Josh Gad Says Jake Gyllenhaal Didn’t Approve ‘The Book of Mormon’

Josh Gad claimed Jake Gyllenhaal was far from enthusiastic about him pursuing a role in Book of Mormon.

According to his memoir, “In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some,” released Tuesday, Jan. 14, Gad, 43, claimed that his Love and other drugs costar warned him against pursuing a role in the musical comedy production.

Gad wrote, “While jumping back and forth to make episodes of The daily showI also filmed a movie called Love and other drugs … One day, as Jake and I were driving home from the stage in Pittsburgh, I asked him if I could play a demo of a new musical I had recently workshopped for in New York, hoping to get his advice about whether or not I should pursue it further. He said, ‘Yeah, come on,’ and I played the opening number.

Love and other drugswith Gyllenhaal, 44, and Anne Hathaway starring, began principal photography in Pittsburgh in September 2009. Gad played a supporting role in the story, which followed pharmaceutical salesman Jamie as he begins a relationship with Maggie, a woman suffering from early stage Parkinson’s disease.

Gad said in his book that Gyllenhaal was “laughing” while listening to “Hello!”, the critically acclaimed stage production’s opening number, before Gyllenhaal’s thoughts developed.

“I skipped to another track on the album and his face slowly went from joyful enthusiasm to deep fear and terror,” Gad wrote. “He stopped the car and said, ‘Dude, you can’t do what this is. This is going to be way too controversial. Who the hell wrote this anyway?’ I stopped the music and looked at him South Park guys.”

Despite Gyllenhaal’s alleged misgivings, Gad spent 15 months portraying Elder Cunningham in the Book of Mormon on Broadway, created by South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matte stone. Gad’s performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical in 2011.

Gad told Us Weekly after the publication of his memoirs, that navigating through the obstacles to his career ultimately “became the theme of the book.”

“In the face of adversity, how do you overcome obstacles to achieve bigger dreams than you could have set for yourself? It has been the story of my life,” Gad said Us.

The actor also wrote about having a father who was absent for more of his life and explained how it affected his own experience of fatherhood. (Gad shares two daughters, Ava, 13, and Isabella, 10, with wife Ida Darvish.)

“I enjoyed the hell out of writing [the book]and I hope that everyone who reads it takes something away that is useful and inspires them,” he told Us. “At least I hope they get a good laugh.”