Outside of acting, Maguire has also produced several films, including25th Hour (2002) andSeabiscuit. He later established his own production company, Material Pictures, in 2012 and co-producedGood People (2012),Pawn Sacrifice (2014), andBabylon (2022).
Early life
Tobias Vincent Maguire was born on June 27, 1975, inSanta Monica, California, to Wendy Brown and Vincent Maguire. His parents, who were 18 and 20 respectively when he was born, were unmarried. Though they wed shortly after their son was born, they divorced when he was 3 years old.[1][2] Maguire described his childhood as tough and lonely, with his father Vincent being convicted of robbing a bank in 1993.[3] Maguire grew up poor and spent much of his childhood living with various family members and moved around often.[4][5]
During his childhood, Maguire entertained the idea of becoming a chef and wanted to enroll in a home economics class as a sixth grader. His mother offered him $100 to take a drama class instead, and he agreed.[6] The transient nature of his school years began to take a toll on Maguire emotionally, and after another relocation for his freshman year, he dropped out of high school and did not return. Instead, he pursued an acting career.[7] In his teenage years, Maguire suffered fromdrug abuse andalcoholism.[5]
Maguire's first appearance in a feature film was inThe Wizard (1989) as an extra.[8] He was cast as the lead in the FOX TV seriesGreat Scott! in 1992, which was canceled nine weeks after premiere.[9]
Maguire met fellow child actorLeonardo DiCaprio in the 1980s while auditioning for the same roles. The pair would become close friends.[10] For example, both auditioned for the same part in the1990 TV series based on the 1989 comedyParenthood. DiCaprio was cast, and Maguire later got a guest role at least partly on DiCaprio's recommendation. The same scenario played out during casting for the 1993 movieThis Boy's Life (featuringRobert De Niro as the lead): DiCaprio got the main role of teenager Tobias "Toby" Wolff, and Maguire got a part as one of his friends.
1995–2001: Critical acclaim
As part of his recovery from alcoholism and learning to deal with his self-described "addictive and compulsive nature",[11] Maguire changed his career path slightly to obtain roles where he and DiCaprio would not always be in competition for the same part. The move paid off when Maguire was given the role of Paul Hood, a teenage boarding school student whose narration anchors the action inAng Lee's 1997 filmThe Ice Storm.[12] This led to a variety of lead roles in films such asPleasantville,The Cider House Rules, andWonder Boys.[13]
In the 1998 filmFear and Loathing in Las Vegas he portrayed a hitchhiker who meetsRaoul Duke andDr. Gonzo during their drive to Las Vegas.[14][15] InRide with the Devil (1999), oppositeJewel Kilcher, Maguire portrayed Jakob Roedel, the son of a unionist German immigrant who joins his Southern friends in the Missouri Riders, avenging the atrocities committed against Missourians by KansasJayhawkers and redleggers.[16] Maguire voiced Lou in the movieCats & Dogs (2001).[17]
In 2002, Maguire starred as thetitle character inSpider-Man, based on theMarvel Comicssuperheroof the same name. The film was a major success and made him a star.[18] His performance as Spider-Man earned him glowing reviews. Mark Caro of theChicago Tribune wrote that, "with his big, round, soulful eyes, Maguire always has been able to convey a sense of wonder, and his instinct for understatement also serves him well here."[19] That same year, he was credited as a producer on the film25th Hour, and the next year, onWhatever We Do.[20]
Maguire had a lead role as thejockeyJohn M. "Red" Pollard inSeabiscuit (2003), based onLaura Hillenbrand'snovel of the same name about the famousracehorseSeabiscuit.[21] In addition to acting, he was also credited as an executive producer.[22] In 2004, he reprised his role as Peter Parker inSpider-Man 2, which, like its predecessor, was a critical and commercial hit and is often considered to be one of the best superhero movies of all time.[18][23][24] Due to the physical toll of filmingSeabiscuit, Maguire was often absent from the set ofSpider-Man 2; he was nearly fired and his role was offered toJake Gyllenhaal. However, his girlfriend's fatherRonald Meyer was able to help him secure the role. Maguire admitted his behavior toward the situation was "inappropriate" and that he learned his lesson.[18][25] Gyllenhaal would make his Spider-Man debut asMysterio in 2019'sSpider-Man: Far From Home.[18]
In 2006, Maguire starred in his first villainous role as Corporal Patrick Tully oppositeGeorge Clooney andCate Blanchett inSteven Soderbergh'sThe Good German, based on theJoseph Kanon novel of the same name.[26] He next played Spider-Man inSpider-Man 3 (2007). The film was a box office hit but received mixed reviews, with critics praising the cast and visual effects but criticizing the overabundance of villains.[27] Plans forSpider-Man 4 were set in order, but despite the proposed addition of characters like theVulture andBlack Cat (withJohn Malkovich andAnne Hathaway in talks to play them), the film was ultimately cancelled due to directorSam Raimi feeling creatively constrained, the poor reception to the previous film, and script and production complications.[27][28][29]Sony'sColumbia Pictures decided toreboot the franchise instead.[29] The film, titledThe Amazing Spider-Man, was released on July 3, 2012, to a strong box office performance and generally positive reviews, withAndrew Garfield playingPeter Parker.[30][31] It was followed by a sequel,The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), which received mixed reviews and had a mediocre box office performance.[31] The series was cancelled due to these factors, as well as a desire to integrate Spider-Man into theMarvel Cinematic Universe.[32]
