Jake Gyllenhaal got deep during his interview with Esquire UK. The Southpaw actor told the magazine that he believes human behavior is impacted by the moon because the body is largely made up of water.
“I believe deeply in the unconscious. That you literally accumulate the molecules of the space that you're in. We're like 90 percent water, so naturally we are going to be affected by the moon when it's full: if the sea is, why wouldn't we be? That seems scientific to me,” the 34-year-old star explained while talking about getting in character for his roles, including when he played a police officer in End of Watch.
“If you spend enough time in whatever environment your character would exist in — the way I spent six months with police officers — then the molecules of that environment must transfer somehow,” he added. “And then you put it on screen, and people go, ‘I feel something that I don’t normally feel.’”
In fact, portraying Brian Taylor in the 2012 flick even made him feel closer to his hometown of Los Angeles. “There were times, when I was taking cover, wearing a Kevlar vest and thinking, ‘Come on, we’re making a movie!’ You know?” he said, before adding: “I have never felt so good about being in Los Angeles as when I was in East L.A. working with police officers. Just being in that culture, especially the Hispanic culture. It was amazing.”
And although Reese Witherspoon’s ex develops a deep connection with his characters, he admits his profession is a bit odd.
"I get that my job is absurd,” he concluded. “I’m hyper-aware of how ridiculous it is. But at the same time, I take it extraordinarily seriously! Because as absurd as it is, it can also breed empathy.”