Jake Gyllenhaal says he "has fun" playing dark characters.
The 38-year-old actor – who is known for roles such as troubled teen Donnie Darko in the 2001 cult film of the same name and Louis Bloom in 2014 thriller ‘Nightcrawler’ – confessed that it "brings him joy" to explore "dark subjects" in his work as he’s able to use his "imagination" more when scenes are sinister.
When asked whether he had memories which were "tinged in darkness" when he was playing certain characters, he told Collider: "I mean I have days that I feel like are tinged in darkness and days that I feel great joy I think it depends on the character.
"Someone asked me once what it was like to play a lot of dark characters and I was like I have fun doing it. Which seems to be off for people to understand like oh there all these dark subjects how can you have fun? And it’s what I love like it brings me joy. I come out of a scene that was sort of madness sometimes and I’m like that was so fun because being an actor you need your imagination"
The ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ star went on explained that imagination is a key tool for an actor and thinks that it’s "no fun" and "ultimately not any better" to enter the "real world".
He said: "And If you lose your imagination you’re done for and I’ve gone through different things where I’ve lost my imagination.
"I’ve gone completely into the real world with things; it’s no fun and ultimately not any better in my opinion."
Jake Gyllenhaal ‘has fun’ playing dark characters
