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.
