Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal[2][3][4] was born inManhattan, New York City, on November 16, 1977,[5] toNaomi Achs andStephen Gyllenhaal. The first name on Maggie's birth certificate is "Margalit", which she did not discover until 2013, when adopting her husband's surname.[3]Margalit (מרגלית) is aHebrew word meaning "pearl"; some news stories have spelled it "Margolit".[4][6] She has a younger brother, actorJake Gyllenhaal, and a half-brother, Luke, from their father's second marriage.[4]
Her father is a film director and poet, and her mother is a screenwriter and director.[7] Her father, a member of thenobleGyllenhaal family, is of Swedish and English ancestry, and was raised in theSwedenborgian religion.[8] Her last native Swedish ancestor was her great-great-grandfather Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal, a descendant ofLeonard Gyllenhaal, a leading Swedenborgian who supported the printing and spreading of Swedenborg's writings.[9]
At the age of 15, she made a brief appearance in her father's filmWaterland (1992). Soon, she had supporting roles inA Dangerous Woman (1993) andHomegrown (1998), which were directed by her father and also featured her brother Jake.[17] With their mother, she and Jake appeared in two episodes ofMolto Mario, an Italian cooking show on theFood Network.[26] After graduating from college, she had supporting roles in films includingCecil B. Demented (2000) andRiding in Cars with Boys (2001).[27] Gyllenhaal later achieved recognition in her own right playing her real brother's on-screen sister in theindiecult favoriteDonnie Darko (2001).[28][29]
Gyllenhaal's breakout role was in theblack comedy,Secretary (2002), a film about two people who embark on a mutually fulfillingBDSM lifestyle.[36]The New York Times criticStephen Holden noted: "The role of Lee, which Maggie Gyllenhaal imbues with a restrained comic delicacy and sweetness, should make her a star."[36]Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Maggie Gyllenhaal, as the self-destructive secretary, is enigmatic and, at moments, sympathetic."[37] The film received generally favorable reviews,[38] and Gyllenhaal's performance earned her the Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress award from theNational Board of Review of Motion Pictures,[39] her firstGolden Globe nomination,[40] and anIndependent Spirit Award nomination.[41]Secretary was Gyllenhaal's first film role which featuredfull frontal nudity.[42][43] Impressed with the script, she initially had reservations about doing the film, which she believed could deliver ananti-feminist message. However, after carefully discussing the script with the film's director,Steven Shainberg, she agreed to join the project.[44] Although insisting Shainberg did not exploit her, Gyllenhaal has said she felt "scared when filming began" and that "in the wrong hands ... even in just slightly less intelligent hands, this movie could say something really weird."[28] Since then, she is guarded about discussing her role in the film, saying only that "despite myself, sometimes the dynamic that you are exploring in your work spills over into your life."[28]
Next, she had a supporting role in the comedy-dramaAdaptation (2002), a film that tells the story of screenwriterCharlie Kaufman's struggle to adaptThe Orchid Thief into a film.[45] She later appeared in theunauthorized biographyConfessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), part of an ensemble cast that includedSam Rockwell,Drew Barrymore,George Clooney, andJulia Roberts.[46] The movie grossed US$33 million worldwide.[47] That same year, she had a small role in the comedy40 Days and 40 Nights.[48] In 2003, she co-starred with Julia Roberts inMona Lisa Smile in the role of Giselle.[49] In an interview withThe Daily Telegraph, she revealed the reason for accepting the role was "to play somebody who feels confident in herself as a sexy, beautiful woman".[50] The film generated mostly mixed reviews,[51] withManohla Dargis of theLos Angeles Times describing it as "smug and reductive".[52] Her next roles were in smaller independent films:Casa de los Babys (2003), is a story about six American women impatiently waiting out their lengthy residency requirements in a South American country before picking up their adoptive babies,[53] andCriminal (2004), a remake of the Argentinian filmNine Queens, withJohn C. Reilly andDiego Luna.[54] Gyllenhaal plays an honest hotel manager forced to help her crooked brother (Reilly) by seducing one of his victims.[54]
