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Gyllenhaal made his movie debut, at the age of eleven, in the film Cowboys de ciudad(1991), playing Billy Crystal's son. He made impact in various films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, in films such as Cielo de octubre (1999) and as the title role in the cult phenomenon psychological thriller, Donnie Darko (2001), for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor. He followed this with roles encompassing many different genres, including the comedy film, Walt Disney romantic comedy, El chico de la burbuja (2001); opposite Jennifer Aniston in another Sundance favorite, The Good Girl (2002), and in the science fiction blockbuster, El día de mañana(2004), which also starred Dennis Quaid. Making his theater debut, Gyllenhaal appeared on the London stage with a starring role in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of "This Is Our Youth". The play was widely-received and played for eight weeks in London's West End. Gyllenhaal followed his successful theater en devour with a role in Jarhead - El infierno espera (2005), playing an aggressive and masculine but equally vulnerable and sensitive Marine during the Gulf War. However, it was his follow-up performance that won critical acclaim in the controversial Brokeback Mountain (2005), in which he co-starred with Australian actor Heath Ledger, as sheep herders who fall in love in the 1960s and depicts their relationship over the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Gyllenhaal received both an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he has acted in a wide range of movies, ranging from the critically-acclaimed thriller, Zodiac(2007), the action adventure film, Prince of Persia. Las arenas del tiempo (2010), sporting a bulked-up physique, and the box office hit, Amor y otras drogas (2010), in which he teamed up with Anne Hathaway, once again.
In the 2010s, Gyllenhaal starred in several major films for which he received significant critical acclaim: science fiction thriller Código fuente (2011), police drama Sin tregua(2012), mystery Prisioneros (2013), dark media satire Nightcrawler (2014), and the boxing drama Southpaw (2015).
Gyllenhaal is the godfather of Matilda Ledger (aka Matilda Rose Ledger), daughter of the late actor Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. Gyllenhaal's most significant personal relationships have been with actresses Kirsten Dunst and Reese Witherspoon. He is friends with Maroon 5 front-man Adam Levine, having known him since kindergarten. He is a good friend of his sister's husband and Jarhead - El infierno espera (2005) co-star, actor Peter Sarsgaard.
Jake has two dogs: a German Shepherd named "Atticus" and a Puggle named "Boo Radley" after the characters of his favorite book, "To Kill A Mockingbird". - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Trivia
Son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. Younger brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal. His godmother is Jamie Lee Curtis and godfather is Paul Newman.Graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in June 1998.
Jake's father has English, Swedish, Swiss-German, German, and distant Welsh and French, ancestry. Jake's mother's family is Jewish (from Poland and Latvia).
His fans refer to themselves as "Gyllenhaalics".
He was awarded the 2002 London Evening Standard Theate Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performance in This is Our Youth at the Garrick Theatre in London, England.
Was set to play Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2 (2004) due to Tobey Maguire having injured his back while filming Seabiscuit. While Gyllenhaal was preparing for the role, Tobey recovered to reprise his role as Spider-Man.
Attended high school with Freaks and Geeks (1999) star Jason Segel and Ayda Field.
Was named one of People Magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors [2004].
Is close friends with Natalie Portman and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Went to elementary school with band members of Maroon 5.
On Phantom Planet's album "The Guest", lead singer Alex Greenwald lists him in his thank yous. Alex appeared with Jake in Donnie Darko (2001).
His favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, and he has two dogs, Atticus and Boo named after characters in the novel.
Auditioned for and was one of the top contenders for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins (2005).
Before success as an actor, he worked as a lifeguard. He never had any life-saving incidents, but did perform one lesser rescue. A swimmer had been stung on the leg by a jellyfish, and Gyllenhaal helped relieve the pain of the stings by urinating on the swimmer's leg.
Although they broke up in July 2004, he and Kirsten Dunst had an on and off relationship up until 2006.
Gained five pounds of muscle for his role in Jarhead - El infierno espera (2005).
When asked who his idols are he said Anthony Quinn, Paul Newman, Sean Penn, Bruce Springsteen and Bono.
Spent two years at Columbia University, where one of his professors was Robert Thurman, Uma Thurman's father.
Godfather of Matilda Ledger, born October 28, 2005 (daughter of actor Heath Ledger and actress Michelle Williams.
Was among the guests at Jessica Simpson's 25th birthday party.
He gave Kirsten Dunst a gray and white kitten for her birthday. She named the cat Sophie.
Ranked #48 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. It is his first appearance on the list.
His first four big roles were in movies with alliterated titles: El chico de la burbuja (2001), Donnie Darko (2001), El compromiso (2002), The Good Girl (2002).
Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.
Studied acting with Ivana Chubbuck.
Along with sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, he attended Camp Walt Whitman, an outdoors summer camp in Western New Hampshire.
Uncle of Ramona Sarsgaard, born October 3, 2006. She is the daughter of his older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard.
His uncle, Anders Gyllenhaal, is senior vice president and executive editor of The Miami Herald in Miami, Florida.
Is good friends with Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey.
Like all Gyllenhaals on the male line, he is a Swedish nobleman by birth right and is listed in the Swedish Almanac of Nobility ("Sveriges ridderskaps- och adelskalender" in Swedish).
Campaigned for the Democrats in the 2004 US election.
As of 2014, has starred in three movies where he played not only a real person, but the person who wrote the book upon which the film was based: Homer H. Hickam Jr. (Cielo de octubre (1999)), Anthony Swofford (Jarhead - El infierno espera (2005)) and Robert Graysmith (Zodiac (2007)).
Voted #10 in Elle (France) Magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll (June 2007).
Had his Bar Mitzvah party at a homeless shelter, something his parents encouraged to help him recognize how privileged his own childhood had been (a Bar Mitzvah is the coming-of-age service that Jewish boys celebrate at age 13).
He appeared on the 1994 Homicidio (1993) episode, Homicidio: Bop Gun (1994), which was directed by his father, Stephen Gyllenhaal.
Was personally approved by Joe Namath to play the football legend in a proposed biopic about the latter's life.
Was ranked #8 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actors list. (2008).
Very good friends with actress Jennifer Aniston.
Brother-in-law of Peter Sarsgaard.
He and sister Maggie Gyllenhaal are the first siblings to be Oscar-nominated for acting in the 21st century.
Parents Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Foner divorced in 2009.
Had a childhood crush on Martha Plimpton. He met her when she appeared in Un lugar en ninguna parte (1988), which was written by Jake's mother Naomi Foner.
Appeared on the cover of GQ magazine three times: June '04, February '07 and May '10.
Was, along with Matt Damon, the studio's first choice for the role of Jake Sully in Avatar(2009), but director James Cameron chose to cast the (back then) more unknown Sam Worthington in the lead role instead.
Received his first driving lesson from his godfather, Paul Newman.
Became good friends with Austin Nichols while filming El día de mañana (2004).
His parents forbade him to be in Somos los mejores (1992), as the film would have taken him out of town for two months (it was shot in Minnesota).
Auditioned for the role of Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but lost out to Elijah Wood.
Introduced his friend Michelle Williams's film Mi semana con Marilyn (2011) at the 69th Golden Globe Awards [January 15, 2012].
Gyllenhaal, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard, Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks and Daniel Brühl are the only actors to receive a Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and Critics' Choice Award nominations for the same performance and then fail to be Oscar-nominated for it: for their performances in Nightcrawler (2014), Infiltrados (2006), Tenemos que hablar de Kevin (2011), De óxido y hueso (2012), Al encuentro de Mr. Banks (2013), Capitán Phillips (2013) and Rush (2013), respectively.
Is a fan of Marion Cotillard and presented her the Best Actress award (for El sueño de Ellis(2013) and Dos días, una noche (2014)) at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on January 5, 2015, calling himself a fan of her work and saying of her career, "I can't think of a better word to use than spectacular".
Personal Quotes
"Being a star doesn't last. That's not what life should be about. It's a complete illusion that really has nothing to do with you. For me, finding out about life is the most important thing." (1999, Raygun)On the one role that got away: "I'd have to say Ewan McGregor's part in Moulin Rouge(2001). It was soooo close. I sang and everything. I went through months of auditions. It was between me, Heath Ledger and Ewan. I think it came down to age and where people were in their careers. I was the youngest and the least known. I would hope it didn't have anything to do with talent. Maybe it did".
I admire actors and artists who devote just as much time to their life as they do to their work.
In a perfect world, I would love to do one play for every three movies.
The truth is most of the films that make a lot of money no one remembers, and I'm not interested in making films that no one remembers.
Coming from a family where my mom is a writer, I just respond to how people speak.
First, it's "Who is Jake Gyllenhaal?," then it's "Get me Jake Gyllenhaal," then "Get me someone who looks like Jake Gyllenhaal," and then "Who is Jake Gyllenhaal?"...Right now, I'm between "Who is Jake Gyllenhaal? and "Get me Jake Gyllenhaal."" [Gyllenhaal on the stages of fame in Hollywood]
Some movies you fall a step behind and some you stay in the same place, make the same choices. And then sometimes there are people who know more than you but show you, and that's the maximum you can hope for - doing that with someone who says, "I like you for what you are, and I want you to be in my picture." I didn't have to fake it or put on a mask - all the resources I had inside me were more than adequate. I don't want to pretend to be something ... I'm not pretending any more to fit somebody's mold. That's a long-winded statement but - why not do what you really think, even if it's a mistake?
