X-press Dispatch #1: Donald Mowat and Jake Gyllenhaal

Throwback pic is from the Nightcrawler set, circa Fall 2013

Another day, another use of a second degree of separation Instagram post to keep Jake Gyllenhaal relevant and in the public eye. A shared moment from a professional colleague that nudged Narnia Dispatches to take a quick second look at Donald Mowat's truncated biography page on IMDb. 

What leaps out immediately is how only a mini-biography, that abruptly ends in 2012, is presented. In other words, Mowat's abridged bio curiously ends just when he begins to start working with Jake routinely.  In fact, after 2012, Mowat has been stuck like glue to Jake Gyllenhaal movie projects in much the same way that Nick Payne seemed attached at the hip to Jake when it came to his theater productions (Constellations; If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet; Seawall/A Life?

https://narniadispatches.blogspot.com/2019/08/weekend-musings.html

https://narniadispatches.blogspot.com/2019/09/jake-gyllenhaals-four-year-project-of.html


No, really.  Out of Jake Gyllenhaal’s 14 wide released films since signing with WME in 2012, Mowat has been the makeup designer for 6 of them. That’s right. If we include Prisoners, which began filming in 2012, Mowat has worked as Jake’s make-up artist in nearly 50% of his projects in just six years.

[We've crossed through misleading entries such Accidental Love, which was actually filmed in the spring of 2008, the video short and the TV series appearance.]

So one has to wonder what essential component might a makeup artist possess that would inspire Jake to forge such a deep and abiding relationship with one? Maybe Mr. Mowat is a person Jake  can trust. A person who knows how to keep secrets. 

A CAVE OF SECRETS

The hair and makeup trailer is notorious as Ground Zero for set gossip, and every actor knows it. Says Scott, “Especially on the first day, I’ll never name names when I tell stories. I hardly even bring up examples of other people I’ve worked with. [Actors] pick up on the fact that you respect privacy in general. Then they start to trust that you’re going to respect their privacy.”
“Everything is about trust,”  Filmmaker Magazine

In other words, the makeup trailer is like a sanctuary for an performer in production.  A place where an actor can go to decompress, to hideaway from the hustle and bustle on set, and to perhaps have some quiet time away from others that NDAs may protect you from, but just don't provide the kind of separate physical spaces needed to truly feel safe. Since so many artists are in the closet that alone would not explain Jake's deep attachment to Mowat. Which means that the secrets being hidden away from the world must be much larger than that. Like maybe those children Jake keeps reminding everyone that he doesn't have, yet continues to lament year after year how much he wants. Those kids he just never seems to have time to get around to having. At least not publicly.

As a result, there may have been a more personal reason why access to Jake on set in New Mexico was so tightly controlled when filming Brothers in December 2007. And guess, what? A makeup artist was the excuse for the seclusion even back then.

 Jake near his trailer with an unidentified woman.

A mystery woman that the strategically well-timed story published in the PR go-to rag, Popcrunch (November 2007), easily fit the bill for this concocted battle between Jake and Tobey Maguire. Although we here at Narnia don't know too many makeup artists who "stay with the actor" during a shoot, we do know a few live in nannies who might fit the bill.

..."he'll let her stay with him during the shoot"???? Reeally?

Given that this makeup artist story appeared just a little over a month after the rumor of Jake and Austin Nichols having a surrogate baby together in October 2007, a nanny would be an essential companion for a working actor. Particularly, since Mr. Nichols had been flown to Uruguay, of all places, to provide just the proper cover distance to convince the public that no there-there existed after all. In normal closeting times, it's important to make sure those OTPs are not on the same continent, even while working. Even more so, when a secret baby is involved.

Perhaps this mystery woman, might also explain Just Jared's snarky comment back in the day when he still had some gumption to go rogue every now and then. So the woman holding that big black diaper bag is not Reese Witherspoon. Got it, Jared.

Now we don't know if Donald Mowat likes to wear pink beanies on set *sarcasm intended*, but we do know that he continues to enjoy a special relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal throughout the years. One of those rare individuals he has actually allowed inside that circle of trust. Year after year, hidden away from the world. After working with Jake on six movies in just eight years, who knows what kind of secrets Mowat might hold which could inspire him to be hired over and over again. All we do know, is that children do like familiarity and Jake does have a history with secret rendezvousing and movie trailers. How reassuring to have an ally around who can be trusted at all times; where no explanations are necessary whenever under the radar meet ups are needed, or that private phone call, just to check-in, needs to be made.  Just sayin'.


https://narniadispatches.blogspot.com/2017/04/dont-come-rockinyet-day-5.html  


From TMZ.com, April 10, 2007, 1:30pm PDT:

Jake's New BFF

Forget Matt and Lance, Jake Gyllenhaal has a new buddy.

Jake was spotted in San Diego last week, visiting the set of HBO's pilot "John from Cincinnati," where his pal Austin Nichols plays the lead. Gyllenhaal arrived and was immediately escorted to Nichols' trailer, where they spent most of the day. Austin left the trailer only to grab some grub for the two from catering tables. This photo shows the best friends at a Lakers game in 2006.  

Pic/research sources:  Just Jared; TMZ; PopCrunch; IMDb; Mowat Instagram

Our Playlist:  Dress You Up (Live 1985 Tour) - Madonna

                      Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer - Sammy Kershaw

                      What Makes You Beautiful - The Piano Guys

                      Lipstick on Your Collar - Connie Francis

Straight Outta Quote Central - Day 13

Thirty Days of Toothy Tile, Grey Goose and the Baby Tiles

Day 13

 

This is the header from an interview published in December 2009, entitled "The Other Side of the War".  The interview focused on the movie Brothers, which Jake had filmed with Tobey McGuire and Natalie Portman.

