Jake Gyllenhaal was so impressed with a troubled teen that he landed the kid a part in the movie ‘Brothers,’ according to Starpulse.  

In the movie, Gyllenhaal plays a grown up juvenile delinquent and, as part of his research for the role, he spent time with convicted drug smugglers and murderers to learn about life as a youth behind bars. Gyllenhaal met with teens serving life sentences as well as others who have been freed and are trying to get their lives together.

One teen, Victor, reportedly made such an impact on Gyllenhaal and director Jim Sheridan that they cast him in the film.

The actor said, “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 ended up putting him in the movie in a scene where my brother Tobey Maguire’s helicopter goes down.”

The film tells the story of two siblings, Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire) and younger brother Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal). When Sam, a Marine, goes missing in Afghanistan, Tommy moves into Sam’s home to look after his family. He does a little too much “looking after” Sam’s wife (played by Natalie Portman), however, and everything turns a little uncomfortable when Sam returns home.

(Photo by PR Photos)

Story provided by the Dish Information Corporation