Jake Gyllenhaal relaxing chilling out into the wild with Bear Grylls

Why did you choose to take him to Iceland? Were you looking for a location that might be easier for him to handle?

I thought Iceland would be good because there's lots to do. I was like, "The weather will be cool and it should be pretty mellow. We'll do a bit of climbing, and we'll just kind of jump into it." But he was thrown right in on the deep end. We did have some crazy conditions -- some of the worst weather I've seen for years. The wind was so strong that they literally had a jumbo jet blown sideways at the airport. And there we were, 5,000 feet up on a mountain trying to get our backsides out of there in one piece. Jake was saying, "Where's the relaxing chilling out in the wild?"
I couldn’t believe that Jake decided to crawl across that rope. He was attached to you via a smaller rope tied around his waist -- if he’d fallen, would that have saved him?
That wouldn't have held him. That wasn't a safety line -- that was a helping line for him to balance. And if he ran out of puff, I could have helped him across with that. But I was pretty confident that he'd be OK. We worked out afterwards that it was the equivalent of doing 180 pull-ups. He must have had to sign every kind of contract imaginable before coming on the show. I always have to have kind of a weird conversation with these people's insurance guys, where they ask me, "Can you guarantee us that these actors will be safe?" And I go, "Well, no. I can't." Then there's a long pause on the other end of the telephone. But you can't predict what's going to happen in the wild -- that's what makes the show edgy.

Do you have a lot of Hollywood types approaching you wanting to be on the show in an attempt to prove their toughness?

A few people have asked to be on it. It's nice for actors to do something where they're not covered by safety ropes and helmets. There's a thrill for them to be able to do stuff that is very real.
Overall, what did you think of Jake’s performance in the wild?

You've gotta admire somebody when they step out of their comfort zone and put their life in somebody else's hands. I was very clear with him and said, 'Come on your own and trust me.' He did incredible. What I like about the wild is when you're squeezed, you see what people are made of. Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com



Starting July 11, 2011, watch Man vs. Wild Mondays @ 9PM e/p on Discovery. | http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/man-vs-wild/#mkcpgn=ytdsc1 | In Iceland, a brave but voice-crackingly anxious Jake Gyllenhaal faces his fear when he uses a rope to traverse a VERY deep ravine ... in a snowstorm to boot.


Jake Gyllenhaal guest appearances in Man Vs Wild (Season 6: Episode 1) Man vs. Wild Discovery - Men vs Wild With Jake Gyllenhaal Actor Jake Gyllenhaal helps Bear demonstrate survival techniques in Iceland.