Words by Jake Gyllenhaal has spent more than two decades choosing ambitious, often unsettling roles. Alongside his film career, he has become a respected stage actor, earning acclaim on Broadway.
Early life
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal was born on Dec. 19, 1980, in Los Angeles to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter and producer Naomi Foner. His older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He made his film debut at 11 as Billy Crystal’s son in “City Slickers” (1991).
He attended Harvard-Westlake School and studied Eastern religions and philosophy at Columbia University before leaving to focus on acting.
Breakthrough
Gyllenhaal drew notice as a teenager in “October Sky” (1999), the true story of a West Virginia coal miner’s son who builds rockets. He then starred in Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” (2001), playing a troubled teenager haunted by visions, alongside his sister. The film became a cult classic.
Brokeback Mountain
In Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger played two cowboys who fall in love over decades. The film was a landmark, and Gyllenhaal won the BAFTA for best supporting actor and received an Oscar nomination.
Range
He starred in “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), “Jarhead” (2005), David Fincher’s “Zodiac” (2007) and “Prince of Persia” (2010). With director Denis Villeneuve, he made “Prisoners” (2013) and “Enemy.”
Transformations
Gyllenhaal lost weight to play a chilling freelance crime journalist in “Nightcrawler” (2014), which he also produced. He bulked up as a boxer in “Southpaw” (2015) and played Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman in “Stronger” (2017).
He has also played Mysterio in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), starred in Guy Ritchie’s “The Covenant” and the 2024 remake of “Road House,” and led the Apple TV+ legal thriller “Presumed Innocent” (2024).
Broadway
Gyllenhaal made his Broadway debut in “Constellations” (2014) opposite Ruth Wilson. He starred in a celebrated revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” (2017), drawing praise for his singing, and in “Sea Wall/A Life” (2019), which earned a Tony nomination for best play. In 2025 he starred with Denzel Washington in “Othello” on Broadway, which set box office records.
Nine Stories
Gyllenhaal’s production company, Nine Stories, has produced films such as “Nightcrawler,” “Wildlife” (directed by Paul Dano) and “The Guilty” (2021), in which he starred as a 911 dispatcher.
Personal life
Gyllenhaal lives in New York and has been in a relationship with French model Jeanne Cadieu. He is close with his sister Maggie and her family.
Causes
Gyllenhaal has supported environmental groups, including American Forests, and has been active in voter registration drives and civil liberties causes.
Fragrance and fashion
Gyllenhaal has been the face of Prada’s Luna Rossa fragrance and other luxury campaigns, and is often seen on best-dressed lists for his classic, understated style.
Working with Villeneuve and Fincher
Gyllenhaal’s collaborations with demanding directors have defined much of his career. In Fincher’s “Zodiac,” he played cartoonist Robert Graysmith, whose obsession with the Zodiac killer case consumes his life, a performance that has grown in reputation over the years. Villeneuve’s “Prisoners” cast him as a detective investigating the disappearance of two girls, opposite Hugh Jackman, while “Enemy” explored doubles and identity. Those films established him as an actor drawn to obsession and moral ambiguity, themes he returned to in “Nightcrawler.”
A family of artists
Gyllenhaal grew up surrounded by filmmaking. His father directed films and television, his mother wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for “Running on Empty,” and his sister Maggie is an Oscar-nominated actress and director. The siblings have said their parents encouraged them to pursue their art while avoiding the trappings of fame, a lesson reflected in their careers.
Legacy
Gyllenhaal’s career is marked by a willingness to take risks, both in the unsettling characters he plays and in his commitment to the stage. He has become one of the few movie stars equally at home on Broadway.
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