A love of boxing was certainly not what drove Academy Award® nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal to star in “Souhtpaw.” In fact, Gyllenhaal was essentially unfamiliar with the sport before signing on, though he now calls himself an avid fan. For him, director Antoine Fuqua, who’s a dedicated boxer himself and trains every day, was the main reason for his interest in the film to begin with.
Having met years before, Fuqua insisted that he’d love to direct the already-acclaimed actor in something that audiences had never seen before. While Gyllenhaal initially chalked the claim up to just being typical Hollywood talk, Fuqua eventually made good on his word.
Jake Gyllenhaal who rose to global attention with his impressive and unforgettable portrayals in hit movies such as “Bubble Boy,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Nightcrawler” and “Donnie Darko” reveals anew his acting prowess in “Southpaw” as a boxer who is a southpaw puncher very much like the world’s greatest boxing champ has ever known, the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao.
Acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") and screenwriters Kurt Sutter ("Sons of Anarchy") and Richard Wenk ("The Mechanic") team up to tell a riveting story in "Southpaw" about a boxer named Billy "The Great" Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World (played by Academy Award® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal).
