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"I'm definitely thinking about (children)," the 26-year-old actor tells GQ in its February issue. But the first responsibility for any man who wants to be a father, he says, is to choose wisely when it comes to a partner.
"Look," says Gyllenhaal, who is single, "the most important job for a man is to find the right woman. It's the best we can do. I thank my father for choosing my mother. She's wonderful in so many ways. And she chose well, too. I've noticed in life that the mother, first, has a primary job – and as a father, your job is to pick a caring, smart, mindful woman."
Women interested in the job should know, however, that the actor isn't just your stereotypical sensitive guy – he also has a dark side, according to Robert Downey Jr., who stars with Gyllenhaal in the upcoming David Fincher thriller Zodiac.
"You could say he's too sensitive for this industry," Downey Jr. tells GQ. "That's not even the right word. He's clear. But he's also a total badass. He and Steve McQueen would have gotten along amazingly. Guys who will do anything, anywhere."
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Gyllenhaal's most high-profile relationship to date was his lengthy on-again, off-again relationship with Kirsten Dunst.
Asked about his close friendship with cycling star Lance Armstrong – and rumors that they are more than just pals, Gyllenhaal laughs it off as the downside of fame.
"That is quite a rumor," Jake says. "Yeah, people who are semi-well-known can't seem to hang out without the story being that (a) one is playing the other in a movie, or (b) they're having an affair."
JOSH & FERGIE: ROCKED BY SCANDAL
Did he cheat with a stripper?
Married less than a year, the couple denies an Atlanta woman’s claims that she and Josh had a fling
Note that this week’s cover of PEOPLE may differ regionally














