Jeff Bauman may not call himself heroic, but that doesn’t stop the world or Jake Gyllenhaal from being inspired by his story. The actor knew Bauman well before playing him in the movie “Stronger” and critics have praised his portrayal as being one of Gyllenhaal’s finest. Gyllenhaal wanted to emphasize Bauman’s inspiring and heroic story.
I’ve had many interviews over the years where people have asked me, “We heard you almost played that superhero… When are you making a superhero film?” Gyllenhaal said at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “It feels like I’ve finally gotten there.”
The interview was conducted with Entertainment WeeklyBauman was impressed with Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of him. The actor said he wanted to learn every detail and understand how the incident affected him. Bauman acknowledged that it was difficult to relive some of these moments, but praised the movie “Stronger”, for being a true-life story. Tatiana Maslany played Erin Hurley in “Stronger”, Bauman’s love interest. She also recognized how important it was to bring the story of the movie to life.
She said, “I feel very lucky to have been a part of this.”IMDb. She admitted at TIFF 2017 that until she met Hurley in real life, she didn’t understand the person who was behind the character. They shared many similarities on a human level.