Washington, Nov 30 (ANI): Jake Gyllenhaal was so moved by the life story of a troubled teen that the actor won him a cameo role in his upcoming flick Brothers.

Gyllenhaal, 28, spent time with convicted drug smugglers and murderers to understand their psyche for the film where he plays a grown up juvenile delinquent.

And he confesses what he came across changed him forever.

He witnessed 18 year olds serving life sentences and met others who had been released and trying to start a new life.

One teenager, Victor, touched Gyllenhaal and helmer Jim Sheridan so much that they cast him in the movie.

“This kid Victor was in jail and he was released and had the opportunity to change his life and told us stories that were unreal to me,” Contactmusic quoted Gyllenhaal, as saying.

“He was hiding meth in the back of a lamp of a four wheel vehicle driving over the border and he was 16. He changed his life and is working for the governor’s office in Sacramento now.

He added: “Jim (Sheridan) ended up putting him in the movie in a scene where my brother Tobey Maguire’s helicopter goes down.”

Maguire and Gyllenhaal play warring brothers in the flick. (ANI)