ESQ&A: Jake Gyllenhaal

The Cartier Santos-Dumont ambassador talks failure, action heroes, theatre and what it means to be a man.

- Norman Tan

ESQ: The Cartier Santos timepiece is named after Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who famously said: “Even in the worst of times, you must never give in to discouragement, but instead use your failure to start again.” How do you relate to this quote as an actor?

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: There is this wonderful quote that basically says: “We learn from our failures more than we learn from our achievements or triumphs. And, if that’s so, why don’t we learn about the people who failed?” I sort of love that idea on why don’t we hold up to people who came in second place. I believe that deeply. Failures are some of the most beautiful times to look back on because they inform the changes and decisions you make to move forward. That sense of birth comes right out of that time. So I think you have to be hopeful, have a vision, see where you want to go and believe in it. Trust your instinct. You can’t constantly be trying to look for failure. That’s not a good thing. But when you don’t succeed, that’s when the lesson comes.

ESQ: You have a knack for playing extreme characters, but presenting them in an honest way. Why are you drawn to characters like Lou Bloom in Nightcrawler, Morf Vandewalt in Velvet Buzzsaw and Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home?

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: I have a desire to understand why people are the way they are. So often, my own judgement of someone in the past has led me away from discovery. More and more, I discover that if I begin with judgement, I become curious about it. And every time I move into that idea, it makes me realise something about myself.