Why Jake Gyllenhaal Said Filming Love Scenes With Jennifer Aniston Was Torture
Jennifer Aniston will forever be known for playing the role of Rachel Green on the hit comedy series "Friends." However, in the years since the series wrapped, the actress has taken on many different roles. One of her most interesting roles was in the film "The Good Girl," where she played a small-town woman unhappy in her marriage (via The News International). The movie co-starred a very young Jake Gyllenhaal and was an important role for Aniston, who was looking to break away from the Rachel persona.
In 2016, Aniston opened up about the role, revealing that it was Gyllenhaal who helped her push past her fears over shedding Rachel's skin and stepping into a very different character. "I could not get Rachel Green off of my back for the life of me. I could not escape ... just Rachel from 'Friends,' Rachel from 'Friends,'" she said. "It was 'The Good Girl' that was the first time I got to just sort of really shed whatever this little, like, Rachel character was. To be able to disappear into someone who was walking in those shoes was such a relief to me," she added.
While Gyllenhaal seemed to leave quite the impact on Aniston, the same can be said for the actor, who has confessed that he harbored a huge crush on the "The Morning Show" star during the time that they worked together.
Jake Gyllenhaal reveals what it was like to work with Jennifer Aniston
According to People, Jake Gyllenhaal is speaking out about his previous crush on Jennifer Aniston yet again. The "Brokeback Mountain" star admitted during an interview with Howard Stern that filming "The Good Girl" was difficult for him because of the crush that he had on the "Friends" alum. "Oh yeah, it was torture, yes it was," he confessed. "But it was also not torture. I mean, come on, it was like a mix of both."
Gyllenhaal went on to add, "Weirdly, love scenes are awkward because there are maybe 30, 50 people watching it? That doesn't turn me on," Gyllenhaal, 40, said. "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 revealed that he had crushed on Aniston for years before finally working with her. "I will say, I had a crush on her for years. And working with her was not easy. I was — um, yeah. That's all I'm going to say. It was lovely. It wasn't hard, that's what I would say." Gyllenhaal went on to say that his crush didn't stem from watching Aniston on "Friends," instead it was due to her presence. "Not so much 'Friends,' but kind of her personality from afar," he said.
While Gyllenhaal's crush on Aniston may now be water under the bridge, fans likely wouldn't be opposed to seeing the duo work together again.