She starred in theHBO filmStrip Search (2004), in which she portrayed an American student in China suspected of terrorism.[55] For her role, Gyllenhaal had to perform multiple scenes offull-frontal nudity as the film tackled issues ofstrip searches. In 2004, Gyllenhaal returned to theater in a Los Angeles production ofTony Kushner'sHomebody/ Kabul as Priscilla, the Homebody's daughter, who spends most of the play searching for her elusive mother inKabul,Afghanistan. Kushner gave her the role inHomebody/ Kabul on the strength of her performance inCloser.[56]Ben Brantley ofThe New York Times wrote: "Ms. Gyllenhaal provides the essential bridge between the parts of the play's title."[57]John Heilpern ofThe New York Observer noted that Gyllenhaal's performance was "compelling".[58] Finally in 2004, Gyllenhaal was invited to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[59] Viewed as asex symbol, she was ranked in the "Hot 100 List" byMaxim magazine in 2004 and 2005.[60][61]
Gyllenhaal's next film role was in the 2005 comedy-dramaHappy Endings, in which she played an adventuress singer who seduces a young gay musician (Jason Ritter) as well as his rich father (Tom Arnold). She recorded songs for the film's soundtrack,[49][62] calling the role the "roughest, scariest acting ever" and adding she is more natural when singing on screen than when acting.[62]Lisa Schwarzbaum ofEntertainment Weekly declared Gyllenhaal's performance "as wonderfully, naturally slouchy-sexy as her character is artificial".[63]
FollowingHappy Endings, Gyllenhaal appeared in five films releases in 2006:Trust the Man,Stranger than Fiction,Monster House,World Trade Center, andSherrybaby. InTrust the Man, featuringJulianne Moore,David Duchovny, andBilly Crudup, she played Elaine, who has been dating Tobey, Crudup's character, for seven years and has begun to feel that it is time for her to settle down and start a family.[64][65] The film was critically and financially unsuccessful.[66][67] Ethan Alter ofPremiere felt that the performances by Gyllenhaal and Duchovny were "much more at ease" and concluded with "that's probably because they're [sic] played these characters many times before".[68] InStranger than Fiction, Gyllenhaal played a love interest of Harold Crick, played byWill Ferrell.[69] Her performance in the film received favorable reviews;Mike Straka ofFox News wrote: "Gyllenhaal has never been sexier in any film before and her interplay with Ferrell will propel her to moreA-list films, leaving her indie-darling days behind, no doubt."[70] She voiced Elizabeth "Zee" in the animated horror filmMonster House.[71] Gyllenhaal played Allison Jimeno, the wife ofPort Authority officerWill Jimeno, inOliver Stone'sWorld Trade Center, based on theSeptember 11 attacks in New York City.[72] She regarded this as "one of the films she most enjoyed making".[28] The film received favorable reviews and proved to be an international success, earning US$162 million worldwide.[73][74]
InSherrybaby, Gyllenhaal played a young drug-addicted thief trying to put her life in order after prison so she can reconcile with her daughter. During promotion of the film, she noted of her portrayal of the character: "I think she's in such dire straits that all she has are these kind of naive, fierce hopes. And while I was playing the part I was looking for pleasure and hope in everything, even in these really bleak things. And so it was really mostly after I finished the movie that I felt pain."[75] Her performance in the film was well-received; David Germain of theAssociated Press wrote, "Gyllenhaal humanizes her so deeply and richly ... that Sherry elicits sympathy even in her darkest and weakest moments",[76] and Dennis Harvey ofVariety magazine called her performance "naturalistic".[77] For her performance, Gyllenhaal earned a second Golden Globe Best Actress nomination[78] and won the Best Actress category award at the 2006Stockholm International Film Festival.[79]
Gyllenhaal at the premiere ofThe Dark Knight in New York City, July 14, 2008
She appeared inThe Dark Knight (2008), the sequel toBatman Begins (2005), in which she replacedKatie Holmes asAssistant District Attorney,Rachel Dawes.[80][81] Gyllenhaal acknowledged her character was adamsel in distress to an extent, but said directorChristopher Nolan sought ways to empower her character, so "Rachel's really clear about what's important to her and unwilling to compromise her morals, which made a nice change" from the many conflicted characters she had previously portrayed.[82]The Dark Knight was a critical and commercial success, setting a new opening weekendbox office record for North America. With revenue of $1 billion worldwide,[83] it became thefourth-highest-grossing film of all time,[84] and remains Gyllenhaal's most commercially successful feature to date. In aSalon magazine review of the film,Stephanie Zacharek called Gyllenhaal's character "a tough cookie in aStanwyck-style bias-cut gown" and stated that "the movie feels smarter and more supple when she's on-screen".[85]IGN film critic Todd Gilchrist wrote, "Gyllenhaal adds real depth and energy to Rachel Dawes".[86]
