Maggie Gyllenhaal almost rejected her role in upcoming film The Dark Knight – until she was assured her casting was approved by Batman predecessor Katie Holmes.

Gyllenhaal – who plays the superhero’s love interest Rachel Dawes – stepped in after Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role in 2005 film in Batman Begins.

The actress admits she was hesitant to accept the part until she knew she would have the freedom to create a new character for the role with Holmes’ blessing.

She says, “I wanted to be sure, first of all, that I had her blessing. And I was assured that I did. I’m a big fan of hers, I think she was really great in the first movie. And yet I felt like it wouldn’t have done anyone any good if I tried to imitate her. Really what I decided was that it had to be a whole new woman. If I’m going to do what I do well, I have to be free to do it.”

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WENN

New mom Maggie Gyllenhaal’s maternal skills came in handy on the set of her new movie Farlanders when she had to calm screaming baby twins.

The actress plays a hippie mom in the Sam Mendes film – her first project since becoming a mother in October 2006.

And when her tiny co-stars threatened to ruin filming by screaming through take after take, she decided to try to calm them.

She explains, “I get to working with a five year old and two 11-month-old twins, who screamed through the entire day.

“If I had not been a mom and known how to calm a baby, talk and hold the baby, the whole day would’ve been wasted. I thought, ‘Thank God I’m a mother.’ But I didn’t feel like I’ve gone to work and expressed myself and now I’m ready to go home to my baby. I felt like I was a mother all day on that movie.

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WENN

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Maggie Gyllenhaal has hit out at the media for their reporting tactics after the death of fellow actor Heath Ledger – branding the industry “disrespectful”.

The Secretary star blasted journalists for their style of reporting after the tragic death of the Australian actor, insisting she was “shocked” by the way they tackled the sensitive issue.

Gyllenhaal starred opposite Ledger in his final full film, The Dark Knight, in which he stars as Batman’s nemesis, The Joker.

And the actress – whose brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, featured alongside Ledger in 2005′s Brokeback Mountain – reveals her co-star and friend’s untimely death has taken its toll on her.

She tells Britain’s Empire magazine, “It’s hard to talk about how it’s (Ledger’s death) affected me personally. It’s been really hard for me.” (And) the media has shocked me with the way that they’ve been disrespectful in some ways.”

Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment in January. Toxicology reports released a month later state he was killed by an accidental overdose of prescribed medication.

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WENN

I love that flavor…it’s so good!

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Maggie Gyllenhaal was closely guarded while she read the script for the new Batman movie – so she wouldn’t leak its secrets.

Director Christopher Nolan was keen to cast Gyllenhaal as assistant district attorney Rachel Dawes in sequel The Dark Knight – but took the precaution to make sure she didn’t lose the screenplay.

Gyllenhaal, who had only recently given birth to 18-month-old daughter Ramona at the time, says, “Chris asked me if I wanted to read the script, which was a big deal. And someone had to come and wait in my driveway, while I read this huge script. I was mommying, so it took me 20 full hours to get through it, and this guy was sitting in my driveway.”

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WENN

Maggie Gyllenhaal has been snapped up to replace Toni Collette in an upcoming comedy from Sam Mendes.

The as-yet-untitled picture from the American Beauty director tells of a young couple (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) who travel across the US in search of a place to call home.

Collette had been attached to star as a bohemian college professor and friend of Krasinski’s character but has been forced to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict.

According to Variety, Gyllenhaal has now been signed to take the role and will begin shooting in Connecticut next week.

Gyllenhaal’s joining of the project is not the first occasion on which she has been contracted to replace another actress. The Stranger Than Fiction star stepped in to Katie Holmes’ shoes as attorney Rachel Dawes in upcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight.

The character has recently been the subject of a viral marketing campaign, with a video leaked showing Rachel Dawes pledging her support for Gotham City politician Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who is vying for the position of district attorney.

However, Gyllenhaal recently stressed she had no plans to mimic her predecessor in the role.

“I think she’s a wonderful actress and I really admired the work that she did in the first Batman, but I don’t think it would have worked if I tried to imitate her,” she told SuperheroHype.com.

“I think the only way to do it is do it like myself.”

Source

WENN