Hollywood icon, Jake Gyllenhaal has been continuously building on his craft as an actor. In his 2015 hit movie, Southpaw, he played the role of a ripped boxer, which required him to appear as shredded as one. Goes without saying, he had to undergo an intense training regimen to cater to the role’s requirements. However, while talking about it in an interview on YouTube, the actor got brutally trolled by several followers last year. 

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Gyllenhaal revealed his workout routine while admitting to his whole ordeal in the movie. He also acknowledged his lack of expertise initially, although he soon came to grasp the idea. Nevertheless, users took to the comments section to poke fun at the star’s transformation. Most of them hinted at his reliance on steroids to achieve the physique. 

Jake Gyllenhaal wasn’t able to convince fans as a boxer

Even though the 42-year-old star did a commendable job playing Billy Hope in the film, fans expected to see more of a natural build. Well, how did they know if it wasn’t? Reportedly, Gyllenhaal gained 45 pounds of muscle in about six months of time to portray the boxer, which is quite unusual to achieve. “I trained twice a day for 5 months…I would go and workout for 2 hours,” Gyllenhaal disclosed. 

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On top of that, the 6’0” actor appeared strikingly lean. Thus, the widely held opinion is, Gyllenhaal, ingested performance-enhancing drugs to attain his stunning frame. Regardless, the $30 million-budget film received massive recognition from fans and the film industry as well. 

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However, it is difficult to say the same for the fans in the comments section. The major reactions were focussed on possible drug usage, while others opined about the overrated praise for the actor’s hard work. Interestingly, they shared their viewpoints with satirical connotations. 

Fans react to Jake Gyllenhaal’s disclosure on training for Southpaw

The viral YouTube video amassed over 1.3 million views along with 48k likes. One fan wrote, “You were roided out of your mind,” whereas another sarcastically added, “He trained twice a day for five months…and took steroids for five months.” A following comment mimicked the actor’s statement and wrote, “I’d wake up in the morning and take steroids…” 

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A fan criticized his remarks on his intense workout, and implied, “I would work out twice a day for a multi-million dollar payday. They get too much credit for working hard.” Several comments iterated a particular syllable, “juice.” Most likely referring to the steroids use, the insights read, “They always skip the most important part, the juice…” and “No way you can recover after doing so much without juice.” In contrast to that, bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger once praised the actor for his transformation. 

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How was your reaction to the actor’s epic transformation? Tell us in the comments. 

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Tiyasa Biswas

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Tiyasa is a sports writer at EssentiallySports, with a keen focus on ice hockey. She is as fascinated by the speed of the ice hockey players as she is by the surges of the surfers in the high seas. Drawing inspiration from legendary figures like Wayne Gretzky, the iconic GOAT of the Edmonton Oilers, Tiyasa's writing reflects her admiration for the tenacity and grit displayed by athletes in the face of challenges. With a background as a competitive basketball player during her school days, and a deep admiration for Michael Jordan, Tiyasa brings a unique perspective to her sports writing, combining her love for various sports and their icons. For Tiyasa, learning is a constant pursuit, much like the ever-evolving nature of ice hockey. She believes that knowledge is like ice, never melting, and she constantly strives to expand her understanding of the sports world through meticulous research and analysis. She continues to pursue her goal of carving a niche for herself in the American sports arena. Beyond her passion for sports, Tiyasa finds solace in art, and often spends her quiet evenings indulging in artistic pursuits.

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