve who spent a lot of time collaborating within a short period, with Prisoners and Enemy releasing within months of each other. His focus might be on buff action heroes for the time being, but the director couldn’t have spoken highly enough of Jake Gyllenhaal’s dynamism.
“He is, by far, the most interesting actor that I’ve ever worked with,” Villeneuve told Brian Tallerico. “He pushes me all the time. He’s very ambitious. He’s not afraid of taking a risk. He’s not afraid of work, of explorations. He pushes the envelope all the time. I push him, and then we find something, and then he has a new idea.”
During the decade-long stretch between Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Spider-Man: Far From Home, where he swore off blockbusters entirely, Gyllenhaal reinvented himself as one of the most daring actors of his generation, giving excellent performances in not only Villeneuve’s duo but Source Code, End of Watch, Nightcrawler, and Southpaw. It was a much-needed reinvention and evolution, which didn’t go unnoticed.
“He’s someone that I think will age well because he’s really getting more mature,” Villeneuve reflected. “He was a teenager for such a long time. Becoming a man, his best parts are in front of him. He will impress us in the future. I’m a better director working with him. I cannot be on automatic pilot with Jake. We are flirting with disaster and always on the edge.”
Villeneuve may have improved as a director by having someone like Gyllenhaal ready to challenge him at every turn and force him to up his game, but the fact remains it’s been more than a decade since they shared a set. Maybe he was pushed too far for his own liking, or perhaps it’s a simple case of waiting for the perfect part to roll around and reunite them.