In addition to film, Gyllenhaal played Yelena Andreevna in theClassic Stage Company's 2009Off-Broadway production ofAnton Chekhov'sUncle Vanya in New York City.[87] The cast also included her husband Peter Sarsgaard.[87] The production, directed byAustin Pendleton, began previews on January 17 and ended its limited run on March 1.[87] Joe Dziemianowicz of theNew York Daily News was unenthusiastic about her performance, writing "Gyllenhaal, who was so dynamic as a druggie in the filmSherrybaby, plays Yelena with a slow-mo saunter and monotonous pasted-on smile that makes it seem as if she's been in Sherry's stash."[88] However, Malcolm Johnson of theHartford Courant was complimentary, noting that she "ultimately blossoms" as the character.[89]
Gyllenhaal agreed to star in the comedyAway We Go (2009), in which she plays a bohemian college professor who is an old friend ofJohn Krasinski's character.[90][91] The film generated broadly mixed reviews,[92] withOwen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly describing Gyllenhaal's subplot as "over-the-top".[93] However,A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times praised Gyllenhaal and co-starAllison Janney for their performances, writing that "both [are] quite funny".[94] Scott concluded with, "Ms. Gyllenhaal's line about sex roles in 'the seahorse community' is the screenplay's one clean satirical bull's-eye".[94] Her next role came in the musical-dramaCrazy Heart, in which she played journalist Jean Craddock, who falls for musician Bad Blake, played byJeff Bridges, whose performance won theAcademy Award for Best Actor.[95] The film was acclaimed,[96] as was Gyllenhaal's performance.Peter Travers ofRolling Stone observed that Gyllenhaal was "funny, touching and vital as Jean" and that her part was "conventionally conceived, but Gyllenhaal plays it with a tough core of intelligence and feeling."[97] Her performance earned her anAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actress.[98]
In addition to acting, she presented 13 episodes of thePBS television seriesIndependent Lens between 2009 and 2010.[99] The program presentsdocumentary films made by independent filmmakers. In 2010, Gyllenhaal appeared inNanny McPhee and the Big Bang with co-starEmma Thompson, the sequel to the 2005'sNanny McPhee.[100] She played Isabel Green, which required her to speak with an English accent.[101] The feature received generally positive reviews;review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 76% based on 119 critics.[102]The Sydney Morning Herald complimented Gyllenhaal's realistic accent and ability to capture her English character with ease.[103] It was a reasonable success at the box office, earning $93 million worldwide.[104][105]
For her next film, Gyllenhaal starred in thebiographical romanceHysteria (2011), which focuses on the events that led to the creation of thevibrator during theVictorian era.[106] The film received a mixed reception; writing forThe Guardian, David Cox noted the film's stereotypes and "yelps of delight", and praised Gyllenhaal's English accent.[107] In February 2011, Gyllenhaal starred in another Anton Chekhov Off-Broadway production as the character Masha in Austin Pendleton'sThree Sisters at the Classic Stage Company.[108] The play focused on the Prozorov sisters (Gyllenhaal,Jessica Hecht, andJuliet Rylance), who are "unlucky in love, unhappy in the provinces and longing to return to Moscow", as summarized byBloomberg's Jeremy Gerard.[109] The production began preview performances on January 12, with a limited engagement through March 6.[110]
In 2012, she played mother Jaime Fitzpatrick in the dramaWon't Back Down, about a group of parents involved in aparent trigger takeover of a failing school. Next, she appeared alongsideChanning Tatum andJamie Foxx, as aSecret Service agent in the action-thrillerWhite House Down (2013).[111] The film was met with mixed reviews and under-performed at the box office.[112] A year later, she starred in the musical comedyFrank, about a man who joins an odd band with a group of bizarre musicians. Gyllenhaal, who also plays a musician, said she initially turned down the role because she did not understand it. However, she changed her mind after the story "stuck with her".[113] The film premiered at the2014 Sundance Film Festival to favorable opinions;Slant magazine's critic opined that Gyllenhaal has "passive and palpable screen presence".[114] Also that year, she played Hathfertiti inMatthew Barney andJonathan Bepler'sRiver of Fundament, loosely based on the 1983 novelAncient Evenings byNorman Mailer.[115][116]
