Jake Gyllenhaal

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Jake Gyllenhaal
Gyllenhaal attending the premiere of Proof.
Born
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal

(1980-12-19) December 19, 1980 (age 43)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1991–present
Parent(s)Stephen Gyllenhaal
Naomi Foner Gylllenhaal
RelativesMaggie Gyllenhaal (sister)
WebsiteJakeGyllenhaal.com

Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal[1] (born December 19, 1980) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. He has appeared in diverse roles since his first lead role in 1999's October Sky, followed by the 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko, in which he played a psychologically troubled teen and onscreen brother to his real-life sister, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event, alongside Dennis Quaid as his father. He then played against type as a frustrated Marine in Jarhead (2005). The same year, he won critical acclaim portraying a role that entered popular shorthand as a "gay cowboy"[2][3] in the controversial but highly acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain.

Early life[change | change source]

His mother is screenwriter Naomi Foner. His father is director Stephen Gyllenhaal, who was raised as a Swedenborgian, is of Swedish and English descent, and is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family.[4] Jake's last ancestor to be born in Sweden was his great-great-grandfather, Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal.[5][6] Jake's mother is Jewish; she was born in New York City, to a family from Russia and Poland. Gyllenhaal has said that he considers himself Jewish.[7][8] Gyllenhaal began acting at 11 years old.

Filmography[change | change source]

Year Title Role
1991 City Slickers Danny Robbins
1993 Josh and S.A.M. Leon
1999 October Sky Homer Hickam Jr.
2001 Donnie Darko Donald J. "Donnie" Darko
Bubble Boy Jimmy Livingston
Lovely & Amazing Jordan
2002 Highway Pilot Kelson
Moonlight Mile Joe Nast
The Good Girl Thomas 'Holden' Worther
2003 Abby Singer Himself (cameo)
2004 The Day After Tomorrow Sam Hall
2005 Brokeback Mountain Jack Twist
Jarhead Anthony Swofford ("Swoff")
Proof Harold 'Hal' Dobbs
2007 Zodiac Robert Graysmith
Rendition Douglas Freeman
2008 Brothers TBA
2009 Untitled Moon Project [9]

Awards[change | change source]

Year Group Award Result Film
2002 Young Hollywood Awards Breakthrough Performance - Male Won
Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead Nominated Donnie Darko
2003 Chlotrudis Awards Best Actor Won
DVD Exclusive Awards DVD Premiere Award, Best Actor Nominated Highway
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Breakout Star - Male Nominated The Good Girl
2005 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actor Won Brokeback Mountain
2006 MTV Movie Awards Best Performance Won
Best Kiss Won
Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Best Ensemble Nominated
Critics' Choice Award Best Supporting Actor Nominated
BAFTA Best Supporting Actor Won
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Satellite Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor Nominated Jarhead
National Arts Awards Young Artist Award for Artistic Excellence Won[10]

References[change | change source]

  1. Pronounced JILL-en-hall 'dʒɪlənhɑl.
  2. Roger Ebert (2005-12-16). "Brokeback Mountain". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  3. Scott Bowles (2006-01-09). "'Brokeback' defies gay cowboy label". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  4. Stated on Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PBS, April 22, 2012
  5. "The Gyllenhaal Family Tree Project: Obituary of Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal". Gyllenhaal.org. July 9, 2000. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  6. Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004) Rootsweb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
  7. "Jews in the News:Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julianne Margulies and Jake Gyllenh". jewishtampa.com. Tampa Jewish Community Center & Federation. October 3, 2013.
  8. "Jake Gyllenhall Interview – Prince of Persia". ugo.com.
  9. "Jake Gyllenhaal Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  10. "National Arts Awards". ArtsUSA.org. Archived from the original on 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-11-11.

Other websites[change | change source]