This page uses content from the Jake Gyllenhaal biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" GyllenhaalPronounced Jill-en-hall []. (born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age eleven, and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received an Academy Award nomination and won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award.

Gyllenhaal's most notable film appearances began with 2001's cult hit Donnie Darko, in which he played a troubled schizophrenic. In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event. He played against type as an angry Marine in Jarhead (2005) and, that same year, he won critical acclaim as a "gay cowboy" in the controversial film Brokeback Mountain.

Gyllenhaal has taken an activist role in supporting political and social causes. He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising, campaigned for the Democratic party in the 2004 election, and has promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Biography

Early life and education

Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California, to film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner.Schruers, Fred (October 30, 2005), "Jake's progress",The Guardian. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Gyllenhaal's father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family; his last Swedish ancestor was his great-great-grandfather, Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal.Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004)Rootsweb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006. His mother is from a New York City Jewish-American family; she is the ex-wife of Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake's sister, is also an actress. Gyllenhaal was raised in the Jewish faith, and his Bar Mitzvah took place at a homeless shelter because his parents wanted to instill in him a sense of gratitude for his privileged lifestyle.Contact Music (November 6, 2005), "Gyllenhaal's Homeless Shelter Bar-Mitzvah". Retrieved September 19, 2006.Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004), "Celebrity Jews", Jewish News Weekly. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Gyllenhaal's parents insisted that he had summer jobs to support himself, and he worked as a lifeguard and busboy at a restaurant operated by a friend of the family.Horn, Steven (2004), "Interview with Jake Gyllenhaal", Ign.com. Retrieved September 16, 2006.

Early career

During his childhood, Gyllenhaal was regularly exposed to the film industry due to his family's deep ties to the trade. As an eleven-year-old, he was cast alongside Billy Crystal for his film debut in the 1991 film City Slickers. His parents, however did not subsequently allow him to appear in the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks, because it would have required him to be away from home for two months.Schruers, Fred (October 30 2005), "Jake's progress",The Guardian. Retrieved September 19, 2006. In ensuing years, although his parents allowed him to audition for parts, they regularly forbade him to take them if he was chosen.Horn, Steven (2004), "Interview with Jake Gyllenhaal", Ign.com. Retrieved September 16 2006.

An exception to this was if Gyllenhaal were to appear in one of his father's own films, and Stephen cast his son several times during his early career. Gyllenhaal appeared in the 1993 film A Dangerous Woman (along with his sister Maggie), in a 1994 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street, and in the 1998 comedy Homegrown. Along with their mother, Jake and Maggie appeared in two episodes of Molto Mario, an Italian cooking show on the Food Network. Prior to his senior year in high school, the only other film not directed by his father in which Gyllenhaal was allowed to perform was Josh and S.A.M., a little-known children's adventure.Wills, Dominic (2006), "Jake Gyllenhaal biography", Tiscali.com. Retrieved September 16 2006.

Gyllenhaal graduated from the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles in 1998, and then attended Columbia University (which his sister and mother also attended) to study Eastern religions and philosophy. Gyllenhaal dropped out after two years to concentrate on his acting career. He has stated that he hopes to return to school one day to finish his degree. Gyllenhaal's first lead role was in October Sky, Joe Johnston's 1999 adaptation of the Homer Hickam autobiography "Rocket Boys." He portrayed a young man struggling to win a science scholarship to avoid becoming a miner. The film earned $32 million and was described in the Sacramento News and Review as Gyllenhaal's "breakout performance".Wills, Dominic (2006), "Jake Gyllenhaal biography", Tiscali.com. Retrieved September 16 2006.Halverson, Mark (1998), October Sky review, Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved September 21 2006.

Critical success

Donnie Darko, Gyllenhaal's second major film, was not a box office success upon its release in 2001, but became a cult favorite with fans.Snider, Mike (February 2 2005), "'Darko' takes a long, strange trip",USA Today. Retrieved September 19, 2006. The film, directed by Richard Kelly, is set in 1988 and stars Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenager who, after narrowly escaping death, experiences visions of a 6-foot-tall rabbit named Frank that tells him that the world is coming to an end. Gyllenhaal's performance was received well by critics. Dan Kois, writing in Salon.com, claimed that "Gyllenhaal manages the difficult trick of seeming both blandly normal and profoundly disturbed, often within the same scene".Kois, Dan (July 23 2004), "Everything you were afraid to ask about "Donnie Darko"",Salon.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006Mairs, Gary, Donnie Darko review,CultureVulture.net. Retrieved September 21 2006.

