News | Entertainment
26 Jan 2026 15:50
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Jake Gyllenhaal has claimed the late Heath Ledger snubbed an offer to present at the Oscars

    The pair were asked to be involved in an opening for the 2007 Academy Awards that made fun of their movie 'Brokeback Mountain' and while the 39-year-old actor was happy to take the sketch "in good fun", his co-star - who died from an accidental overdose in January 2008 - refused to be involved because he didn't think the subject of the movie was something to joke about


    Jake told Another Man magazine: "I mean, I remember they wanted to do an opening for the Academy Awards that year that was sort of joking about it.

    "And Heath refused. I was sort of at the time, 'Oh, okay... whatever.' I'm always like: it's all in good fun. And Heath said, 'It's not a joke to me--I don't want to make any jokes about it.'

    "That's the thing I loved about Heath. He would never joke. Someone wanted to make a joke about the story or whatever, he was like, 'No. This is about love. Like, that's it, man. Like, no.'"

    Jake admitted the chemistry between himself and Heath and why they were cast by director Ang Lee in the 2005 romance is still a "mystery" to him.

    He said: There are things you're chosen for - a quality, an essence - and [Ang Lee] did that.

    "And it's still a mystery to me. And something that Heath and I shared: that it was a mystery to us at the time,"

    The 'Nocturnal Animals' star admitted he can get "obsessive" with his work and doesn't always feel he behaves like an "actor is supposed to be".

    He said: "I am super-specific, I am obsessive sometimes when I'm creating things.

    "I think I've hidden a lot. Like, 'I'm gonna hide, and then I'll create these characters and I'll tinker in the corner with these ideas...' I hid in my idea of what I thought an actor was supposed to be, what they're supposed to do. And I'm kind of like: 'F**k it, I'm not like that at all.'"

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     26 Jan: Jodie Foster still has scars after being "mauled by a lion" as a child
     26 Jan: Billy Bob Thornton has rubbished claims that he is leaving Landman
     26 Jan: Ashton Kutcher has insisted he does shower years after widespread debate about his bathing habits
     26 Jan: Ellen DeGeneres has expressed her support for anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis
     26 Jan: Mara Wilson was in "a living nightmare" after her image was used for child sex abuse material
     26 Jan: Hilary Duff has performed Lizzie McGuire song What Dreams Are Made Of live for the first time
     26 Jan: Jacob Elordi has an "obsession" with his Wuthering Heights co-star Margot Robbie
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster says today's coaching policy change isn't an admission of fault when hiring Scott Robertson More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Jodie Foster still has scars after being "mauled by a lion" as a child 15:31

    Cricket:
    New Zealand's 50-over dominance over India has been contrasted by 20-over inferiority before next month's T20 cricket World Cup 15:27

    Politics:
    The Minister for Foreign Affairs says the World Health Organisation's forgotten it serves the global body of tax-payers who fund it 15:07

    Entertainment:
    Billy Bob Thornton has rubbished claims that he is leaving Landman 15:01

    Politics:
    Te Pati Maori's launched a policy to abolish prisons by 2040 14:57

    Rugby:
    New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster says today's coaching policy change isn't an admission of fault when hiring Scott Robertson 14:37

    Entertainment:
    Ashton Kutcher has insisted he does shower years after widespread debate about his bathing habits 14:31

    Golf:
    World number one Scottie Scheffler has locked in a lifetime card on golf's PGA Tour 14:17

    Politics:
    New Zealand will consider joining the US President's Board of Peace 14:07

    Entertainment:
    Ellen DeGeneres has expressed her support for anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis 14:01


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd