Jake Gyllenhaal Honors Original ‘Road House’ Star Patrick Swayze With Touching Tribute
Jake Gyllenhaal, star of Amazon’s embattled Road House reboot, paid tribute to Patrick Swayze, the star of the original film, on Instagram on Sunday. Years before Gyllenhaal took over one of Swayze’s most iconic roles, the two worked together in 2001’s cult classic Donnie Darko. Gyllenhaal played the title character, a disturbed teen, while Swayze had a supporting role as a smarmy motivational speaker.
“I’ve been thinking back about my time working with Patrick on Donnie Darko, and rewatching this great man in the original Road House, plus so many other films,” Gyllenhaal wrote alongside a photo of the two embracing.
“I’ve never stopped being a fan. He was such a talent and I continue to have so much respect and admiration for what he put out and into the world,” Gyllenhaal continued. “I’ll never forget his kindness to me when I was starting out—he didn’t have to take the time, but he always did.”
Swayze’s turn in 1989’s Road House was one of the star’s defining roles, coming just a year before his equally well-remembered role in Ghost. Gyllenhaal has spoken before about his appreciation for Swayze, and wanting to honor his legacy with the upcoming reboot.
“We made a movie when I was pretty young called Donnie Darko together. He was always so loving and lovely to me,” Gyllenhaal said of Swayze on Good Morning New York last year (via The Daily Mail). “I take that all to heart in playing the role and there are some things I take from him, but generally we made a whole new movie and I’m really excited about it.
“They’re big shoes to fill, but Patrick was a friend when he was here,” he added.
Reviews for the new Road House haven’t dropped yet, but the film has encountered some unfortunate controversy, in the form of a lawsuit filed against Amazon and MGM by the original screenwriter. Director Doug Liman is also boycotting the film’s starry SXSW premiere because he’s dissatisfied with Amazon’s decision to bypass a theatrical release.
Gyllenhaal is putting on a happy face, though. He concluded his Sunday tribute to Swayze by sharing the hope he would enjoy the new movie. “We’ve made a different (Road House) this time around,” he wrote, “but hoping it’s one he would’ve had fun watching!”
Road House begins streaming on Amazon Prime Video on March 21.