After the critical success of Donnie Darko, Gyllenhaal`s next role was as the lead character in 2002's Highway, a film ignored by audiences and critics alike. Gyllenhaal's performance was described by one critic as "silly, cliched and straight to video."Wills, Dominic (2006), "Jake Gyllenhaal biography", Tiscali.com. Retrieved September 16 2006. Gyllenhaal had more success starring opposite Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl, which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival; he also starred in Lovely & Amazing with Catherine Keener.Hubbell, Anne (January 16 2002), "Director, writer talk about 'The Good Girl'", CNN Entertainment. Retrieved September 16 2006. In both films, he plays an unstable character who begins a reckless affair with an older woman. Gyllenhaal later described these as "teenager in transition" roles.Michael, David (October 21 2002), BBC Films. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Gyllenhaal later starred in the Touchstone Pictures romantic comedy Bubble Boy, which was loosely based on the story of David Vetter. The film portrays the title character's adventures as he pursues the love of his life before she marries the wrong man.Gonzalez, Ed (2001),Slant Magazine review. Retrieved September 19, 2006. The film was panned by critics, with one calling it an "empty-headed, chaotic, utterly tasteless atrocity".Swietek, Frank, Bubble Boy Review, oneguysopinion.com. Retrieved September 21 2006.

Following Bubble Boy, Gyllenhaal appeared in Moonlight Mile, starring opposite Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, as a young man coping with the death of his fiancée and the grief of her parents. The story is loosely based on writer/director Brad Silberling's personal experiences.Murray, Rebecca (2006), "Jake Gyllenhaal and Brad Silberling Talk About "Moonlight Mile"", About.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006. It received mixed reviews from critics.RottenTomatoes.com compilation of critical reviews. Retrieved September 21 2006.

Gyllenhaal was almost cast as Spider-Man after Tobey Maguire injured his back while filming the sequel. Maguire recovered, however, and the sequel was shot without Gyllenhaal.Morales, Wilson (June 2004), "Spiderman 2 : An Interview with Sam Raimi", Blackfilm.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Instead, Gyllenhaal starred in the blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow in 2004, co-starring Dennis Quaid as his father.Mottram, James (May 12 2004), BBC Film. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Schruers, Fred (October 30 2005), "Jake's progress",The Guardian. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Marking his theatre debut, he appeared on the London stage with a starring role in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of This is Our Youth.Billington, Michael (March 18 2002), This Is Our Youth review, The Guardian. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Gyllenhaal said, "every actor I look up to has done theatre work, so I knew I had to give it a try."Gritten, David (April 13 2002), "Fast growing up to be famous", The Telegraph. Retrieved September 19, 2006. The play, which had been a critical sensation on Broadway, ran for eight weeks in London's West End. For his role, Gyllenhaal received favorable critical reviews and an Evening Standard Theatre Award in the category "Outstanding Newcomer".Loveridge, Lizzie (March 2002), "A CurtainUp London Review: This is Our Youth", CurtainUp.com. Retrieved September 21 2006.Albemarle-London, Albemarle. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Brokeback Mountain and the future

2005 was a very prolific year for Gyllenhaal, with the actor starring in Proof, Jarhead, and Brokeback Mountain -- all three becoming critically-praised fims. In Proof, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, Gyllenhaal plays a math major who tries to convince Paltrow's character to publish a solution to a problem puzzling the mathematical community. In Jarhead, Gyllenhaal played against his previous roles—where he was often a sensitive but slightly disturbed young man—by displaying an aggressive masculinity as a violent US Marine during the first Gulf War. The public reaction to this film was muted due to Gyllenhaal's simultaneous appearance in Brokeback Mountain. Sam Mendes, who directed Jarhead, said, "He entered at a young age, and he's a good-looking boy, and he's got showbiz family and all that kind of stuff, and he's come up sensing that that was always where he was going to go. But he felt, on some level, that he hadn't earned it. And he wanted to earn it. He wanted to work, and he wanted to explore himself. And I couldn't be more excited about the performance he gives".

Brokeback Mountain, which starred Gyllenhaal, after overcoming initial reluctance Hiscock, John (December 12, 2005), " The one Jake: why Gyllenhaal spells success",The Telegraph. Retrieved November 06, 2006. and Heath Ledger as two sheep herders who secretly fall in love in the 1960s, won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film went on to win four Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTA Awards, and three Academy Awards. Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance, but lost to George Clooney. Gyllenhaal also won the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA for the same role and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination and Best Film Ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild. Shortly after the 2006 Academy Awards, Gyllenhaal was invited to join the Academy in recognition of his acting career.AMPAS Official statement (July 6 2006), Oscars.org. Retrieved September 29 2006. Most recently, Gyllenhaal was awarded the 2006 Young Artist Award for Artistic Excellence by The Americans for the Arts National Arts Awards for his role.Flowers, Michelle (October 18, 2006), Gyllenhaal Gets Nod from Americans for the Arts, backstage.com. Retrieved November 4, 2006.

