Jake Gyllenhaal has opened up about why filming intimate scenes with Jennifer Aniston felt like ‘torture’, describing the experience as ‘mechanical’.
The actor first gained recognition through standout performances in October Sky and Donnie Darko.
Since then, he has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in major movies including Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
While Gyllenhaal has taken on countless memorable roles throughout his career, he admitted that some experiences on set proved more challenging than others.
A memorable early career role
Back in the early stages of his acting career, Gyllenhaal starred opposite Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in the 2002 romantic comedy The Good Girl.
The movie centers on Justine (Aniston), a retail worker stuck in an unhappy personal life, who forms a bond with her younger coworker Holden (Gyllenhaal). The pair quickly develop a connection through their shared dissatisfaction.
Years later, Gyllenhaal admitted that working so closely with Aniston wasn’t exactly easy.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor was asked about filming alongside the Horrible Bosses star.
When Stern questioned what it was like working with Aniston, Gyllenhaal replied: “Oh yeah, it was torture, yes it was. But it was also not torture.”
Why intimate scenes felt awkward
Gyllenhaal went on to explain why filming romantic scenes can feel uncomfortable on set.
He said: “Weirdly, love scenes are awkward because there are maybe 30,50 people watching it? That doesn’t turn me on.
“It’s oddly mechanical. And also it’s a dance, you’re choreographing for a camera. You can get in it but it’s like a fight scene, you have to choreograph those scenes.”
The actor also recalled the specific method used while filming intimate moments in The Good Girl.
According to Gyllenhaal, “The pillow technique was used, that was just preemptive and used generally always when actually in a horizontal place in that movie.”
He continued: “I think that was actually a Jennifer suggestion, she was very kind to suggest it before we began. She was like, ‘I’m putting a pillow here.’”
His longtime crush on Jennifer Aniston
Part of what made the experience especially difficult was Gyllenhaal’s longtime admiration for Aniston.
The actress, who has frequently been named one of the world’s most beautiful women, had apparently caught his attention long before they worked together.
Speaking to People magazine, Gyllenhaal explained that his crush wasn’t necessarily because of Friends.
“Not so much Friends, but kind of her personality from afar, and movies she was in,” he said. “I will say, I had a crush on her for years. And working with her was not easy.”
At the time of filming The Good Girl, Aniston was 33 while Gyllenhaal was still in his early twenties, which likely added to the awkwardness on set.
The real reason filming felt like torture
Although Gyllenhaal joked about the experience being “torture,” the real challenge came from having to film intimate scenes with someone he had admired for years.
Aniston later reacted to the actor’s comments during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2016.
Laughing off the revelation, she responded: “What do I do with that information now? What good does that do me now? I love that boy.”
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