It's hard to imagine veteran actor Jake Gyllenhaal being told he's a terrible actor by one of the most well-known directors in the business, but that's exactly what happened.

Stopping by The Tonight Show March 21, Gyllenhaal revealed to Jimmy Fallon he totally and completely bombed his Lord of the Rings audition for Frodo. Like, we're talking being incinerated by a Balrog kind of bombing.

Apparently, his agents were super stoked their client could audition to play a hobbit, but they sorta forgot to clue him in on some key aspects of the story. Gyllenhaal had two major flubs during his audition in front of director Peter Jackson:

1. He didn't use a British accent.

2. He didn't use any emotion when Frodo finds the ring.

Apparently, it's not three strikes and you're out, it's two, because Gyllenhaal said Jackson literally face-palmed and told the (now Oscar-nominated, might I add) Gyllenhaal "was the worst actor that [Jackson had] ever, ever seen." Ouch.

Thankfully, Gyllenhaal's redeemed himself since that fateful day, starring in gems such as Prisoners, Nightcrawler, and Southpaw.