Occasionally, while filming an intense courtroom scene for his new series, would catch his 鈥淧resumed Innocent鈥� co-star glaring at him from across the room.
鈥淚t was just funny,鈥� recalled Gyllenhaal in a recent interview alongside Sarsgaard, doing a quick impression of Sarsgaard's stare.
鈥淚t's like, 鈥極K, OK,鈥欌�� joked Gyllenhaal as if to say 鈥漷one it down" as Sarsgaard cackled at the commentary.
The two rib each other like family because they are family. Sarsgaard is married to Gyllenhaal's older sister, actor and director
It's not Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard's first time acting together, either. They also co-starred in and 2007's 鈥淩endition.鈥� But is their first series together (and Gyllenhaal's first TV show ever) 鈥� and marks the first time they're playing adversaries.
Premiering Wednesday on Apple TV+, 鈥淧resumed Innocent鈥� is based on the legal thriller novel by that was originally adapted as a 1990 film starring
Here, Gyllenhaal plays Chicago prosecutor Rusty Sabich, charged with murdering his colleague 鈥� an accusation that has fractured the district attorney's office. Sarsgaard is attorney Tommy Molto, another co-worker intent on proving Sabich's guilt. Meanwhile, Sabich's marriage to Barbara is falling apart under the weight of the accusation and the potential he could be found guilty.
Early scripts didn't pit Sabich and Molto against each other quite as antagonistically, but creator and showrunner took note of Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard's chemistry and pivoted.
鈥淚t's a little bit like a football quarterback coming up to the line at some point and looking at what you've got in front of you ... and seeing where the opportunities lay,鈥� Kelley said.
who plays attorney Nico Della Guardia, also enjoyed watching the two spar.
鈥淚鈥檓 an ignoramus. I only found out on set that they were related,鈥� Fagbenle said. 鈥淭hey got on great, obviously, but they really have brotherly kind of, you know, roughhousing. Not physical but like verbal. And so when I saw them, I was just like, 鈥極h, wow, there is such a history between you two.鈥欌��
Gyllenhaal agrees that shared history is what makes them able to push each other's buttons as needed.
鈥淚 love him so deeply, which comes with all the complications too,鈥� Gyllenhaal said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been through so much together, and so we can bring those things out in the fictional world.鈥�
The brothers-in-law recognized their emotionally charged scenes could be a spectacle, like when Sarsgaard's character grills Gyllenhaal's in a cross-examination.
鈥淓veryone is excited for it,鈥� Gyllenhaal said. 鈥淟ike, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 Peter going to do today?鈥欌��
They also have the comfort and trust to give each other notes on what to play up, what to dial back, or perhaps interpret differently.
鈥淛ake will be like, 鈥業 see what you meant, but I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 actually reading the way you think,鈥欌�� said Sarsgaard. "That鈥檚 someone who鈥檚 really, really listening to you. Even if you have a great director, it doesn鈥檛 read like someone who really knows you and sees you as an artist. This family has a very special connection that way. We鈥檙e very good at witnessing each other.鈥�
Filming a series for the first time, says Gyllenhaal, 鈥渨as a fascinating process, one I鈥檝e never had and one you don鈥檛 have on a film,鈥� he said. Having new scripts to memorize meant his 鈥渁cting muscles and tools were being used constantly.鈥�
鈥淵ou go from scene to scene to scene and it鈥檚 kind of nice actually, once you get into the rhythm of it,鈥� added Sarsgaard. 鈥淚 have more trouble with big movies where you have hours in between setups to do a close up, and in a couple more hours we鈥檙e going to do the wide shot; I鈥檝e forgotten everything. I have no idea what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
The cast also didn't know whether Gyllenhaal's character was guilty or not throughout filming.
鈥淚 wanted to know but it was being written as it went on,鈥� said Gyllenhaal, likening it to how the public waits for a trial verdict in real life.
The courtroom scenes gave various actors an opportunity to shine, affording each one a chance at a big speech.
鈥淓veryone had a day where they did it, or a couple of days, where it was your time,鈥� said Sarsgaard. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something as a performer that comes alive when it鈥檚 your time and that鈥檚 a nice feeling. It's kind of a recharge in the middle of filming a lot of other things.鈥�
鈥淚t's fun giving each character a moment,鈥� added Kelley, who attended law school 鈥渋n the early '80s.鈥� He has put the tuition money to good use over the years, writing a number of hit legal-centric shows including 鈥淏oston Legal,鈥� and
He had in fact practiced law until he got a job on 鈥淟.A. Law,鈥� which debuted in 1986.
鈥淭hey were looking for lawyers who wrote,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow I go on ChatGPT for my law. It's like when I started out, I felt pretty confident that I knew the turf. Today, I鈥檒l ask anybody for legal advice because I鈥檝e forgotten what the rules are. It's not that the rules have changed so much. It鈥檚 really that I forgot,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥淚 would never hire me as an attorney. So if you鈥檙e looking, don鈥檛 do that.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