Gyllenhaal played the lead role as Baroness Nessa Stein, a British-Israeli businesswoman heiress in the BBC political spy thriller television miniseries,The Honourable Woman.[117][118] The series was well received; Kevin Fallon wrote in theDaily Beast: "Gyllenhaal delivers what might be the most towering, complex, best performance of her career in the miniseries."[119]Time magazine praised the series' pacing, themes, settings, and called Gyllenhaal's performance "remarkable".[120] At the72nd Golden Globe Awards, she wonBest Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her performance.[121]The Honourable Woman appeared in a list ofThe Guardian critics' 30 best television shows of 2014.[122]
In 2016, Gyllenhaal narratedLeo Tolstoy's novelAnna Karenina; it was made available for purchase onAmazon'sAudible store. In an interview, Gyllenhaal said "Making this, doing this, I feel like it's one of the major accomplishments of my work life."[123] In February 2017, she served as a member of the jury for the2017 Berlin Film Festival.[124] Returning to film in 2018, Gyllenhaal starred inThe Kindergarten Teacher, a drama in which her character becomes obsessed with a student whom she believes is achild prodigy. The film premiered at the2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was distributed viaNetflix. It is a remake of the 2014 Israelifilm of the same name. The feature opened to mainly popular reviews;The Daily Telegraph critic gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, and thought Gyllenhaal was well-cast, writing "[her] earnest intensity as an actress, gift for fatigue and slightly holier-than-thou authority are key assets here."[125] Although Dennis Harvey ofVariety magazine praised her performance, he thought the film lacked "psychological insight".[126]
She served as a producer and starred in the HBO drama seriesThe Deuce, which aired from 2017 to 2019.[127] Gyllenhaal played Eileen "Candy" Merrell, asex worker during theGolden Age of Porn.The Deuce earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.[128]
At the18th Independent Spirit Awards in 2003, shespoke out against the Iraq war, stating the reason for the invasion was "oil and imperialism".[147][148] In 2005, Gyllenhaal drew controversy for her statement that theSeptember 11 attacks were "an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world ... It is always useful as individuals or nations to ask how we may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this conflict."[149] Gyllenhaal took part in Artists United to Win Without War, a campaign started byRobert Greenwald that aimed to advanceprogressive causes and voicingopposition to the Iraq War.[150][151]
Gyllenhaal is a supporter ofWitness, anon-profit organization that uses video and online technologies to exposehuman rights violations.[161][162] She co-hosted a benefit dinner with founderPeter Gabriel in November 2007.[163][164] Gyllenhaal helped raise funds forTrickleUp.org, another non-profit that helps people in poverty to start amicro-enterprise.[165] For one of the fundraisers, Gyllenhaal helped design and promote a necklace that sold for US$100; all proceeds from sales went to the charity.[166] Since 2008, Gyllenhaal has been supporting theHear the World Foundation asambassador. In her role, she advocates for equal opportunities and better quality of life for people withhearing loss.[167] In October 2008, she hosted a fashion show called "Fashionably Natural", which was presented byGen Art and SoyJoy in Los Angeles.[168][169] The show featured new designers who worked only with natural andeco-friendly fabrics and materials.[168][169] Gyllenhaal is an advocate ofPlanned Parenthood; in 2012 she said, "Women's health is very important to me. It has become such a politicized issue and so I will make every effort to elect officials who believe as strongly as I do that all women [...] have access to quality health care and information."[170][171]
^Brantley, Ben (February 4, 2011)."Russian Ennui, American Idiom".The New York Times. p. 2.Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2022.
^"The 82nd Academy Awards | 2010".Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 4, 2015.Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. RetrievedMay 24, 2020.
