Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard might be part of the same sprawling showbiz family, but their on-set etiquette is quite different from the dynamic they share as family around the dinner table.
Behind the Scenes Dynamics
When time came for Gyllenhaal to help cast the upcoming Apple TV+ series ‘Presumed Innocent’, in which he stars and serves as an executive producer, he knew that Sarsgaard was the perfect fit to play opposite him as one of his oldest friends.
In this adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name, Jake Gyllenhaal plays Chicago prosecutor Rusty Sabich, charged with murdering his colleague—an accusation that has fractured the district attorney’s office. Meanwhile, Sabich’s marriage to Barbara (Ruth Negga) is falling apart under the weight of the accusation and the potential he could be found guilty.
The Chemistry on Set
Early scripts didn’t pit Sabich and Molto against each other quite as antagonistically, but creator and showrunner David E. Kelley took note of Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard’s chemistry and pivoted. Kelley found new ways to present existing narratives more sharply and entertainingly. It’s a little bit like a football quarterback coming up to the line at some point and looking at what you’ve got in front of you … and seeing where the opportunities lay,
Kelley noted.
The Role of Rusty Sabich
The role of attorney Rusty Sabich, originally portrayed by Harrison Ford in the 1990 movie, finds new depth with Gyllenhaal’s portrayal. While Ford’s take on Rusty was stoic, Gyllenhaal depicts a desperate man unable to reconcile his damaging decisions with the image he has presented to others.
Sarsgaard embodies prosecutor Tommy Molto convincingly: The two rib each other like family because they are family.
A Creative Collaboration
Kelley’s influence keeps the show sharp and entertaining. The series delves into complex societal issues while maintaining a sense of dark humor throughout its narrative. As Kelley stated: Over the past 35 years, former practicing attorney Kelley has only deepened a creative well that finds new ways to say the same things, only sharper and (mostly) better.
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