The pandemic really did a number on relationships with quarantining leading to a breakup as two people got in closer proximity than before. Then there’s another scenario where the opportunity for two people to spend more time with each other helps strengthen bonds. That’s fortunately how it was between Jamie Lee Curtis and her “unofficial godson” Jake Gyllenhaal when they both lived together during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic left a lot of people with free time on their hands, including celebrities. For some, it gave them the time to get to know their neighbors a bit. While speaking to People during the premiere of Jake Gyllenhaal’s new Guy Richie team-up thriller The Covenant, Jamie Lee Curtis spoke about the brief time she spent with Gyllenhaal during the pandemic when he and his girlfriend, Jeanne, lived in the house right next to her.
He also lived with me during COVID for almost a year. He and Jeanne lived in the house next door that I have. And so there was also that. For a minute.
Jamie Lee Curtis remarked that living side by side with Gyllenhaal gave her the chance to get to know him better. She and the Brothers actor have a very extensive history together. This Oscar winner is good friends with his parents: director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. Curtis and the Ambulance actor were actually in the 1998 dark comedy film Homegrown together which was directed by Gyllenhaal’s father. The Halloween actress also told People how she offered hope to The Day After Tomorrow actor when he was a young star just starting out in the business. While the COVID-19 pandemic was a dark time for the world, it left a silver lining when it came to strengthening bonds with those around you.
Another perk of staying at home during this uncertain time was leaving time to practice new skills and get back to hobbies you didn’t initially have time for. Jamie Lee Curtis got to see firsthand what Jake Gyllenhaal’s skills were outside of his dazzling acting abilities.
He made a lot of sourdough bread, a lot. So singing, acting, sourdough. And he did that test where you do a handstand against the wall and take your shirt off and put it back on.
No wonder Gyllenhaal has a ripped physique while prepping for the Road House remake. And yes, the Brokeback Mountain actor is still making bread despite the lockdown being over. Now, I’m sure curious minds want to know just how good that homemade bread is. While we can thank Gyllenhaal for feeding Jamie Lee Curtis sourdough bread during lockdown, we should also be grateful for him convincing the Freaky Friday actress to do the Halloween reboot after working with its director David Gordon Green on Stronger. His strategy for convincing Curtis was by giving her an “out of the blue” phone call about Green’s plan for bringing the classic horror franchise back to life. While this “Scream Queen” actress said she never would have expected to return back to the franchise that made her a household name, we ended up seeing her reprise Laurie Strode for a trilogy of Halloween reboot films. Thank you, Jake Gyllenhaal, for making this all happen!
In the brief time Jamie Lee Curtis and Jake Gyllenhaal spent as neighbors during the pandemic, she got to witness his impressive bread-making and handstand skills. It must have been a fun time these two had together. You can watch Gyllenhaal’s 2023 movie release The Covenant in theaters on April 21st.
