Why Michael Pitt replaced Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘The Dreamers’
Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 movie, The Dreamers, is one of the highlights of 2000s cinema. Based on Gilbert Adair’s novel The Holy Innocents, it’s a challenging and controversial title due to its sexually-charged nature and themes of incest. Starring Eva Green, Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel, it might just be the best performance of the former, who was then only a newcomer. Whilst all three shine in the film, for a time, Pitt was nowhere to be seen; Jake Gyllenhaal was in the frame as the character of Matthew. However, the Donnie Darko star pulled out due to the graphic essence of the flick.
The Dreamers follows Pitt’s American exchange student, Matthew, who meets an intriguing brother and sister, Théo and Isabelle, played by Garrel and Green, respectively. The group initially bond over a mutual love of cinema before entering into a complicated love triangle. After the film’s release, Green reflected on reading lines with Gyllenhaal before Pitt took his place. She was speaking to Neil Young’s Film Lounge at the London Film Festival in November 2003.
Recalling how she got the job, Green then discussed reading with Gyllenhaal before he pulled out: “I did a casting two years ago, it was for CQ by Roman Coppola, it was really a disaster. Then the casting director called me back for Bernardo — she thought I was too tragic for the CQ part. It was really weird. And I’ve heard the movie’s not so good. I did an interview on camera, and the casting director asked me questions about sexuality, cinema, politics, and if I would get naked in a movie (laughs).“
Continuing: “So eventually Bernardo saw the tape and he wanted to meet me, and I met him. So we did, with Louis Garrel, an improvisation in front of the camera — I think he just wanted to see if I could fit the character. Have a kind of mystery… a secret, yes? We didn’t know each other at all, but we had to act like we were brother and sister.”
She then explained why the potential leading man pulled out: “And then we did screen tests in London with Jake Gyllenhaal, based on the script, because he was going to play the Michael Pitt role. He had to drop out, because… I don’t know… his lawyers or his agent didn’t want him to get naked in a movie. It would be really bad for his career because in America I think they’re very very puritan, and if you’re doing a scene with frontal nudity, then people will think that you’re a pornographic actor, or something. It’s really weird — I don’t really understand that mindset.”
Green revisited Gyllenhaal dropping out of The Dreamers in an extensive interview with Vulture in 2020: “I auditioned with him in London, I remember, and then he pulled out. I was like, “Oh no! I really liked him!” And then Michael came on board, and he was extremely interesting — and actually perfect. There is that kind of angel quality about him that’s very good for the character. We really connected. It might have been a completely different film with another actor.”
