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One troubled teen impressed Jake Gyllenhaal so much as he was researching his ex-convict character in the new film "Brothers," the actor won him a part in the movie.
Gyllenhaal, who plays a grown up juvenile delinquent in the film, spent time with convicted drug smugglers and murderers in an effort to determine what life behind bars for a teenager is like, and he admits the experience has changed his life forever.
He met with 18-year-olds who are serving life sentences and others who have
since been freed and are trying to get their lives in order.
One such teen, Victor, made such an impression on Gyllenhaal and director Jim Sheridan, they cast him in the film.
The actor explains, "This kid Victor was in jail and he was released and had the opportunity to change his life and told us stories that were unreal to me.
"He was hiding meth in the back of a lamp of a four wheel vehicle driving over the border and he was 16. He changed his life and is working for the governor's office in Sacramento now.
"Jim (Sheridan) ended up putting him in the movie in a scene where my brother Tobey Maguire's helicopter goes down."
In the film, Maguire and Gyllenhaal play feuding siblings.
