Gyllenhaal was joined by his father for the premiere of his latest film, 'Ambulance,' in Los Angeles on Monday.
Family means everything to Jake Gyllenhaal. The 41-year-old actor spoke to ET's Will Marfuggi at the premiere of his new film, Ambulance, in Los Angeles Monday, where he gushed over having his dad, Stephen's, support on the red carpet.
"I think if we've all learned one thing, no matter what we do and how blessed we are in our lives, the only thing that really matters is family and the people that we love," Gyllenhaal shared. "And to me, of course it's incredible to be here and it's like, so amazing to be in this big movie and to be a part of it, but seeing my dad on this carpet, like, seeing my dad anywhere, but like here, just his support means everything to me."
Gyllenhaal's changed his whole perspective on work-life balance over the years, telling ET that it's all about "the people" in his life these days.
"Exactly what I said, I mean, I think that it's really about, to me, about the people, my friends and my family," he continued. I think we've all -- I've seen the world go through such inexplicably terrible things, and I think it's just been -- guided us all to the people we love. and who love us. We all make family however it is, and to me, that's everything that matters.
In the Michael Bay-directed thriller, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays a decorated veteran, who needing money to cover his wife's medical bills, teams up with his adoptive brother, played by Gyllenhaal, to steal $32 million from a Los Angeles bank. However, when their getaway goes wrong, the desperate thieves hijack an ambulance that's carrying a severely wounded cop and an EMT worker. Caught in a high-speed chase, the two siblings must figure out a way to outrun the law while keeping their hostages alive.
A longtime fan of Bay's, Gyllenhaal reflected on the first film he saw of Bay's that made him an instant fan of the legendary director.
"Well, The Rock," he said. "I remember The Rock so intently. I remember that last scene in The Rock, and I remember probably watching that movie and I know -- it was Nick Cage and Sean Connery were a close second, but it was Ed Harris, to me, that iI was like, 'He's just so cool.'"
While he's been supporting his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal in her journey behind the camera for her film, The Lost Daughter, Gyllenhaal said he has no plans to get behind the camera -- yet.
"I think you need to have it in your heart. You need to know that there's a story that you really can't not tell in order to do something like that," Gyllenhaal said of potentially putting on his director's cap. "I have such admiration for people like Michael Bay or people like my sister, who choose to direct movies. It's in them, so, when that time comes, it'll come and I'll know it, but you have to have great presumption to pull that off, so, we'll see."
In addition to Ambulance fans will get to see Gyllenhaal on Saturday Night Live this weekend. As far as what he can tease about this upcoming appearance on the sketch comedy show, he said he's "at the whim of the writers."
"I am at their disposal," Gyllenhaal coyly said of the upcoming episode. "I'm just at the whim of all the writers. The last time I did this, was a long time ago, and it's an honor to do it -- you're part of history, and it's just an honor."
See Gyllenhaal when Ambulance his theaters April 8..
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