Gyllenhaal: Acting’s not hard

Jake Gyllenhaal thinks there is “nothing hard” about acting in comparison to real jobs.

The 34-year-old will soon be seen in Southpaw, a sports drama in which he plays a famous boxer. It is yet another occupation that Jake has had the opportunity to sample, and he has revealed how it helps him appreciate what people do in the real world on a day to day basis.

“I hate to be so thoughtful, but I would say when you see what people really do when you're playing a character – I've had the opportunity to play a police officer, I've had the opportunity to play a sociopath, I've had the opportunity to play military, a boxer – and particularly the jobs in the military and the jobs that are physical like this, you're an actor,” he explained to People magazine. "There is nothing hard compared to what the people do for real."

Jake had to gain 15 pounds of muscle to take on the role of Billy Hope in the film. The actor admits it gave him a newfound respect for real-life boxers who dedicate their life to the sport.

“The amount of time you have to put into it, the sacrifice that you put into your body, it's not something that you're eager to do again," he added. "It's a huge commitment."

While he isn’t keen on maintaining such a bulky physique, Jake is glad that the blood, sweat and tears he put into preparing for the role comes across on camera.

“One thing I know, and we always talk about, is whatever you put into your character, how much commitment you have to put into the movie, all of that energy is in the film," he said. "I can feel that energy when people see the film."

Southpaw will hit cinemas in July.