“Yeah, I was dazzled.”
Having to meet someone for the first time while filming sex scenes with their real-life partner is a scenario that thankfully few of us will ever have to experience. But Jake Gyllenhaal definitely did when he introduced himself to Brad Pitt 20 years ago — and it didn’t go over gently.
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At the time, Jake and Jennifer Aniston was filming the 2002s the good girl. Part of the plot of the comedy-drama involved an affair between their characters, and in turn some sex scenes.
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Jake jokingly called the storyline “torture” and “no torture” during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show last fall, where he also admitted to falling for Jennifer while producing on the good girl was in progress.
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All of that considered, it’s easy to see why Jake’s initial meeting with Brad didn’t go as well as he had expected. Speaking to W Magazine about the introduction, The guilty star recalled their first meeting on the good girl together.
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Suffice it to say, it was a bit awkward – probably partly because Jake remembered feeling “flabbergasted” by the fight club actor, who had already won acclaim for some of his early roles, as well as the fact that Brad was Jennifer’s husband.
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The former couple married in 2000 and divorced in 2005.
“I was definitely blown away when I first met Brad Pitt on the set of The good girl. I was working with Jennifer Aniston, who was his wife at the time, and there were a lot of very risque scenes,” Jake said. “I remember reaching out to shake his hand and accidentally hitting the door.”
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The awkward moment apparently didn’t last long, thanks to Brad. “He said with such confidence and kindness, ‘Well, you’ve got another one. It’s okay,'” Jake continued. “He was very, very, very nice to me, and it was actually a really nice exchange. But, yeah, I was amazed.”
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Looks like Jake’s handshake misstep could have been worse. A fun memory though!
