Maggie Gyllenhaal Biography

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

Date of Birth: November 16, 1977

The daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Forner, Maggie Gyllenhaal was born in New York, but raised in Los Angeles. She made her feature film debut at the age of 14, in Waterland (1992), directed by her father. Over the next six years she would appear in four more productions directed by her father (two of which her younger brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, also appeared in). In 1999, she landed a role in the mini-series Shake, Rattle and Roll.

Her performance as Raven, a Satan-worshipping make-up artist in John Waters' quirky Hollywood satire, Cecil B. DeMented (2000) led her to a co-starring role in Donnie Darko (2001), a fantasy-thriller about disturbed adolescence in which she and her brother Jake played siblings. The film was executive-produced by Drew Barrymore, and Maggie next landed a small role in Riding in Cars with Boys, starring Drew. She followed that up with a small role in 40 Days and 40 Nights, starring Josh Hartnett.

In 2002, Maggie landed a starring role in the feature film Secretary. While filming Secretary, she was simultaneously shooting a supporting role in Spike Jonze's Adaptation (2002). Finally hitting the big time, Gyllenhaal next filmed Mona Lisa Smile (2003), starring alongside Julia Roberts and Julia Stiles. She received her first Academy Award nomination for her work in the 2009 movie Crazy Heart, co-starring Jeff Bridges. She also appeared in the popular blockbuster The Dark Knight (2008), the historical film Hysteria (2012) about the invention of the vibrator and the drama Won't Back Down (2012) based on a true story about parents reforming their children's failing inner-city schools.

Most recently Maggie appeared in the Netflix drama The Kindergarten Teacher(2018) as Lisa Spinelli, a teacher who becomes obsessed with her student Jimmy who exhibits an extraordinary gift for poetry.

In 2015, Maggie won a Golden Globe for her work in the TV movie The Honorable Woman (2014).

Maggie has also appeared onstage in Closer at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and in Antony and Cleopatra at the Vanborough Theatre in London. Maggie is a 1999 graduate of Columbia University where she studied Literature and Eastern Religion.

On May 2, 2009, she married actor Peter Sarsgaard, with whom she has two daughters. They live in Brooklyn, New York.

Filmography:

The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)
River of Fundament (2014)
Frank (2014)
White House Down (2013)
Won't Back Down (2012)
Hysteria (2012)
Nanny McPhee Returns(2010)
Crazy Heart (2009)
Away We Go (2009)
The Dark Knight (2008)
High Falls (2007)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
World Trade Center (2006)
Monster House (2006)
Paris, je t'aime (2006)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Trust the Man (2006)
The Great New Wonderful (2005)
Happy Endings (2005)
Sherrybaby (2005)
Criminal (2004)
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Casa de Los Babys (2003)
Adaptation (2002)
Secretary (2002)
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Cecil B. DeMented (2000)
The Photographer (2000)
Homegrown (1998)
A Dangerous Woman (1993)
Waterland (1992)