Peter Sarsgaard Describes His 'Huge' Christmas Tree in the Middle of the Woods: 'We Decorate It' Every Year (Exclusive)

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"It'll always look like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree," Peter Sarsgaard says of his very own Christmas tree he planted in Vermont

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Peter Sarsgaard on Dec. 11, 2024

The holidays make for an opportunity for Peter Sarsgaard to connect with nature — and his very own Christmas tree!

In an interview surrounding the release of his new film September 5, Sarsgaard, 53, made a sweet revelation when asked about holiday traditions he and wife Maggie Gyllenhaal share each year.

"I will tell you something that I did do, and I'm pretty proud of this. Many years ago I bought a Christmas tree with the root ball on it in Vermont," Sarsgaad says. "Took it back to my house, managed to get it inside. It was huge. And we used it and everything inside and then with a tractor, took it back out through the front door and planted it."

"And it is now the biggest damn tree," Sarsgaard, who shares two children with Gyllenhaal, 47, adds. "We decorate it and it's kind of like way out in the middle of the woods. I put a solar battery on it and just, I dunno, there's something really awesome about this Christmas tree in the middle of the forest." 

Related: Peter Sarsgaard Says Hostage Thriller September 5 Shows Live News' 'Challenging' Experience Covering 1972 Tragedy

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Peter Sarsgaard in September 5

Sarsgaard is celebrating a year that saw him costar with his brother-in-law Jake Gyllenhaal in the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent in addition to September 5, an awards season hopeful that follows the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Germany from the perspective of the ABC Sports broadcast team that covered the attack live.

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Sarsgaard portrays the late ABC News broadcaster and executive Roone Arledge, who led the network's coverage of the incident. Next year, he will hit the big screen again when wife Maggie's next movie as a director, The Bride, releases in September 2025.

Related: Presumed Innocent's Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard Dish on Acting Together as Brothers-in-Law: 'It Absolutely Helps'

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Peter Sarsgaard on Nov. 19, 2024

For now, though, Sarsgaard is content to visit his Christmas tree once more. "In the national forest up there for a small fee you can cut down a tree and bring it down," he says of spending the holidays in Vermont. "It's nice to go pick your own out in the woods and it'll always look like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree."

September 5 is in limited theaters now; it expands to theaters everywhere Jan. 17.

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