Jake Gyllenhaal: 'There's no place for vanity in acting'

Jake Gyllenhaal has buffed up and stripped down for several movie roles during his career, but insists pecs and a sixpack are the least of his priorities as an A-list Hollywood star.

Jake stopped by Radio 1 Breakfast today to discuss his new movie, Nocturnal Animals, with Nick Grimshaw, where he is seen (as Nick describes it) 'naked crying'.

But when asked if he does a few extra press-ups before filming nude scenes, Jake told him it all depended on the part.

"I've been working for a very long time in this business and I really have a belief that you should be representing the character you're playing," Jake says.

"As an actor you shoud be trying to play and get as close as you can to that character.

"Vanity shouldn't play a part in that and that's the beauty about storytelling. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.

"Sometimes you play a character that is supposed to be in great shape so you get in great shape and it's a whole lot of fun but sometimes you don't. But not for this movie, no."

He also admits that his success in sexy scenes can depend on the other people in the room, who can affect his performance on set.

"I feel like when you're shooting an intimate scene, as we like to call it in the movie industry, When you're shooting a scene like that, I like to feel comfortable with everyone there," he adds.

"I like to feel I can give everything I can, so you can let go of inhibition but obviously some people are watching and some people like to talk about it."

Nocturnal Animals is directed by Tom Ford and stars Jake as a writer who has penned a booked based on his divorce from his former wife, played by Amy Adams. He praised Tom's meticulous directing for his "obsession" with details, learned from his experience in the fashion industry.

"When I first met Tom Ford I was wearing a pair of Tom Ford jeans on purpose. I put on these jeans and about 30 minutes into the conversation he was like "that's the old version of those jeans. I can tell"," Jake says.

"Fashion is about detail and change and about trying to be present and new. I think his obsession with detail is evident in the movie and evident in working with him."

Nocturnal Animals is out in UK cinemas on 4 November 2016