Jake Gyllenhaal Claims Legal Blindness Has Been ‘Beneficial’ to His Acting Journey

Jake Gyllenhaal has a unique advantage.

The “Nightcrawler” actor opened up about how being legally blind has helped him in his acting career, saying he prefers to look at the disability as “advantageous.”

“I’ve never known anything else. When I can’t see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it’s a place where I can be with myself,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday.

Jake Gyllenhaal roadhouse still
Jake Gyllenhaal said he views his legal blindness as “advantageous” in his acting career.Laura Radford/Prime Video

Jake Gyllenhaal red carpet photo
“When I can’t see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it’s a place where I can be with myself,” he told the Hollywood Reporter.Getty Images

The Oscar nominee, 43, relied on that practice during one of his pivotal scenes from 2015’s “Southpaw.”

When police tell his character that his wife died, Gyllenhaal performed the scene without his contacts to listen better.

This isn’t the first time the “Spider-Man: Far From Home” star has discussed his 20/1250 vision.

In a 2017 interview with the Telegraph, he recalled being an “easy target” for bullies as a kid because of his corrective glasses.

Jake Gyllenhaal poses during Howard Stern interview
Gyllenhaal also told the outlet how he used his his 20/1250 vision as an asset while filming 2015’s “Southpaw.”Getty Images for SiriusXM

Jake Gyllenhaal roadhouse Amazon promo
Gyllenhaal said he removed his contacts during a difficult scene to listen more closely.Getty Images for Amazon

“I was always a sensitive kid,” he said of the teasing, which led to some childhood squabbles.

But those same scuffles seem to have helped him deliver in his onscreen fight scenes.

In Amazon’s rebooted take on the Patrick Swayze classic “Road House,” Gyllenhaal went up against retired UFC fighter Conor McGregor.

Jake Gyllenhaal SNL still
In 2017, Gyllenhaal said his corrective glasses made him an “easy target” for bullies as a child.Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty Images

Jake Gyllenhaal roadhouse Amazon promo
“I was always a sensitive kid,” he recalled of the teasing.Getty Images

“I [got to] throw Jake Gyllenhaal over the bar, so that was pretty fun. I loved it,” McGregor told Page Six at the movie’s premiere in March.

The fighter, 35, also commended the actor who “took one or two wallops” while filming but “gave back as well.”

“We had a great rapport. He was very patient with me, very helpful,” the Irish athlete added.

Related Posts

🕵️‍♀️ New Video Shocks Investigators: Missing Santa Barbara Girl Caught on Camera with Her Mother

The grainy black-and-white footage flickers to life like a ghost from a forgotten nightmare: a small figure in oversized sunglasses and a floppy blonde wig clutches a…

Bring My Girl Home — A Father’s Desperate Cry Turns Mysterious as the Hunt for Missing Teen Hannah Osborn Takes a Dark Turn 😱🕵️‍♀️

The night Hannah Osborn disappeared, the Mesquite Rodeo smelled like burnt sugar and cheap beer and the kind of freedom only sixteen-year-olds can taste. She was everywhere…

He Took My Baby! — Rebecca Haro’s Chilling Abduction Story Gripped America… Until Investigators Found Out It Never Happened 😨👶

“Find him! Please, God, find my baby!” The words tore from Rebecca Haro’s throat like a primal scream, echoing across the parking lot of the Yucaipa Sports…

🚔 Yucaipa’s “Missing Baby” Case Takes a Dark Turn — 💔👮 He Reported His Baby Missing… But What Authorities Found in His Car Changed Everything

The sun was dipping low over the San Bernardino Mountains on August 15, 2025, casting long shadows across the parking lot of the Yucaipa Sports Center. It…

🕊️ Beyond Race, Beyond Anger: Four Tragedies That Remind Us What Compassion Still Owes the World 💔

The last thing Iryna Zarutska ever wrote was on the back of a greasy pizza receipt, blue ink bleeding into the paper where her fingers had trembled….

Henry Cavill Didn’t Audition for Geralt… Destiny Did It For Him! 😱🗡️ You Won’t Believe How Deep His Witcher Obsession Goes!

Long before the White Wolf roared onto Netflix screens, Henry Cavill was already living in the Continent. While most actors discover a role through scripts and auditions,…