CINEFILER

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Born
November 16, 1977
Margalit "Maggie" Ruth Gyllenhaal (born November 16, 1977) is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal began her career as a teenager with small roles in several of her father's films, and appeared with her brother in the cult favorite Donnie Darko (2001). She then appeared in Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (both 2002), and Mona Lisa Smile (2003). Gyllenhaal received critical acclaim for her leading performances in the erotic romantic comedy drama Secretary (2002) and the drama Sherrybaby (2006), each of which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. After several commercially successful films in 2006, including World Trade Center, she received wider recognition for playing Rachel Dawes in the superhero film The Dark Knight (2008). For her performance as a single mother in Crazy Heart (2009), she received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She subsequently starred in the comedies and dramas: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010), Hysteria (2011), and Won't Back Down (2012). Her other roles include a Secret Service agent in the action-thriller White House Down (2013), a musician in Frank (2014), and the title role in the drama The Kindergarten Teacher (2018). In 2021, Gyllenhaal made her writing and directing debut with the psychological drama The Lost Daughter, for which she won the Venice International Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Gyllenhaal has also appeared in five stage productions since 2000, including making her Broadway debut in a revival of The Real Thing. She has starred in several television series, including the BBC political-thriller miniseries The Honourable Woman. For her performance, she won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She also produced and starred in the HBO period drama series The Deuce (2017–19). Gyllenhaal has been married to actor Peter Sarsgaard since 2009 and they have two children together.
Known For
Donnie Darko
(2001)
Elizabeth Darko
The Dark Knight
(2008)
Rachel Dawes
Monster House
(2006)
Zee (voice)
Secretary
(2002)
Lee Holloway
White House Down
(2013)
Finnerty
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
(2010)
Isabel Green
Adaptation.
(2002)
Caroline Cunningham
Criminal
(2004)
Valerie
Frank
(2014)
Clara
Strip Search
(2004)
Linda Sykes
World Trade Center
(2006)
Allison Jimeno
Mona Lisa Smile
(2003)
Giselle Levy
Sherrybaby
(2006)
Sherry Swanson
Stranger Than Fiction
(2006)
Ana Pascal
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
(2002)
Debbie
Paris Je T'aime
(2006)
Liz (Quartier des Enfants Rouges)
Full Filmography
Acting
Waterland
(1992)
Maggie Ruth
A Dangerous Woman
(1993)
Patsy
Shattered Mind
(1996)
Clothes Clerk
The Patron Saint of Liars
(1998)
Lorraine Thomas
Homegrown
(1998)
Christina
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
(1999)
Noreen Bixler (Part 1)
Resurrection
(1999)
Mary
Cecil B. Demented
(2000)
Raven
The Photographer
(2000)
Mira
Donnie Darko
(2001)
Elizabeth Darko
Riding in Cars with Boys
(2001)
Amelia
Adaptation.
(2002)
Caroline Cunningham
40 Days and 40 Nights
(2002)
Sam
Secretary
(2002)
Lee Holloway
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
(2002)
Debbie
Mona Lisa Smile
(2003)
Giselle Levy
Casa de los Babys
(2003)
Jennifer
Criminal
(2004)
Valerie
Strip Search
(2004)
Linda Sykes
The Pornographer: A Love Story
(2004)
Sidney
Donnie Darko: Production Diary
(2004)
Self
The Misbehavers
(2004)
Self
The Great New Wonderful
(2005)
Emme Keeler
Trust the Man
(2005)
Elaine
Happy Endings
(2005)
Jude
Stranger Than Fiction
(2006)
Ana Pascal
World Trade Center
(2006)
Allison Jimeno
Paris Je T'aime
(2006)
Liz (Quartier des Enfants Rouges)
Monster House
(2006)
Zee (voice)
Sherrybaby
(2006)
Sherry Swanson
Quartier des Enfants-Rouges
(2006)
Liz
High Falls
(2007)
April
The Dark Knight
(2008)
Rachel Dawes
Voyage to the Bunny Planet
(2008)
Crazy Heart
(2009)
Jean Craddock
Away We Go
(2009)
LN
Heath Ledger: A Tribute
(2009)
Self
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
(2010)
Isabel Green
Hysteria
(2011)
Charlotte Dalrymple
BAM150
(2012)
Self
Won't Back Down
(2012)
Jamie Fitzpatrick
White House Down
(2013)
Finnerty
Meet the Insiders of 'White House Down'
(2013)
Herself
The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Frank
(2014)
Clara
River of Fundament
(2014)
Hathfertiti
The Sturgeon Queens
(2014)
Self
Home
(2016)
Ruth
The New Empress
(2016)
Olive
Beauty Mark
(2016)
Valerie
Starring Austin Pendleton
(2016)
The Kindergarten Teacher
(2018)
Lisa Spinelli
Sylvia Plath: Inside the Bell Jar
(2018)
Narrator
Best Summer Ever
(2020)
TV Reporter
The Ben Cobb Show
(2020)
Amun Ra
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
(2020)
Self
Crew
Production
Directing
Writing
Data provided by TMDB