Since when did Jake Gyllenhaal need corrective lenses? Actor claims being legally blind is an advantage

American actor Jake Gyllenhaal recently opened up about being legally blind and how it has helped his acting career. He claimed that he preferred to call the disability “advantageous" instead.

The 43-year-old has had to wear intensive corrective lenses since he was about six years old. He was also born with a lazy eye but that naturally resolved. On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with the actor who shared that he has a 20/1250 prescription, adding:

"I like to think it's advantageous. I've never known anything else. When I can't see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it's a place where I can be with myself."

The actor also told the outlet that legal blindness was often a helpful tool for the characters that he played.

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Jake Gyllenhaal discusses being legally blind and why it is 'advantageous' for his career

Jake Gyllenhaal was born on December 19, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, United States to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. He is also the younger brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. In 1991, he made his acting debut as Billy Crystal's son in the comedy City Slickers.

Jake Gyllenhaal has since appeared in at least 54 films including Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

On Wednesday, the star appeared for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter where he shared that he had 20/1250 prescription as determined through the Snellen Eye Chart. The test is most commonly used in the United States by optometrists.

According to the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the United States government, having a visual capacity of 20/400 means one has a significantly deficient functional vision.

Jake Gyllenhaal talked about how he used his "blindness" during acting. He mentioned the incident where he removed his contacts during a scene where Billy Hope, his Southpaw boxing character, was told that his wife died.

The clip set the tone for the rest of the plot of the movie and the actor said that he could listen closely without the contacts and think about his next movement. The interview was not the first time the Road House star had discussed his vision.

Jake told The Telegraph in 2017 that he had to wear his thick, Coke-bottle-like glasses in school which made him stand out more than other students. The spectacles lead to some teasing and he shared,

"I was an easy target. And I was always a sensitive kid."

Jake Gyllenhaal was also asked by The Hollywood Reporter when he would be tying the knot with his longtime girlfriend, French model Jeanne Cadieu. He replied,

"I'm supposed to tell The Hollywood Reporter that? I'm not going to give you timing… I think we all get into that space of work, work, work, and for a long time my career took precedence, but I'm at a point in my life where I realize that family really is the only thing that matters to me."

Jake and Jeanne began dating in late 2018 when they were spotted on walks together in New York City and Paris.