First Look: Gyllenhaal and Jackman are 'Prisoners'

Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman. When it comes to movies, what more can you ask for than two of Hollywood’s most swoon worthy leading men? Well, how about Paul Dano, Melissa Leo, Viola Davis, Maria Bello and Terrence Howard, who round out the all star cast for the new Warner Brothers thriller, Prisoners.

ROLL CALL: Who Got Hired In Hollywood

Set in the New England town of Brockton, Massachusetts, the film revolves around two neighborly families, the Dovers - Jackman and Bello - and the Birches-played by Davis and Howard-whose young daughters go missing Thanksgiving evening and the fight to find them. Jackman is Keller Dover, a carpenter by day and enraged father by night who will stop at nothing to bring his child back home. The real life father of two reveals to ET that provoking the feeling of desperation is something that comes natural to him.

'Every parent at some level goes through the feeling of losing a child,' says Jackman. 'It is honestly one of the most horrific things that can happen to a person to a family. It is something that is difficult to play but it is also very human.'

Detective Loki, portrayed by Gyllenhaal, is hot on the case and suspects Paul Dano’s character of committing the deed but can not hold the suspect in custody due to lack of evidence so the hunt continues. Without any children of his own in real life, Gyllenhaal said he draws off of his love and relationship with his two nieces, Ramona and Gloria Ray, daughters of acting sis, Maggie.

'My motivation is the children I know and love in my life,' the Brokeback Mountain actor says. 'Without having any children of my own my character’s love for these kids in the end is the same type of love that I have for my nieces and the kids I have in my life.'

When asked what it is like to work with Jackman for the first time, Gyllenhaal gushes about the Les Miserables actor.

'He’s a wonderful guy,' he says. 'When it's time to focus he focuses and is ready to go willing to go really deep into these scenes and to me as an actor working with him is [admirable].'

And the man-crush is reciprocated on the behalf of Jackman.

'I absolutely love working with him on every level. He is a spectacular actor.'

With a call for action and many physical scenes in the movie, both Gyllenhaal and Jackman have taken two different approaches to their roles. Always the pinnacle of fitness, Gyllenhaal admittedly reveals that while he attempts to do many of his own stunts he isn’t always inclined to do so.

'It feels like cheating to me when someone else does it, but I also admit that there are people who know how to do it a lot better than me and if they make me look better than…' he says. 'But now if you ask me to push someone into a wall, I’m game,'  he jokes.

And then you have Jackman, who has been noticeably spotted chain eating on set throughout the day in attempts to bulk up for his role in an upcoming X-Men film.

'I think my character (Dover), it does help that he is quite strong and you have to believe he is capable of bringing the law into his own hands, but does he need to eat every two hours? Chicken breast and steamed spinach? No,' he laughs.

VIDEO: Hugh Jackman 'Les Miserables' Chain Workout

Prisoners is set to release September 2013. For more interviews with the cast, check out the video above.