Jake Gyllenhaal Dennis Quaid as his father. In his theatrical debut, Gyllenhaal starred on the London stage in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of "This Is Our Youth" at the Garrick Theatre in 2002. Gyllenhaal said, "Every actor I look up to has done theatre work, so I knew I had to give it a try." The play, which had been a critical sensation on Broadway, ran for eight weeks in London's West End. Gyllenhaal received favorable critical reviews and an Evening Standard Theatre Award in the category "Outstanding Newcomer". In 2005, Gyllenhaal starred in the critically praised films "Proof", "Jarhead", and "Brokeback Mountain".
Casanova (2005 film) Casanova (2005 film) Casanova is a 2005 American romance film directed by Lasse Hallström starring Heath Ledger and loosely based on the life of Giacomo Casanova. A young woman (Helen McCrory) tearfully leaves her son (Eugene Simon) to live with his grandmother and promises to return for him someday. Several years later, in 1753, in Venice, Casanova (Heath Ledger), is notorious for his promiscuity with women, his adventures being represented in puppet theatres around the city. The Doge, (Tim McInnerny) the ruler of the city, is a friend to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient on him as he wishes