Jake Gyllenhaal revealed Christopher Nolan personally called him to say he lost the Batman role

Jake Gyllenhaal has revealed the ups and downs of his Hollywood career, notably missing out on playing Batman in Christopher Nolan's “Batman Begins.”

Despite the initial disappointment, Gyllenhaal shared an optimistic view during a candid conversation on “The Howard Stern Show,” underlining the importance of perseverance in the acting industry.

The actor recalled the competitive audition processes for roles in “Moulin Rouge!” and “Batman Begins,” where he was a finalist alongside stars like Heath Ledger and Ewan McGregor.

Despite not landing these roles, Gyllenhaal highlighted the turning points in his career, including a personal call from Christopher Nolan. "I remember getting a call from Christopher Nolan and thinking, ‘I just got a call personally from Christopher Nolan. That’s pretty cool. I’ve gotten pretty far,'" Gyllenhaal expressed.

Although he failed to bag the DC role, he did manage to play Mysterio in MCU’s "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

David S Goyer, the co-writer of “Batman Begins,” even confirmed that Gyllenhaal was his top choice for the Batman role, which eventually went to Christian Bale.

Gyllenhaal’s attitude towards these experiences is uplifting: “Look at how far you got! So just try and keep going.”

Recently, Gyllenhaal told Screen Rant that he remains open to the idea of playing Batman, calling it a "classic" and an "honor" to consider.

His journey reflects the resilience required in the film industry and serves as an inspiring message for actors facing rejection.