Jake Gyllenhaal Once Lived With Cops For 5 Months To Nail His Role In End of Watch

Talk about Jake Gyllenhaal’s commitment, the 31-year-old actor said the officers weren’t exactly starstruck by having him around. “They were definitely skeptical,” Gyllenhaal admitted at the movie’s premiere. “You start spending time with them every night, and that’s a big burden to put on the police officers.”

In End of Watch, co-starring Michael Peña, Gyllenhaal and Peña became partners navigating the gritty streets of South Central L.A. Their on-screen bond mirrored a surprising real-world experience. Peña, 36, shared how his time researching with cops shifted his perspective. “Before, I wondered who these people were: What’s their motive? Are they just in it for a paycheck?” Peña said. “But then I realize these guys are the real deal. They actually want to preserve the neighborhood.”

Despite their deep dive into cop life, recognition was rare — until paparazzi caught them at a crime scene after a gang shooting. Gyllenhaal described feeling a pang of guilt, thinking, Oh man, we’ve been brought into this world. What do the cops think now?

While Gyllenhaal laughed at the idea of becoming an LAPD officer, acknowledging, “It’s our nature as actors to believe we could, and that would probably get us into a lot of trouble,” Peña was a bit more confident. “I definitely felt like a cop, and I definitely feel like I could do it,” Peña said. “For a while after shooting, I was still in the mentality and would use a different command voice, like, ‘Come here, sir.’ You use that voice and it stops people in their tracks.”

Commitment, realism, and camaraderie — End of Watch became more than just a movie. It became a testament to gritty storytelling and real dedication.

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