Jake’s quiet year

Exactly a year ago this week, like this week, I was prepping for TIFF, screening films every day. I love this annual tradition, it’s one of the best bonuses of the job – as everything slows down before the Labour Day long weekend, to get away from the heat in an air conditioned theatre and watch movies back to back to back. In 2017, one of the first films I saw during this time was Stronger, starring Tatiana Maslany and Jake Gyllenhaal as Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman. As usual where Jake is concerned, it was an outstanding performance and he promoted the film enthusiastically through the fall, primarily committed to raising awareness for Jeff’s story and also, secondarily, for a possible Best Actor nomination, as he was on the long list for consideration. (That didn’t happen but one day, for sure one day. He’s simply too good.)

Since then, though, it’s been pretty quiet. Back in May, Sarah posted the news that Jake was in talks to take on the role of the villain in the new (new, new) Spider-Man sequel as Mysterio. At the time, “talks” is all that was reported. I don’t remember there being any follow-up that it was locked or an official confirmation that Mysterio is indeed what Jake is playing. But Spider-Man: Far From Home has been in production in London all summer. And Jake has been in London all summer. So…he’s in it. They just not ready to tell us any more than we need to know. We’ll have to wait a while still before we see Jake in character with a fish bowl on his head. As Sarah told us, that’s Mysterio - some goofy dude who walks around with a fish bowl on his head. Does he wear a cape too? Because when there’s already a fish bowl… why limit the ridiculousness, you know? 

What’s Jake been up to when he’s not shooting with a fish bowl on his head? As always, he keeps a lowwww profile. There have been some sightings of him in London though. Apparently he had dinner with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the creator of, among other things, the acclaimed series Fleabag and Killing Eve (for which Sandra Oh has been nominated for an Emmy). 

I can’t say for sure that it’s her but if it is, well, this is exciting – for Jake. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is just getting started. That’s potentially an excellent collaboration, whether it’s personal or professional. 

But, as a reader called Sally (thanks Sally!) just pointed out to me this morning, Jake’s fans have been buzzing online about him spending time with someone else too. Here’s a page from Heat Magazine showing Jake at the Young Vic sitting beside an attractive woman. 

Is it the same woman he was seen with in Greece a couple of weeks ago, as posted here on Instagram by another tourist? 

He’s walking here like he’s had a fish bowl on his head for the last couple of months. That’s basically all the confirmation I need that he is, indeed, Mysterio. 

Next: Jake stars in The Sisters Brothers and Wildlife, both of which are scheduled to be on the festival circuit at Venice and Toronto. So he’s heading back to work soon. We should be seeing him on carpets and at press junkets soon. Good. I miss him. You?