In 2008, he made acameo appearance in theaction comedy filmTropic Thunder as agay 18th century monk in love with Father O'Malley, played byRobert Downey Jr. in the faux trailer forSatan's Alley.[33][34] He was a last-minute replacement in the role, and due to previously scheduled commitments was only available to be on set for two hours to film his scenes.[35] Near the end ofTropic Thunder, it is revealed that Maguire's character has been nominated for a Best ActorOscar forSatan's Alley, which award he loses to Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) for his role inTropic Blunder, presented by Kirk Lazarus.[36]
In 2009, Maguire starred alongside Gyllenhaal andNatalie Portman in theJim Sheridan-directed war dramaBrothers as Sam Cahill, a prisoner of war who returns fromAfghanistan and starts believing that his wife has become romantically involved with his brother. He received critical acclaim and aGolden Globe nomination for his performance in the film. Of the nomination, Maguire said, "I had no expectation about getting a nomination, but I was watching nonetheless. My wife and my son got really excited. I was sort of surprised – I was like, 'Oh, wow.' And I couldn't hear the latter part of my name."[37] Maguire lost toJeff Bridges for his role inCrazy Heart.[38] Maguire was set to star as The Writer inLife of Pi (2012), directed byAng Lee, but was cut from the film during production for being "too famous" compared to the rest of the cast. He was replaced byRafe Spall, with whom Lee reshot the scenes that had already been shot with Maguire.[39][40]
In 2012, Maguire was a co-producer ofGood People. That same year, he also established his own production company, Material Pictures, which secured independent financing in 2013 to help it produce more feature films.[41] Maguire and DiCaprio once again performed together inBaz Luhrmann's remake ofThe Great Gatsby (2013); DiCaprio played thetitle role, while Maguire played the story's narrator,Nick Carraway.[42][43]
2014–present: Reduced output
His next film,Pawn Sacrifice (2014), was also co-produced by Material Pictures. It was aCold War thriller based on the true story of American chess prodigyBobby Fischer, played by Maguire. The film details the events leading up to and including the world chess championship in 1972, when Fischer challenges Soviet chessgrandmaster and world championBoris Spassky, acted byLiev Schreiber.[44] The film received mostly positive reviews,[45] but greatly underperformed at the box office.
Maguire has been avegetarian since 1992; in 2009, he became avegan.[52][53][54] He has made changes in his diet to either gain or lose weight for film roles: he dramatically decreased his calorie intake forSeabiscuit, followed by a rapid increase to regain weight forSpider-Man 2.[55] Maguire has been sober since age 19, having experienced "some difficulty" with alcohol in his late teens.[56]
Maguire met jewelry designerJennifer Meyer in 2003 while he was shootingSeabiscuit atUniversal Studios, and they became engaged in April 2006. Their daughter was born in November that year.[57] Meyer's father, Universal studios headRonald Meyer, reportedly helped Maguire regain his job after being fired fromSpider-Man 2 in 2003.[58] Maguire and Meyer married on September 3, 2007, inKailua Kona, Hawaii.[59] Their second child, a son, was born in May 2009.[60] On October 18, 2016, the couple announced their separation after nine years of marriage.[61] In 2018, Maguire began dating model Tatiana Dieteman, but they split after three years.[62] In 2020, Meyer filed for divorce after four years of separation,[63] and it was finalized that same year.[64] However, the two remain friends, with Meyer calling Maguire "her best friend" and "the best ex-husband a girl could ever have."[65] In 2025, Maguire asked for joint physical and legal custody of their son, in response to Meyer's 2020 filing.[66]
Poker
In 2004, Maguire took up tournament poker. He has finishedin the money in several events and has been tutored by poker professionalDaniel Negreanu. Maguire was seen onESPN's coverage of the 2005, 2006, and 2007World Series of Poker Main Event Championship.[67][68] He was one of many celebrities, along with Leonardo DiCaprio andBen Affleck, who participated inMolly Bloom's high-stake poker games atThe Viper Room in the mid-2000s,[69] and received negative press coverage for allegedly demanding Bloom "bark like a seal" for a $1,000 poker chip after a tournament he won.[70] Maguire's actions at the game, as well as those of other celebrities, are portrayed byMichael Cera in the filmMolly's Game through thecomposite character "Player X".[71]
^Jones, Alice (April 29, 2007)."Tobey Maguire: A tired superhero".The Independent. UK. Archived fromthe original on April 29, 2007....his mother, Wendy, and father, Vincent, split when he was two years old, and he spent the next nine years being shifted around various relatives
^Tropic Thunder-(Filmmaker Commentary by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Stuart Cornfeld, Jeff Man, John Toll, and Greg Hayden) (Blu-ray Disc).DreamWorks. March 3, 2013. Event occurs at 2:45.
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