As a seasoned gamer of the television industry, I can confidently say that my encounter with Greg Yaitanes and Jake Gyllenhaal during the making of Presumed Innocent was nothing short of extraordinary. The behind-the-scenes camaraderie was reminiscent of a high-stakes steak-eating contest, where Gyllenhaal, our resident steak connoisseur, set the bar high.
As a die-hard Jake Gyllenhaal admirer, I couldn’t hide my excitement when I first met him before collaborating on our hit series. In an interview with MovieWeb, I confessed, “I usually try to get the fanboy thing out of the way.” Working with Tim Robbins in Castle Rock had me gushing about The Shawshank Redemption. But with Jake, I go to films because he’s starring in them. I saw Prisoners and Enemy just because he was in them. His work and his natural on-screen presence, honed over three decades, are captivating to watch. It’s a pleasure to see such ease and beauty in front of the camera.
In Presumed Innocent, one can’t help but be awestruck, indeed. Yaitanes directed approximately five episodes of the show, which is an adaptation from Scott Turow’s 1987 bestselling novel, later turned into a film starring Harrison Ford in 1990. There’s talk of Season 2 already. Yaitanes reminisces about his first encounter with Jake Gyllenhaal in person regarding Presumed Innocent – Gyllenhaal is also a producer on the project. Before arriving, they asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?” To which he humorously replied, “I’ll eat what Jake eats.” This led to an intriguing experience. He continued by saying:
“Paulette, who served as Jake’s personal cook or chef on the set of ‘Road House,’ had a massive steak for breakfast at around ten o’clock. It turned out to be a lively conversation. I got the feeling it was a friendly competition. Like…
If you envision a grown-up acting like an overly excited child, eating contests being his forte, then you have a good picture of him. Yaitanes remarked: “He’s quite the big kid in many aspects. He carries that infectious energy that makes spending time with him delightful. Moreover, he requested, ‘Please promise me you’ll join me in chasing magic.’ Hearing that filled me with joy because I thought, ‘We’re on to something special… we can explore what this thing is and see where it leads us.'”
Jake Gyllenhaal Auditioned with Actors for Presumed Innocent
In Yaitanes’ words, “Jake Gyllenhaal is an exceptional collaborator and ally when you work with him.” He added that Gyllenhaal helps directors achieve their goals, stands by them through thick and thin, which is not always the case in TV production. This level of support from Gyllenhaal, according to Yaitanes, is particularly refreshing because it’s different from the traditional structure of TV direction.
Yaitanes explained further, “He’s not familiar with any other method of working, so the entire process turned out to be incredibly cooperative, dynamic, and motivating. Each day at work left me exhilarated, and I found myself looking forward to going there every morning, as if it were a dream come true.”
He either selected the cast alongside us or went through auditions with those who would be working alongside him. He believed that if he was to collaborate with others, they too should share in the pursuit of creating magic together.
“Presumed Innocent adds another successful chapter to Yaitanes’s illustrious career. He made a splash with the TV sensation House, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2008. He then moved on to executive produce and direct Castle Rock under J.J. Abrams, who is also an executive producer for Presumed Innocent. Additionally, he has directed notable episodes for The Old Man, Snowfall, Grey’s Anatomy, and the pilot episode of Bones, which ran for 13 seasons. Currently, he is highly sought-after following his work on Game of Thrones and its spinoff House of the Dragon, which is nearing the end of its second season.”
Presumed Innocent is streaming on Apple TV+ through the link below:
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2024-07-31 03:08