‘Broadway Jake’ To Stretch Abilities With Role As Dreamy-Eyed Quarterback Hunk

According to today’s Variety, the relentlessly versatile Jake Gyllenhaal will soon pad a resume filled with iconic turns as dreamy-eyed cowboy bottoms and disaffected, clothes-averse Marines by taking on the role of flamboyant Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who delighted NY sports fans of the 60s and 70s with his guaranteed Super Bowl victory, sideline modelling sessions of the latest in fur-coat fashions, and scene-stealing Brady Bunch cameos. The project is in such an early phase of development that the script won’t even be written until after the conclusion of the WGA strike, but we’ve already picked out a pivotal moment from Namath’s life that will become the centerpiece of the biopic’s eventual trailer, proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that even if the football scenes end up a little unconvincing, the unselfconscious Gyllenhaal was the perfect choice to portray Broadway Joe:

Gyllenhaal tapped for Namath film [Variety]