“An entrance into manhood”: Marvel Star Jake Gyllenhaal Celebrated His Bar Mitzvah in an Unusual Way, He Entered Adulthood Without “typical trappings”
Jake Gyllenhaal has won millions of hearts across the world with his blue eyes and cute smile. The 42-year-old actor’s versatility is evident in his spectacular filmography. From a breezy romantic comedy, Love & Other Drugs to collaborating with the legendary Heath Ledger and playing his love interest in the critically acclaimed project Brokeback Mountain- the actor has proven what it takes to stand out in the crowd of great actors in Hollywood.
Being born to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Jake Gyllenhaal’s childhood was a bit different from other people’s. The actor celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in a totally different way without the typical trappings.
Jake Gyllenhaal Talks About His Unusual Bar Mitzvah Celebration
During an interview with The Guardian in 2011, the Southpaw actor spoke about his family, his parents, and his upbringing. He even mentioned the progressive mindset of his parents. While talking about the celebration of his adulthood, Jake Gyllenhaal said-
“My father is Christian and my mother is Jewish. On my 13th birthday, they thought it was important for me to experience a rite of passage, an entrance into manhood, and the consensus was that we would do something for the good of the community, some charitable work – a Bar Mitzvah-like act, without the typical trappings. So we went to a homeless shelter and we did some work there and then I had the party – the celebration – there.”
According to an interview with the media outlet Female First, Jake Gyllenhaal’s mother Naomi Foner recalled the Bar Mitzvah celebration and said-
“Growing up, Jake and his sister Maggie were exposed to a kind of secular humanism with social politics thrown in. For Jake’s bar-mitzvah we all went to a homeless shelter with some of his friends, and we spent the day with the kids in the homeless shelter.”
While talking about her kids’ education she further added-
“Both of my kids studied with (Buddhist scholar) Robert Thurman at Columbia University and I think they’ve both been drawn to that. “I think they’re both very spiritual beings. Both have a real awareness of what’s going on around them which is why they’re good at what they do because you have to be a real observer to represent things for other people (in acting).“
A Bar Mitzvah is popularly known as the coming-of-age ceremony for Jewish girls and boys when they hit their teenage.
Jake Gyllenhaal Feels His Upbringing Played A Significant Role In Taking Chances In His Career
While talking about his family in an interview with The Guardian in 2011, the Academy Award-nominated actor spoke about how his upbringing has helped him to take chances in his life and career. He mentioned-
“When I was young, before school, my father would wake me up and we would go running together. A love of being physical, being active and being outside was something he instilled in me. My parents also taught me to feel comfortable about my body. They told me that there is beauty in whatever you are.”
He further explained-
“That belief has given me – and my sister [the actor Maggie Gyllenhaal] – more courage on a physical level to take chances in my work, like Brokeback Mountain or Love and Other Drugs, in which Annie [Hathaway] and I are naked for much of the time. So many movies are all about sex or love. I hope young people will see this movie and see that love and sex can actually be connected.”
According to Jake Gyllenhaal, he opted for the character of Jack Twist in Ang Lee-directed romantic drama Brokeback Mountain only because of his beautiful upbringing. The R-rated project was turned down by multiple A-listers from Hollywood.
Brokeback Mountain is currently available on Netflix
Source: The Guardian/ Female First
