“Presumed Innocent”'s Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard Dish on Acting Together as Brothers-in-Law: 'It Absolutely Helps'

Gyllenhaal said Sarsgaard "demands an honesty not only as a brother, but also particularly as an actor"

Jake Gyllenhaal and brother-in-law Peter Sarsgaard are getting candid about what it was like to act — and live — together while filming their new thriller series, Presumed Innocent.

On Thursday’s episode of Today, the actors discussed their latest project with Savannah Guthrie. They both said that their relationship off screen benefited them in their roles.

"I think we both agree that it absolutely helps,” Gyllenhaal, 43, said. “If you have a history with someone and you come into a scene and it's a fictional world, you get to bring all of that stuff.”

Related: Jake Gyllenhaal Congratulates Brother-in-Law Peter Sarsgaard on Best Actor Win in Venice: 'Love You'

The men have acted together before, and Gyllenhaal said that regardless of the part, knowing that the Garden State actor, 53, who is married to his sister Maggie, is going to be alongside him makes the dynamic more real.

“I love working with Peter,” Gyllenhaal said. “He demands an honesty not only as a brother, but also particularly as an actor. You just know you're working with someone who is up for anything and it's like joy."

Sarsgaard, also an executive producer on the show, agreed with Gyllenhaal, saying that even though the two play adversaries in the new AppleTV+ series, it still helps to have that love for one another. He explained that when acting, they can invoke deeper emotion.

"For two characters also that have an antagonistic relationship, it's nice that underneath — I think what you feel is people only argue like that if they care about each other on some level,” Sarsgaard said. “And that just existed the entire [time].”

Related: Jake Gyllenhaal Surprised His Presumed Innocent Costars with Sweet Gesture on Set (Exclusive)

The pair also revealed that they shared living quarters for parts of filming, with Sarsgaard joking that the Road House star's type-A personality showed off in the kitchen.

“He was all the way in this corner of the house, and I was down here, and we would meet in the kitchen,” The Killing alum laughed, adding, “He always has the best refrigerator — it's very well organized."

He continued to say that Gyllenhaal would stock up on all their favorite foods and line them up neatly.  “The yogurts are in line, you know,” he joked. “For me, everything is just pushed in there.”

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Sarsgaard was originally a friend of Jake’s before meeting Maggie Gyllenhaal in 2001. The pair fell in love quickly after and announced their engagement and pregnancy at the same time in 2006. Three years later, they tied the knot in Italy.

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