Jake Gyllenhaal Praises Conor McGregor’s Acting – ‘I Have Great Respect’
Jake Gyllenhaal praised Conor McGregor’s approach to acting during his time on set for ‘Road House.’
The two appear in the remake of the 1989 film, which is set to air on Amazon Prime Video on March 21. The film is based on Gyllenhaal’s character, Elwood Dalton, a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse. During the movie, Dalton crosses paths with the film’s villain, Knox, played by McGregor.
One of the challenging factors in the film was that both men were tackling new areas. Gyllenhaal helped choreograph the fight scenes to make them realistic, while McGregor had to approach acting for the first time. Since both men have big personalities, there could have been a clash of egos. However, Gyllenhaal lauded McGregor for wanting to learn.
Gyllenhaal On McGregor
“I think we all had great respect for the fight game. Same thing with Conor when he came to the movie set. He came in and said, ‘I’m a white belt. I’m here to learn. I don’t know anything about making movies or acting, and I want to learn.’ That type of humility in that space. [And] I tried to bring the same way in the opposite end. I don’t know that much about the fight game. I have great respect for it, and I wanted to learn,” Gyllenhaal said
McGregor was vocal about enjoying the experience and was open to acting in more roles. This depended on how the film was received and whether he was willing to explore further options. He is waiting for a fight date and expecting to face Michael Chandler next. However, once his fighting days are over, McGregor could take acting more seriously.
“There is potentially an opportunity for something down the line….I’m gonna enjoy myself, and hopefully after that I’m going to get a fight day booked,” McGregor said
McGregor’s Future
As of now, the reception to the film shows McGregor in a positive light. The consensus has been that McGregor comes across as very authentic. It is unclear how much of this McGregor is acting since he is playing a villain. This is the same perception he forged as a UFC fighter, earning him the nickname ‘The Notorious.’
But the longer that he stays away from the Octagon, the more likely that he could pursue a career in acting. He has been looking to face Michael Chandler on June 29, but Dana White ruled out that date. His attempts at securing a boxing bout also depend on his UFC contract. Reports stress that McGregor has two fights left on his deal.
But in order to box, he would need the UFC to consent to this, or if McGregor could somehow work his way around an exit. He has been mentioned for a bout with Manny Pacquiao. Saudi Arabia has reportedly expressed its desire to stage the fight, with McGregor having been ringside in Saudi Arabia for the Day of Reckoning boxing event. The bigger McGregor’s name gets, the more pulling power he can have moving forward.
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