"You know, it's flattering when there's a rumor that says I'm bisexual. It means I can play more kinds of roles. I'm open to whatever people want to call me. I've never really been attracted to men sexually, but I don't think I would be afraid of it if it happened." (Details, December 2005)
"I fooled around with Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams got pregnant." Interview about filming Brokeback Mountain (2005), 2006.
We live in a sad time where actors are politicians & politicians are actors.
[on why he dislikes films with obvious political messages]: It's very important for me to be in movies that don't have a message. Messages tend to be a little preachy, and I don't think that's what movies are about. It's important for me to be in movies that have a human level, have a heart in them. That's the reason why I did this (Expediente Anwar(2007)) and it just so happens to be really topical. This political issue is a very important one right now which, as Americans, we need to look at. So it seems like it's (the film) is very political, it seems like there's a message in it, but ultimately there's a real story about human beings dealing with actual human things.
I think my strength is to do a take all the way through. I am definitely not someone who can do a sprint. Maybe I am not that smart, but it takes me a while to find the moment, and I like to be pushed toward it.
When you grow up there is some compromising to do. But compromising creative instinct is never good.
Annie (Anne Hathaway) and I already had sex on film in Brokeback Mountain (2005), so I wasn't too nervous. There's something about the way Annie and I both work which is inherently very musical. It's all about rhythm. There's a rhythm to writing, there's a rhythm to sports and there's a rhythm to sex. (On Amor y otras drogas (2010))
[on training for the police movie, Sin tregua (2012)] We were all Tased. The whole cast. We decided that we thought it would be a sort of semi-bonding experience. When we had a choice between between pepper spray and being Tased, we were told by the professionals that Tasing was probably the preference because pepper spray lasts for a long time after. And a Tase is done in moments. Se we decided to go for quick and painful.
[My parents] were relatively progressive in their spiritual beliefs: my father is Christian and my mother is Jewish. On my 13th birthday, they thought it was important for me to experience a rite of passage, an entrance into manhood, and the consensus was that we would do something for the good of the community, some charitable work - a barmitzvah-like act, without the typical trappings. So we went to a homeless shelter and we did some work there and then I had the party - the celebration - there.
My dad descends from the Swedish Gyllenhaal family, a noble lineage that my ancestor Nils Gunnarsson Haal established in the 17th century and which has been very influential in Sweden for a long time. My great-grandfather emigrated to the USA. But I see myself as a Jew since my mother is a Russian-Jewish New Yorker.
It's only appropriate as an indulgent actor to think about quitting 'cause it's such an intense job.
The biggest mistake that I've made is not really admitting to myself that filmmaking is a director's medium. We all get into situations where we're working with people, and we try to control that. But I realized once I'm gone it's going to be the director's vision from here on out.
[on his failed audition for the role of Frodo Baggins] I remember auditioning for The Lord of the Rings and going in and not being told that I needed a British accent. I really do remember Peter Jackson saying to me, "You know that you have to do this in a British accent?" We heard back it was literally one of the worst auditions.
[on playing Donnie Darko] For me, personally, when approaching the role, it was sort of hard to figure out, because there's so many things that he gets hit with. I think that Donnie is what he comes in contact with.
[on Louis Bloom in Nightcrawler] My grandfather (whose parents were immigrants from Russia) he really wanted me at one point to read this story about Billy the Kid, because Billy the Kid was an immigrant, essentially, and he was someone that came here to reinvent himself, and that America is made up, obviously, out of the idea of reinvention, and that Billy the Kid is this quintessential American character, and was an immigrant. He reinvented his identity to become the quintessential American. And I think that Lou is a product of the times; he's been created...
One of the greatest performances I've ever seen is Max Pomeranc as the young boy in En busca de Bobby Fischer (1993). Something about watching a child and his ability to be honest, and his desperation for honesty, even in the midst of all the adults surrounding them, which is essentially what that movie is about, and the performance itself is so present and exists on its own even today.
[Working with sister on Donnie Darko (2001)] It was really hard for me and my sister, I was nineteen years old and she was twenty three I would always say "what are you doing? That's acting to you?" and she would say "oh you suck" so then I would say you're such a faker" it was very "sibling-esque" but my sister is probably the reason why I do this, she's somebody I admire more than anybody in the world and drives me fucking nuts sometimes
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