I'm like, 'What world am I living in?' Aren't movies made to have something to say? Why make a movie if you don't have something to say? What are you doing it for? Are you doing it because you want to make a lot of money?

The same year his role as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain earned him critical acclaim. Election. In 2002 he starred in another indie film The Good Girl alongside actress Jennifer Aniston.

The same year his role as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain earned him critical acclaim. For his performance he won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award in the same category. Gyllenhaal then played against type as a frustrated Marine in Jarhead (2005).