 

 

An excerpt:

Brothers tells a story of a convicted felon, played by Gyllenhaal, who has an affair with his Marine brother Sam's wife Grace, played by Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman respectively. He shares what it was like to be in Tommy's situation.

"I don't have a brother, thank God!" he says, "I do have a brother-in-law now, but that would be weird. Anyway, I believe that I think that we all have a great ability to move towards 'Our impulse is anger' or 'Our impulse is violence'. 
I think I speak for myself as a married man that there are things that come in what you want to do, what you feel like you should do, and what you should do."

 

Narnia would glad fully provide the link:  http://www.thecinemasource.com/blog/interviews/jake-gyllenhaal-interview-for-brothers/

but unfortunately,  this is what will greet you:

 

pic source:  thecinemasource 

our playlist:  Hero - David Crosby

                     Say - John Mayer

                     I Confess - English Beat

            

Night Owl - Day 11

Thirty Days of Toothy Tile, Grey Goose and the Baby Tiles

Day 11

 

At a press conference which was held at the New York's Four Seasons Hotel to discuss the movie Brothers, director Jim Sheridan and co-lead Jake Gyllenhaal's exchange unexpectedly brought forth quite an interesting slip.  Let's drop in, as the miscue does not require much translation.  [Jake speaks of "Tobey", referring to Tobey Maguire who co-stars in Brothers with him.]


"Will Oscar Smile on 'Brothers' " - by Stephen Schaefer 
Sunday, November 22, 2009

(edit.)

GYLLENHAAL: I'm going to talk about Tobey. Can I talk about Tobey? [laughs]

SHERIDAN: Where I come from and you're working with actors you're all the time trying to stop them performing. These guys were so still I was like, 'Oh my God, I don't have any work to do.' American actors are so used to the medium of film.

GYLLENHAAL: Did you say ‘stale’?

SHERIDAN: I didn't say ‘stale.’ I wouldn't say stale. The difficulty with Jake is he's kind of like, you know the way that other actors are really intense and they come on and you're like, 'Oh my God.' Jake is kind of like that but he's got a 360 degree intensity. You never know where he's looking. He's kind of in the scene but he's kind of looking around himself. It takes a bit of getting used to and it took me a few weeks to get used to Jake's approach which is very unique in my experience. He just thinks he's in real life -- and he's up on the screen. Jake is just the same now as on the thing, up with the kid, up with his sister's kid. He keeps joking even when I get serious and all, don't you?

GYLLENHAAL: I think you just described me as a crazy person. 'Jake has no idea of reality'.

source 

"Up with the kid", followed by the prompt correction of "his sister's kid".  Even though it looks like Maggie was visibly attending events in New York City along with husband Peter Sarsgaard in November and December of 2008 and January 2009 (the same months Brothers was to be filming).  Not likely that their daughter Ramona would have been with Jake in New Mexico while he was filming a movie if both of her parents were stationed in New York City.  Baby Tile would have been a little over a year old.

pic source:  fanforum
our playlist: Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
                    Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) -      
                    Doobie Brothers

Nothing But a Stain To Go On - Day 7

Thirty Days of Toothy Tile, Grey Goose and the Baby Tiles

Day 7

Inkblot tests were never quite like this.  Who sees a baby's footprint in a pair of shorts?  Or, a drool stain on the shoulder sleeve of a soft knit sweatshirt?  

via GIPHY

Well, if you are a parent, new or experienced, I would imagine there are all kinds of interesting stains experienced over the years.  And we, the analysts, are going to take a look-see at two "inkblot" phenomena which occurred with our fave blind item guy, Mr. Jake, and see what we "see".

On June 8, 2008, Jake was papped exiting a special screening at a studio in Los Angeles.  His agent Kim Hodgert, "Brothers" director Jim Sheridan, Gyllenhaal matriarch Naomi Foner, and former beard, Reese Witherspoon were all present and part of the departing procession.  We can only assess that perhaps this was a private showing of Jake's movie, "Brothers", which he had filmed earlier in the year.  

But we're not here to look at Reese's Mary Poppins-sized carpet bag that she carried that day, nor at his agent.  We're here to look at....Jake's sweatshirt.  And what is that on his shoulder? Something that needs a Tide To Go pen?

 Hmmm, closer....

 
































Just a little bit closer now.....just a little bit more....

A HA!! Wow, wonder what happened there?  Little bit of this?


via GIPHY

 

Or was it a little bit of this....

 
Hmmmmm...now then, on to our second "inkblot" picture; let's see how we do on this one.

Let's fast forward a year until we are back at the Beverly Hills medical building on September 2, 2009, where Jake is seen leaving by himself.  He's dressed a bit casually, sporting some nifty light grey shorts, familiar brown flip flops, and linen-like, denim shirt.  Bit of a suntan.  And looks like a bit of another stain alert.
Let's see...

Yeah, I see something there....

Zoom it a bit more....

Maybe today's playlist will help, if there's still some head scratching going on....



pic sources:  IHJ, gifphy, sweatpantsandcoffee.com  
our playlist:  Get On Your Feet - Gloria Estefan & the Miami
                                                    Sound Machine
                      Dream Walkin' - Toby Keith
                      Walking In Your Footsteps -  Shout Out Louds