Why ‘Presumed Innocent' Is Jake Gyllenhaal's First TV Show
Jake Gyllenhaal's venture into television with the Apple TV+ limited series “Presumed Innocent” marks a significant shift for the actor, primarily known for his film and theater work. The story's compelling nature and the collaboration with industry heavyweights David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams drew Gyllenhaal to his first ongoing TV role.
Gyllenhaal's intrigue with the pilot script mirrored what viewers might feel—an eagerness to discover what happens next. This anticipation, combined with the opportunity to work with Kelley and Abrams, both executive producers with Kelley serving as showrunner, made the project irresistible. Gyllenhaal also executive produces the series.
“The combination of the two of them together was so interesting to me,” Gyllenhaal told The Hollywood Reporter. “I just thought what an interesting thing to collaborate with people like them.”
For Gyllenhaal, exploring a new medium was both challenging and exhilarating. “I had never been involved in a creative process like that, meaning not just the length of a show and that it was going to be eight hours but also that it was going to be revealed to me as we went along,” he said. “I like the opportunity of different mediums. I like what it does, the questions it asks.”
The cast, including Gyllenhaal, discovered the plot as it developed, maintaining a sense of mystery throughout filming. Kingston Rumi Southwick, who plays Gyllenhaal's character's son, highlighted that episodes were written as shooting progressed, keeping the actors in suspense about the story's outcome.
“David E. Kelley had written the first couple of episodes and as we were shooting, he would continue writing,” Southwick explained. “As we were shooting, we were learning what was happening next, so what was good about that was I think none of us knew what was going to happen at the end.”
O-T Fagbenle, portraying a rival prosecutor, shared the excitement of discovering the ending alongside the rest of the cast. “I remember the day the news came out, there was a real buzz on the set,” he recalled. “There was even talk of potentially shooting two endings.”
This method of not knowing the end from the start allowed the actors to be more present in their roles. Nana Mensah, who plays detective Alana Rodriguez, found it liberating. “We were getting scripts as they were being written, so all we could do was play the stakes of the moment,” she said. “We couldn't forecast anything, so we just got to be in the moment with what we had on the page in front of us.”
For those familiar with Scott Turow's 1987 book or the 1990 film adaptation, Kelley's version still holds surprises. “They'll be guessing like everybody else,” Kelley noted, with director and executive producer Greg Yaitanes adding that all clues are present for attentive viewers. “I think 100 percent we stick the landing of this series, and it's fair to the audience because it's there the whole time.”
Kelley emphasized the deeper character exploration and plot updates made possible by the miniseries format. “There are some plot departures as well, updating with some of the evidence gathering because the science is so different.”
Despite the cast being in the dark about their characters' fates, they delved into understanding their characters' histories and dynamics. Mensah and James Hiroyuki Liao, who plays medical examiner Herbert Kumagai, highlighted the importance of discussions and rehearsals.
“We got a few days of rehearsal before we started and that's unusual,” Mensah said. “Not all series do that. But I think because we have a lot of theater people in our cast, and they understood that we needed a little more of a holistic understanding of the stakes before the audience embarked on this journey with us, we just talked it out.”
Liao focused on his character's perspective within the narrative. “For me, I came up with my own internal justifications to justify a lot of the actions that happen later on to create that real conflict for me.”
The show's central drama, involving Rusty (Gyllenhaal), Nico Della Guardia (Fagbenle), and Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), adds complexity to the unfolding mystery. Fagbenle noted, “I think the personal history kind of always complicates things. I think for Nico, Tommy's personal history is so loud in the room that most of Nico's energy is trying to pull that back.”
“Presumed Innocent” releases new episodes on Apple TV+ each Wednesday through July 24, offering viewers a captivating journey through its layered mystery.
