Jake Gyllenhaal also auditioned for the role of Hansel in 'Zoolander', reveals Ben Stiller

It is hard to imagine anyone else but Owen Wilson as the super hip model Hansel 'so hot right now' in the 2001 cult classic movie Zoolander. However, the director and lead actor of the movie Ben Stiller revealed that the role almost went to a young Jake Gyllenhaal. Stiller said that Owen was always his first choice, but at the time he was busy shooting for another project.

Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for 'Zoolander'

On the 20th anniversary of Zoolander, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor and Milla Jovovich looked back on making the hilarious satirical flick about the fashion industry with Esquire magazine. In the interview, Stiller said that Wilson was always his first choice to play the role of Hansel, but when it looked like he wouldn't be available to shoot, they were forced to hold auditions. Ben then made a revelation that the role was almost played by another, younger actor. 

Stiller recalled that Jake Gyllenhaal auditioned for the role, "The only one that I remember clearly was a young Jake Gyllenhaal doing this wide-eyed version of Hansel that was really funny." The lead actor and director of the movie added, "Andy Dick was supposed to play Mugatu," but the comedian ​​wasn’t available because he was working on another project at the time. "Now it's impossible for me to picture anybody but Will doing it," says Stiller.

More about 'Zoolander'

The 2001 action comedy film features a dimwitted, narcissistic male model named Derek Zoolander played by Ben Stiller. Evil fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) and Derek's agent Maury Ballstein (Jerry Stiller) hire Derek in a fake modelling campaign that is actually a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Derek joins hands with male model Hansel (Owen Wilson) and journalist Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor) and the three try to stop the assassination. A satire on the fashion industry, the film received mixed reviews from critics, was a box office success and has now earned a cult following. A sequel of the movie Zoolander 2 was released in 2016 but was met with negative reviews upon its release.

(Image: Instagram/@owenwilsonsource/@jakegyllenhaal)