Jake Gyllenhaal has all the appearance of a news stringer (ambulance chaser) who works by night and sleeps by day in his new film Nightcrawler.

The actor lost a considerable amount of weight to prepare for the role of Louis Bloom and his appearance is further ‘enhanced’ by the fact that  filming took place mainly at night.

The experience clearly affected Gyllenhaal.

“There was a moment at which I dreaded the sun rising, not only as a producer because it meant our day was ending..or our night was ending and we had to get everything we could. But also as character you start to really thrive in the world that’s a little closer to the unconscious.

It’s somewhere that’s kind of terrifying as well as thrilling.”

The film raises questions about the lengths the media and freelance reporters will go for a news exclusive but Gyllenhaal believes the public is to blame.

“I think it’s less about the media and more about us and our role in the exchange with the media. We are complicit. We are asking for that information.

 There is some part of human nature that is fascinated with these things that we abhor but at the same time we can’t turn away from them.”

 “We are constantly feeding a beast.”

Listen here for the full interview with Jake Gyllenhaal on The Green Room with Orla Barry:

 

 Also on the show:

 Actor JK Simmons ( Juno, Spiderman)

 Director of Whiplash Damien Chazelle

 Photographer Steve Schapiro ( Taxi-driver, The Godfather)

 The best films shot in Berlin

 One Man Two Guv’nors Actor Norman Pale

 Music with The Hot Sprockets

 Playwright Mike Finn on The Unlucky Cabin Boy

 

Nightcrawler is currently screening in Irish cinemas nationwide