afternoon snacc

Fans are thirsting over Jake Gyllenhaal’s sweatiest, most pec-popping role like it’s 2015 all over again

A Jake Gyllenhaal film is making some major waves in the U.S. recently! Unfortunately for us, it’s not his new Strange World role. Instead, folks seem to be finding new appreciation for an older flick of his that is, to be fair, very easy to appreciate.

Gyllenhaal is gay-for-pay — sorry, “open casting” — royalty. His turn in Brokeback Mountain opposite Heath Ledger needs no explanation, he added a sexy bit of interest to otherwise mid horror flick Velvet Buzzsaw, and he’s even attached to the Fun Home movie adaptation as Bruce Bechdel. Mind you, that last announcement hit January 2020 so Ms. ‘Rona may have knocked it out of production, but fingers crossed!

But these aren’t the roles that have the actor getting his shine recently. Instead, a beefed up sports flick from the mid-2010s has had Gyllenhaal basking in the glow of small screens across the country.

Related: Jake Gyllenhaal reveals the moment his relationship with Heath Ledger became intimate

2015 boxing feature Southpaw re-hit Netflix last week and shot to the top ten trending movies in the U.S. It was seemingly a short-lived moment in the sun, as the film wasn’t still topping the charts by the end of the week.

With the time it did have at the top, it brought a very important matter back to public attention:

We’re listening and learning.

In 2015, Gyllenhaal hopped off the set of 2-star David O. Russell rom-com Accidental Love and went straight into the gym, putting on a total 25 pounds of muscle solely for this roughhousing role. Feel free to watch the film and count each pound for yourself; his buffed up brawny physique is prominently featured.

Related: This thirst-worthy trans boxer knows a thing or two about fighting for representation in the ring

His press cycle at the time was full of tips on getting swole overnight. Most guides left out the money, time, dietician, personal trainer, etc. necessary for instant beefcake results at 35, but results are results!

Now in his 40s, the actor is looking fine as ever. Just a quick scroll through his insta shows a man preparing to age like the finest of wine.

As Megan Thee Stallion said, “Been that b*tch, still that b*tch, will forever be that b*tch”:

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