Biography - Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s offbeat role as a masochistic assistant in 2002’s “Secretary” instantly made her a star, and since then she has proved a sharp and vital actress, appearing in diverse and fascinating roles. The sister of rising superstar Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie has helped make her family name synonymous with quirky talent.

Born in New York City on November 16, 1977 to film industry parents, Maggie had a privileged childhood and attended a string of top-notch schools. Growing up in Los Angeles, Gyllenhaal attended the Ivy League feeder school Harvard-Westlake, and went on to graduate with a B.A. in English from Columbia. During this time she spent a summer in London studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. A born actress, she began performing professionally at 15 in her father’s 1992 film “Waterland”. In fact, her first six film appearances were all in films directed by her father – the aforementioned “Waterland”, “A Dangerous Woman”, “Shattered Mind”, “The Patron Saint of Liars”, “Homegrown”, and “Resurrection”. After finishing at Columbia, Gyllenhaal appeared in the TV film “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, “The Photographer”, and John Waters’ hyperactive Hollywood satire “Cecil B. DeMented”.

The stunning Gyllenhaal began capturing audience attention in the 2001 indie smash “Donnie Darko”, playing her brother Jake’s on-screen sister alongside supporting players Drew Barrymore and Mary McDonnell. Her incredible looks and on-screen poise helped her earn small parts in “Riding in Cars with Boys” and the Josh Hartnett romantic comedy “40 Days and 40 Nights”, but it was “Secretary” that proved to be her big break. Her brave performance alongside screen veteran James Spader in the sexually charged comedy earned her heaps of critics’ awards along with a Best Actress nom at the Golden Globes. If nothing else, “Secretary” showed that Gyllenhaal had the confidence and ability to tackle tough characters that left a lot of room open for audience interpretation. In the same year she also gave well-received performances in the underrated “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” and among the star-studded cast of the terrific “Adaptation”. Recently she has appeared in “Mona Lisa Smile”, “Criminal”, “Happy Endings”, and the international omnibus film “Paris, je t’aime”.

Oliver Stone’s heroic “World Trade Center” is the current platform for Gyllenhaal’s talents. She plays firefighter Will Jimeno’s wife in the harrowing account of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The fall of 2006 will see Gyllenhaal give a harrowing performance in "Sherrybaby", a drama about a woman's battle with drug addiction. In her personal life, Gyllenhaal recently announced her engagement to sexy character actor Peter Sarsgaard, and the happy couple is expecting their first child later in 2006.