[NEWS] Jake Gyllenhaal Reveals He's Had a Crush on His 'The Good Girl' co-star Jennifer Aniston for Years

article by: Christian Holub

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.com
"Actor Jake Gyllenhaal has starred along side some of Hollywood's biggest actresses throughout his career - everyone from Anne Hathaway ('Brokeback Mountain' 2005, and 'Love & Other Drugs' 2010) to Rene Russo ('Nightcrawler' 2014) to Rachel McAdams ('Southpaw' 2015) to Natalie Portman ('Brothers' 2009) to Reese Witherspoon ('Rendition' 2007).

(2002) Jennifer and Jake Gyllenhaal on set of 'The Good Girl'

But it was Jennifer Aniston, Gyllenhaal's co-star in 2002's 'The Good Girl', who left him almost speechless. He joked, "She's a rough one. Not likeable. So hard to compliment," Gyllenhaal told reporter Jess Cagle in the latest edition of The Jess Cagle Interview. Jake was 21-years old when 'The Good Girl' came out, and the film found him playing Aniston's on-screen love interest. His performance opposite Jennifer didn't go unnoticed either in efforts they were nominated for a Teen Choice award for Best Liplock, but the pair lost to actress Reese Witherspoon and actor Josh Lucas for their Liplock in 'Sweet Home Alabama'.

(2002) Jake Gyllenhaal & Jennifer at 'The Good Girl' premiere

Gyllenhaal admitted:

"I will say, I had a crush on her [Jennifer Aniston] for years. And working with her was not easy because of it," he said of making the film with Jennifer. "I was - um, yeah. That's all I'm going to say. It was lovely. It wasn't hard, that's what I would say." 

(2007) Jake Gyllenhaal and Jennifer at the 18th Annual GLAAD Media awards

Now 35-years old, Jake says it wasn't the popular NBC's '90s sitcom 'Friends' that put him on Team Aniston, but the way the actress presented herself both on-screen and off.

"Not so much 'Friends', but kind of her personality from afar, and movies she was in," he said adding, "and some of 'Friends' - I'm not a huge 'Friends' fan - but who she is."