The 'Nocturnal Animals' star is opening about matters of the heart.
Jake Gyllenhaal is opening up about love and heartache, revealing that he believes breakups make him stronger and that revenge is never a solution.
“Right now we are all in one way or another in different stages experiencing heartbreak of different kinds. Socially, politically, in our own relationships,” the actor told ET’s Lauren Zima while promoting his new film, Nocturnal Animals, over the weekend. “Over time, I think it's always those things, when we face them and we look at them, [that] make us stronger.”
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“Ultimately, you look back and say, not that you're glad for it, but that it shapes you into who you are,” the Oscar winner continued. “People sometimes ask me if [Nocturnal Animals] is about revenge, and I don't think it's about revenge at all. I don't think that's a solution, ever.”
Directed by Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals stars Amy Adams as a gallery owner who receives a dark and mysterious manuscript from her ex-husband, played by Gyllenhaal.
The 35-year-old actor confessed he has admired and wanted to work with Adams for years.
“Working really intensely and intimately with Amy on this – [she’s] someone who I've had such admiration for, for so many years, and have wanted to work with for so many years,” he gushed. “It’s a joy to be working with people that talented.”
While the film is already receiving Oscar buzz, Gyllenhaal plays down the hype, saying awards aren’t at the forefront of his mind when he’s making movies.
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The Los Angeles native won an Academy Award more than a decade ago, for his role in Brokeback Mountain.
“At the time that that happened to me, I was pretty young, and it was an extraordinary honor at that age. It's an extraordinary honor at any age,” he reflected about his win. “It's an incredible community of people. It puts you within a group of people, who you admire.”
See more on Nocturnal Animals in the video below. The film opens in select theaters on Nov. 18 and nationwide on Dec. 9.