Josh Gad Says Jake Gyllenhaal Didn’t Approve ‘The Book of Mormon’

Josh Gad claimed Jake Gyllenhaal was far from enthusiastic about the idea of ​​him playing a role in The Book of Mormon.

According to his memoirs“In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some,” released Tuesday, Jan. 14, Gad, 43, claimed his Love and other drugs his costar warned him against pursuing a role in a musical theater production.

Gad wrote: “While bouncing around to make episodes of The daily showI was also making a film called Love and other drugs …One day, when Jake and I were driving home from filming in Pittsburgh, I asked him if I could play a demo of a new musical that I had recently workshopped in New York, hoping to get his opinion on whether or not. I should continue further. He said, “Yeah, throw it on,” and I played the opening number.

Love and other drugswith Gyllenhaal, 44, and Anne Hathaway in the lead roles, began principal photography in Pittsburgh in September 2009. Gad played a supporting role in the story, which followed pharmaceutical salesman Jamie who begins a relationship with Maggie, a woman suffering from an illness of early Parkinson’s disease.

Gad said in his book that Gyllenhaal “made fun of him” by listening to “Hello!” ”, the opening number of the critically acclaimed stage production, before Gyllenhaal’s thoughts evolved.

“I moved on to another track on the album and his face slowly went from joyful enthusiasm to abject fear and terror,” Gad wrote. “He stopped the car and said, ‘Man, there’s nothing you can do. It will be far too controversial. Who wrote this anyway? I paused the music and looked at him. ‘THE South Park guys.'”

Despite Gyllenhaal’s alleged concerns, Gad spent 15 months playing Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon on Broadway, created by South ParkIt is Trey Parker And Matt stone. Gad’s performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical in 2011.

Gad said Us every week upon publishing his memoir, overcoming obstacles in his career path “eventually became the theme of the book.”

“In the face of adversity, how can you overcome obstacles in order to achieve dreams bigger than those you could have set for yourself? This has been the story of my life,” Gad said We.

The actor also wrote about having an absent father for much of his life, detailing the impact it had on his own fatherhood experience. (Gad shares two daughters, Ava, 13, and Isabella, 10, with his wife Ida Darvish.)

“I really enjoyed writing (the book) and I hope everyone who reads it takes away something useful and inspiring,” he told Us. “I hope at least they have a good laugh.”