Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal have been in major movies the past year. Washington was a total standout as Macrinus in the cast of Gladiator 2. Gyllenhaal was also busy throwing a lot of punches in the Road House remake and is revved up to do so again for the sequel. Their next project may not be a 2025 movie release, but they’re hitting the stage together for Shakespeare’s Othello. After their collaboration, the duo gave each other some major props on their acting which shows their strong brotherly bond.
Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello has Denzel Washington in the title role and Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago, whose relationship on stage is filled with betrayal, manipulation, and psychological warfare. But in real life, the two couldn’t be closer. On CBS Sunday Morning’s Instagram reel, Washington gave Gyllenhaal major acting props that got him a little emotional:
Brilliant. Complicated. Scientific. Unusual. He has a good, good, good, good, heart. Strong. Fierce. I’ll use complicated again. But I love him. I love him like a brother.
Those are some strong adjectives that Denzel Washington sent Jake Gyllenhaal’s way. The stage is the best place to see exactly what an actor can do, giving a powerful performance in one take. That’s all the more reason why the Malcolm X star doesn’t consider himself a “Hollywood actor”. His true love is in live theater who just so happens to do film work as well. It looks like getting to work with The Day After Tomorrow actor showed Washington the intense talent that his co-star brings to every role, whether it’s live on stage or in front of the camera.
With such a rave review like that, there was no way that Jake Gyllenhaal was going to stay silent. The Brokeback Mountain star made sure to mention that his 11-year-old self would never believe he’d get to work with such an accomplished actor like Denzel Washington. In return, Gyllenhaal gave back to his Othello co-star an emotional response that places the actor in high esteem:
To me, what else is there in your work, right? To be working with someone that you have admired for however long you have from afar and to do a play like this, with them, he is, he is everything that he says he is. He is, you know, we all know it. He is a leader. He has a huge heart. He is complicated. And I take that complicated as a tremendous compliment.
It looks like the two Othello stars both believe themselves to be “complicated” with a good “heart.” Seeing Jake Gyllenhaal choke up a little hearing Denzel Washington gives me all kinds of feels.
When the Spider-Man: Far From Home actor first landed the role of Iago, he humbly bragged about the stage gig, talking about how “intimidated” he was looking back on the history of actors who’ve played that prominent Shakespearan role. Plus, to share the stage with the Fences actor/director is not something all actors can say they’ve done. Fortunately Gyllenhaal can now say he’s gotten to work with one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. Check out their touching Instagram video below:
Working together in Othello certainly brought a sweet working bond between Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. With the two stars sharing a deep respect for their huge acting chops, it’s no surprise their collaboration made a lasting impact on each other. If you happen to be in New York, catch their Shakespearean production at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, playing until June 8th.
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