Jake Gyllenhaal has said he had tattoos created for his character in “honour” of the late Patrick Swayze when creating a remake of his action thriller Road House.
Dirty Dancing star Swayze played James Dalton, a New York City bouncer hired to protect a bar in Jasper, Missouri, in the original 1989 film.
In the Prime Video remake by director Doug Liman, US actor Gyllenhaal takes the lead playing former UFC fighter Elwood Dalton, who takes a job as a bouncer at a roadside bar in the Florida Keys.
The pair worked together in the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko, in which Gyllenhaal stars as a sleepwalking teenager and Swayze plays a motivational speaker.
Speaking to the PA news agency at a special screening of the new Road House in London, Gyllenhaal said: “Patrick and I met when I made this film Donnie Darko very early in my career and he was always so generous and he was lovely to me and supportive throughout my career.
“And so, when it came time to try this on, I thought about him a lot and I tried to honour him in different ways.
“I have some tattoos in my character that we designed in honour of him, just to carry him with me while I did it. And I’m just a huge Patrick Swayze fan.”
Swayze died from pancreatic cancer in 2009 aged 57.
Reflecting on how he approached creating his character, Gyllenhaal added: “A big part of it is a sense of humour.
“I think the whole movie is this wonderful, fun, thrilling, but sometimes absurd, ride and we always keep an eye on that throughout it and that’s what makes Doug Liman such a great filmmaker.
“He’s always threading that needle and that’s why the movie is so special.”
The film sees the actor star opposite Irish fighter Conor McGregor in what is the ex-UFC champion’s first film acting role.
McGregor said he felt his co-star Gyllenhaal and the director were both “amazing”.
“Director Doug, he gave me a confidence, made me feel I was better than I probably was, I just enjoyed the whole process,” he added.
Asked if this was going to be the start of his acting career, McGregor revealed he plans to “get back into fighting shape” so he can compete as a UFC fighter again.
Road House will be released on Amazon Prime Video on March 21.