Gyllenhaal expressed some mixed feelings about the experience of being directed by Ang Lee in Brokeback Mountain, but overall had more praise than criticism for Lee's directing style. While having complaints about the way Lee tended to disconnect with his actors once filming began, Gyllenhaal praised Lee's encouragement and direction of the actors, and the director's sensitive approach toward the material in the film.Wenn (December 20 2005), Hollywood.com. Retrieved September 29 2006.Cavagna, Carla (December 2005), "Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal", aboutfilm.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006. At the Directors Guild of America Awards on January 28, 2006, Gyllenhaal also praised Lee for "his humbleness and his respect for everyone around him."CBS news, AP, (January 26 2005), "'Brokeback' Director Grabs Top Award". Retrieved September 29 2006.

When asked about his kissing scenes with Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, Gyllenhaal stated, "As an actor, I think we need to embrace the times we feel most uncomfortable"Denizet-Lewis,Benoit "Jake", Details. Retrieved September 19, 2006. and when asked about the more intimate scenes with Ledger Gyllenhaal stated he approached them "like doing a love scene with a woman I'm not particularly attracted to".Hiscock, John (December 12 2005), " The one Jake: why Gyllenhaal spells success",The Telegraph. Retrieved November 06, 2006. Following the release of Brokeback Mountain, rumors circulated regarding the actor's sexual orientation. When asked about such gossip during an interview, Gyllenhaal said:

Also in 2005, Gyllenhaal narrated the short animated film The Man Who Walked Between the Towers,. Retrieved September 29 2006. based on Mordicai Gerstein`s book of the same name about Philippe Petit's famous stunt.Association for Library Service to Children website. Retrieved September 19, 2006 Gyllenhaal's current project is the upcoming movie Zodiac, directed by David Fincher and based on a true story.Mottram, James (December 11 2005), "Jake’s Progress", Sunday Herald. Retrieved September 19, 2006. He plays Robert Graysmith, a San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist and author of two books about the Zodiac serial killer.

There are indications that Gyllenhaal will star in The Space Between, a comedy about a young A&R music executive who is ordered to drop an aging rock star from the record's label. He is also rumored to be in the running to star in The Green Hornet, an action movie about the exploits of fictional newspaper publisher Britt Reid, whose secret identity is "The Green Hornet", a crime fighter dedicated to protecting his city's citizens. Both projects are still in development.Hollywood.com biography. Retrieved September 19, 2006. It was confirmed that Gyllenhaal was to play Lance Armstrong in a biopic of his life, Finke, Nikki (July 22 2006), "Jake Gyllenhaal Wants To Play Lance Armstrong in Sony Bio-Pic", Deadlinehollywooddaily.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006 but Gyllenhaal's agents have denied any involvement in the project.Giantis, Kat (August 24 2006), "Hot Gossip", MSN Entertainment News. Retrieved September 19, 2006. On September 26 2006 he was announced to play in the movie Rendition, a thriller that takes place in the Middle East. Gyllenhaal will star alongside Reese Witherspoon and the film is being directed by Gavin Hood.Mcnary, Dave, Fleming, Michael (September 26 2006), "New Line renders cast", Variety.com. Retrieved November 16, 2006.

Personal life

Family

Members of the Gyllenhaal family have worked together on many Hollywood projects. His sister Maggie played his on-screen sister in Donnie Darko, and appeared with him in A Dangerous Woman, a film which their father, Stephen Gyllenhaal directed. Maggie is engaged to actor Peter Sarsgaard, Gyllenhaal's co-star in Jarhead. On October 3 2006 Maggie gave birth to a girl, Ramona Sarsgaard. Both Gyllenhaal and his sister admit to sibling rivalry in their younger years, but often share problems and advice now.Khakpour, Porochista (September 2002), "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", Paper magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.WENN (February 2003), "Julia's Baby Health Kick", Imdb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Yahoo India News, (August 15 2006), "Maggie Gyllenhaal banks on brother's advice". Retrieved September 19, 2006. Jamie Lee Curtis is Gyllenhaal's godmother. He has repeatedly referred to his godfathers being a gay couple.Sumi, Glen (December 12 2005), Jake Gyllenhaal, Now Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Applebaum, Stephen (27 January 2006), "Love and War", Netribution. Retrieved September 19, 2006. He is the godfather of Matilda Rose Ledger (born October 28, 2005), the daughter of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, both of whom costarred with him in Brokeback Mountain.

