The Truth About Jake Gyllenhaal's Near-Death Experience
With 30 years in the game, Jake Gyllenhaal is a seasoned veteran in Hollywood at this point. Born into the famed Gyllenhaal family, the actor made his acting debut in 1991's "City Slickers" at the young age of 10 (per IMDb). Gyllenhaal ultimately landed his big break 11 years later with 2001's "Donnie Darko," in which he played the troubled titular character in the iconic and mind-bending film alongside sister Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Despite being an established veteran in Hollywood, Gyllenhaal maintains a bustling personal life rife with high-profile relationships, family time, and hobbies (woodworking anyone?) that keep the star occupied during his downtime. What fans may not know about the actor, however, is that he, along with Maggie, came dangerously close to death in the mid-2000s in a terrifying real-life experience.
Gyllenhaal battled natural disasters on-screen in 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow," which may have helped him think fast in the scary scenario. What exactly happened?
Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal's vacation goes up in smoke
In 2006, while the brother-sister duo was vacationing in Inverness, Calif., a stay at Manka's Inverness Lodge — where the Gyllenhaals would reportedly frequent (per People) — quickly turned catastrophic after the hotel went up in flames.
The blaze occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. when a falling tree crashed down onto the hotel near a water heater. Speaking to People, a spokesperson for the Inverness Fire Deptartment said the fire occurred "during a very high windstorm and a tree came down" and that "the cause of the actual fire [had] not been determined at [that] point, but it totally destroyed the lodge." Daniel DeLong, co-owner of the fallen lodge and chef, revealed to the Marin Independent Journal, per People, Gyllenhaal's heroic deeds during the ordeal — recalling that "Jake was helping me pull things out of the fire."
People reported that eight people were present in the lodge when the fire broke out, while other travelers were scattered in cabins on the surrounding property. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the end.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Manka's was a popular vacation spot for A-listers and high-profile celebrities — pointing out that Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall had dined there the year prior, while actor Frances McDormand and husband Joel Coen spent Christmas with the Gyllenhaals at the VIP hotspot.
What happened to the owners of the lodge?
After the fire, lodge owners Daniel DeLong and Margaret Grad were dedicated to restoring the lodge's legacy, and that they did. Eleven years later, DeLong and Grad bought the neighboring Olema Inn — conveniently located just six miles away from Manka's — in an effort to the restore the legacy of the restaurant previously housed at Manka's (per Remodelista).
The outlet noted that DeLong and Grad also restored and modernized what was left of Manka's in the wake of the fire. Restorations of the property include a private property hidden in the mountains, a boathouse, cabins, and a hunting and fishing lodge. Their new restaurant, Sir and Star at the Olema, appropriately offers delivery to those staying at Manka's.
Perhaps with the introduction of the Sir and Star at the Olema restaurant, the modernization of Manka's, and the restoration of its former glory, maybe Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal can plan another vacation there once more.