Los Angeles, March 11 (IANS): Actor Jake Gyllenhaal says he didnt have to get into shape or flaunt a toned physique for his role of David Jordan in upcoming science fiction horror film "Life".

"You know the thing about Dr. David Jordan, the character I play, is that he's sort of watching. He's active, yes, but he's also a real observer of human behaviour. He has seen and experienced so many tragic things in the world, he has a tendency to sit back and observe," Gyllenhaal said in a statement.

"So he's not an incredibly physical person. And I think that's what I liked about him. Although you know, you have to be able to hold yourself when you are up on those wires and move around and feel agile," he added. 

"Life" is set in space. It tells the story of the action that takes place on the International Space Station (ISS) where a six-man crew are tasked with examining a single cell life form that has been discovered on Mars and brought back to the ISS by an unmanned space craft.

"David has been up there on the ISS longer than any of the other astronauts and his body is deteriorating in a particular way," Gyllenhaal said.

"So I never felt like I needed to get into any particular physical shape. It's nice to keep yourself healthy so that you are capable of doing those things, but ultimately there wasn't a tremendous amount of focus on that," he added.

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, the film also features Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds and Hiroyuki Sanada. Sony Pictures Entertainment India will release "Life" in India on March 24.