Relationships

Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis and Gyllenhaal dated in 2001,Lindall, Anders Smith, (May, 2005), "Rilo Kiley:Prime Time", Harp Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006., but his most notable relationship has been with actress Kirsten Dunst. The couple met through Gyllenhaal's sister, began dating in September 2002, and were reported to have officially broken up in July 2004; however, the relationship remained off and on up until December 2005.Sydney Morning Herald (July 21 2004), "Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal split". Retrieved on September 19, 2006. Gyllenhaal faced Internet blog gossip regarding his relationship with friend Austin Nichols, who also appeared in The Day After Tomorrow.Jo Piazza and Chris Rovzar (April 11 2006), "To Make Best of a Brad Situation:Douglas Claims He's Misquoted", NY Daily News. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Davis, Peter (April 4 2006), "Austin Nichols", Papermag. Retrieved September 19, 2006. He has been linked to several famous women, including actress Natalie Portman and Gretchen Bleiler, an Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding.Tbt.com (May 12 2006), "Juicy Tidbits from Gossipville". Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, Gyllenhaal was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2006.People Magazine, April 28 2006. He was also listed in People's "Hottest Bachelors of 2006".People magazine,(November 10 2005), "Ten Things to Love about Jake". Retrieved September 19, 2006.

With Dunst, Gyllenhaal shares a German Shepherd named Atticus, which they rescued from a Los Angeles dog shelter. Gyllenhaal also owns a Puggle named Boo Radley. Both dogs are named after characters from the Harper Lee novel To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Gyllenhaal's favorite novels.Glamour Magazine (2001), "G-Guys" Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Politics and other interests

Gyllenhaal is politically active; he shot a commercial for Rock the Vote, and during the 2004 U.S. Election, he visited the University of Southern California with his sister to encourage students to vote.Nichols, Kara (September 21 2004), "Celebrities rally voters", The Daily Trojan. Retrieved September 19 2006. He also campaigned for Democratic candidate John Kerry.Pelleymounter, Alison (October 28 2004), "Star of Donnie Darko visits EC", The Spectator. Retrieved September 19, 2006. He has stated, however, that "it frustrates me when actors talk politics; I’m political and I make choices in my movies that I think are political. I try and say things with what I do. Rightly or wrongly, young actors have all the power."Mottram, James (December 11 2005), "Jake’s Progress", Sunday Herald. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Raised in a family concerned with social issues, Gyllenhaal has campaigned on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a cause which his entire family strongly supports. ACLU Official Statement (May 15 2003),"Celebrities Speak out for Civil Rights". Retrieved September 19, 2006.Dennis Van Tine, Jen Lowery, Bennett Marcus (October 4 2005), "ACLU Freedom Concert", Open all night. Retrieved September 19, 2006. Environmentally conscious, he recycles regularly, and said in an interview that he spends $400 a year on having trees planted in a Mozambique forest, partly to promote the Future Forests program.Foley, Jack (2003), "The Day After Tomorrow - Jake Gyllenhaal Q&A", Indie London. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Curry, Carolann (May 27 2004), "2004: The year of Jake Gyllenhaal", Youth Quake magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006. After filming The Day After Tomorrow, he flew to the Arctic to promote awareness of climate change.Eilperin, Juliet (April 26 2005), "Ice Crusade", Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Spectral Productions Inc. (April 21 & 22,2005), Arctic Wisdom. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

In his spare time, Gyllenhaal enjoys woodworking and cooking.Femalefirst (2006), "Carpenter Jake Gyllenhaal". Retrieved September 19, 2006. He has stated "[I am] not a card-carrying Buddhist, but I do try to practice mindfulness"; he makes it his goal to meditate every day.Eimer, David (May 23 2004), "Jake's Progress", The Times. Retrieved September 19, 2006.Denizet-Lewis, Benoit, "Jake", Details. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

Filmography

Awards

Notes and references

External links

• Official website
• Official E-group
• IHeartJake.com Largest fansite, also with largest gallery of images of Gyllenhaal on the internet
• "100 Hottest Bachelors 2006", from People magazine

Interviews

• USA Weekend interview (October 30 2005)
• Netribution interview
• Jake Gyllenhaal interview, BrokeBack Mountain
• Details interview
• Guardian interview

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.