Jake Gyllenhaal is officially back on Broadway. The Oscar-nominated actor is currently starring as Iago opposite Denzel Washington in the new production of Shakespeare’s Othello, which just opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theater.
“[Opening night] was extraordinary,” the performer told Stephen Colbert on a recent visit to The Late Show. He praised the audience, which included President Joe Biden and Jennifer Lopez, among others. Take a look at photos from the evening here.
Though Gyllenhaal is an accomplished actor, he was nervous about the project due to his respect for the material and his co-star. “The idea of doing Shakespeare generally is just frightening. But then to think about doing it with one of your acting idols and going toe-to-toe in that way was even more imposing.”
As for the character of Iago, Gyllenhaal noted the “long line of extraordinary actors” who have played the part, sharing that he watched all of their performances. “Iago is an intimidating character to play and to watch. You feel yourself in the history of that character…There’s a deep love between Othello and Iago, and I think that the two of them and their relationship is what this production is about.” Watch the full interview with the actor here.
Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, Othello is playing a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, June 8 only. Read the reviews for the production HERE!
