Adam Levine’s Childhood Friend Jake Gyllenhaal Was ‘One of the First’ to Hear ‘She Will Be Loved’
Maroon 5 released "She Will Be Loved" as the third single from their debut album 'Songs About Jane' on July 27, 2004
Adam Levine and Jake Gyllenhaal have a whole lot of history.
The Maroon 5 frontman, 45, and the Donnie Darko star, 43, have known each other since they “were both in diapers,” according to Gyllenhaal in Teen PEOPLE’s December 2004/January 2005 issue — and they even attended the same elementary school. As teenagers, Gyllenhaal recalled watching Levine perform at a small club with his band at the time, Kara’s Flowers.
Their friendship endured even as they ascended to stardom in their respective industries. Gyllenhaal revealed to Teen PEOPLE that while filming the 2002 romantic drama Moonlight Mile, Levine visited set and left a demo of “She Will Be Loved” in his trailer. The song became one of Gyllenhaal’s favorite tracks off Maroon 5’s 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane.
“It means a lot to me,” the Brokeback Mountain actor said of the track, which was released as a single 20 years ago on July 27, 2004. “It makes me smile to think that I was one of the first people to ever hear it.”
Related: Photographer Shares Throwback of Young Adam Levine During High School Days
Gyllenhaal gushed over the pop band, whose songs he claimed “you can listen to a hundred times over.”
“Their music was written with the intention of being listened to by many, many, many people,” he added. “And now it is.”
The statement still rings true today. Since Maroon 5’s breakthrough with their first record, they have achieved 15 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — four of which peaked at No. 1 — and received three Grammy Awards. “She Will Be Loved” was one of their top-charting songs, reaching No. 5 in the U.S. The track was also nominated for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals at the Grammys.
Related: Adam Levine Recalls Giving Kelly Preston a 'Real French Kiss' in 'She Will Be Loved' Video
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In 2015, the Southpaw actor opened up about his “good friend” Levine on The Howard Stern Show after the singer’s marriage to Behati Prinsloo.
“I never thought it would happen with him, so he gives me faith,” Gyllenhaal joked to host Howard Stern. “[Adam and Behati] are both so fun. I mean, you think about Adam a certain way, but Adam is a real gentleman. We have fun.”
Today, the longtime friends remain near the top of their career paths. Maroon 5 added 16 more dates to their Las Vegas residency at the end of 2023, extending their stay into October 2024. Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal recently led the action film Road House and legal thriller Presumed Innocent. The Academy Award-nominated actor is also slated to appear opposite Dwayne Johnson in the 2025 action-adventure In the Grey.
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