Jake Gyllenhaal's latest transformation turned him into an intense prizefighter trying to get his life back on track in the coming drama "Southpaw," in theaters July 24.
YouTube/The Weinstein Company
To convincingly play character Billy Hope, the actor had to commit to an intense workout and boxing regimen, especially because he was already in frail form having just finished playing the creepy lead in the 2014 thriller "
Nightcrawler," for which he
dropped 30 pounds.
"I said, 'Jake, you have to train like a fighter,'" "Southpaw" director
Antoine Fuqua said in a
behind-the-scenes video on the training. "I can't have you faking it."
Six months before shooting began on "Southpaw," Gyllenhaal teamed with former pro boxer Terry Claybon to prepare for the role.
His daily routine included:
- Going to the gym twice a day for six hours.
- 2,000 situps
- Three hours of boxing
- Three hours of cardio and weight training
YouTube/The Weinstein Company/
YouTube/The Weinstein Company
YouTube/The Weinstein Company
The intense training transformed Gyllenhaal from his slender look in "Nightcrawler" ...
... to this.
Scott Garfield/The Weinstein Company/
But training didn't end when filming began.
During principal photography, Fuqua trained with Gyllenhaal every morning before shooting started.
YouTube/The Weinstein Company
"Antoine decided to go with me on the physical journey," Gyllenhaal said in the video. "It was amazing to have your director there pushing you every day."
YouTube/The Weinstein Company
See Gyllenhaal in action for yourself in the training video below.