Maggie Gyllenhaal

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Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal, 2004
Born Maggie Ruth Gyllenhaal
November 16, 1977 (1977-11-16) (age 30)
Lower East Side, New York, New York, USA
Occupation Actress
Domestic partner(s) Peter Sarsgaard

Maggie Ruth Gyllenhaal (born November 16, 1977) is an American actress.

She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and the older sister of Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal began her acting career in a film directed by her father, and later achieved recognition in her own right playing her real-life brother's on-screen sister in the cult hit Donnie Darko. Gyllenhaal made her breakthrough in the sadomasochistic romance, Secretary, for which she received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination.[1]

Gyllenhaal has chosen an eclectic range of roles, from indie films such as Sherrybaby, for which she was also nominated for a Golden Globe, to the romantic comedy Trust the Man and big-budget studio films such as World Trade Center and The Dark Knight.

Gyllenhaal is a politically active Democrat[2] and like her brother and parents supports the American Civil Liberties Union. Gyllenhaal participated in anti-war demonstrations in the lead-up to the US-led invasion of Iraq[3] and achieved some notoriety for being quoted as saying America was "responsible in some way" for the 9/11 attacks.[4]

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[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Gyllenhaal was born in New York City, the daughter of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Achs.[1] Gyllenhaal's father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family; her last Swedish ancestor was her great-great-grandfather, Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal.[5] Her mother is from a New York City Jewish-American family, and is the ex-wife of Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University.

Gyllenhaal grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the Harvard-Westlake prep school. While there, she attended a semester away program in Vershire, Vermont called The Mountain School. She graduated from Columbia University in 1999 with a BA in literature and Eastern religions and spent a summer studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.[6]

[edit] Career

Gyllenhaal's first film roles were directed by her father: Waterland (1992), her feature film debut, A Dangerous Woman (1993), and Homegrown (1998); the latter two also featured her brother. After graduating from college, she had a number of supporting roles, in such films as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Riding in Cars with Boys and Cecil B. DeMented. Paper Magazine has described these roles, including her casting as Donnie Darko`s sister opposite real-life brother Jake, as "the girl you're not supposed to notice".[6]

Gyllenhaal's break-out role was in the black comedy Secretary (2002), a film about two people who embark on a mutually fulfilling BDSM lifestyle. The film earned Gyllenhaal widespread acclaim including a Golden Globe nomination, and marked the first time Gyllenhaal performed full frontal nudity on camera. Although impressed with the script, Gyllenhaal initially had some qualms about doing the film, which she believed could deliver an antifeminist message. But after carefully discussing the script with the film's director, Steven Shainberg, she agreed to join the project.[7][8] Although insisting Shainberg did not exploit her, Gyllenhaal has said she felt "slightly taken advantage of" and in agreeing to do certain scenes she "conceded in a way that maybe in retrospect I wish I hadn't."[6]

Gyllenhaal then had a series of supporting roles in films such as the Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman comedy Adaptation., and Mona Lisa Smile starring Julia Roberts. She also appeared in smaller independent films such as John Sayles's Casa de los Babys, and Criminal with John C. Reilly and Diego Luna. Another notable appearance was in Happy Endings in which she played a singer. She further recorded songs for the movie's soundtrack. She also played a love interest of Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell, in Stranger Than Fiction.

Gyllenhaal has also appeared in theatre. She starred as Alice in the Mark Taper Forum production of Patrick Marber's Closer, and performed at the Taper in a production of Tony Kushner's Homebody/ Kabul. Kushner gave Gyllenhaal the role in Homebody/ Kabul on the strength of her performance in Closer.[9]

In April 2003, Gyllenhaal spoke at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in her first college speaking engagement. Her comments focused on criticisms of the film industry and what her experience had been like thus far. The following year Gyllenhaal was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[10]

Besides acting, she has modeled for Miu Miu, Reebok and Agent Provocateur,[11] and was the first person to record the first unabridged audiobook version of Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar.

During 2007, she has been working on The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins, in which she replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal was also set to play "Suky" in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee but pulled out before filming began.[citation needed] She has been replaced by Maria Bello.

[edit] Personal life

Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard since 2002. They announced their engagement in April 2006.[12] They have a daughter, Ramona, born on October 3, 2006, and reside in Brooklyn, NY.[13] Sarsgaard is close friends with her brother Jake.

In November 2007 Maggie volunteered to help raise funds for Trickle Up,[14] a non-profit organization that helps people take the first steps out of poverty by helping them start a microenterprise. In the latest fundraising campaign Maggie helped design and promote a necklace that sells for $100, with all proceeds going to the charity.[15]

[edit] Controversy

Gyllenhaal drew fire for a comment made during an interview with NY1 at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival where she suggested that the United States was somewhat responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks. She remarked, "I think America has done reprehensible things and is responsible in some way..." In response to the criticism, she issued a statement saying that 9/11 was "an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world" and that it was "useful as individuals or nations to ask how we may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this conflict." She pointedly denied saying that the 9/11 attacks were deserved.[16] Gyllenhaal later said that she regretted her comments, and asserted that film interviews were not the "right place" to discuss politics.[17] Gyllenhaal also said that she had "nothing but gratitude and admiration" for firefighters and that she should have "been more gentle and more thoughtful" in her comments.[18]

Gyllenhaal eventually met with Port Authority officer Will Jimeno and his wife, Allison, whom Gyllenhaal depicted in the 2006 film World Trade Center. Gyllenhaal said she would have left the project if the Jimenos wanted, but Allison Jimeno expressed that she and her husband were comfortable with her and "had no problem with her in [the] movie."[19]

[edit] Filmography

Year Movie Role Notes
1992 Waterland Maggie Ruth
1993 A Dangerous Woman Patsy
1996 Shattered Mind Clothes clerk TV
1998 Homegrown Christina
The Patron Saint of Liars Lorraine Thomas TV
1999 Resurrection Mary TV
2000 The Photographer Mira
Cecil B. DeMented Raven
2001 Riding in Cars with Boys Amelia Forrester
Donnie Darko Elizabeth Darko
2002 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Debbie
Adaptation. Caroline Cunningham
40 Days and 40 Nights Sam
Secretary Lee Holloway Golden Globe nomination
2003 Mona Lisa Smile Giselle Levy
Casa de los babys Jennifer
2004 Criminal Valerie
Strip Search Linda Sykes TV
2005 The Great New Wonderful Emme
Happy Endings Jude
2006 Stranger than Fiction Ana Pascal
Trust the Man Elaine
Sherrybaby Sherry Swanson Golden Globe nomination
Paris, je t'aime Liz Segment "Quartier des Enfants Rouges" only
World Trade Center Allison Jimeno
Monster House Elizabeth "Zee" voice only
2008 The Dark Knight Rachel Dawes

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b (Auguest 30, 2006), "Maggie Gyllenhaal In The Con",CBS News. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  2. ^ Wood, Gaby(September 17, 2006) Stealing beauty, The Observer. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  3. ^ Powers, Bill(November, 2006) Greenlit:Maggie Gyllenhaal, Black Book. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  4. ^ (April 27, 2005) Actress Gyllenhaal in 9/11 outcry, BBC News. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  5. ^ Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004)Rootsweb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
  6. ^ a b c (September 2002), "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough",Paper Magazine.. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  7. ^ Dawson, Tom Secretary,BBC Films. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  8. ^ Laufer, Bonnie A conversation with Maggie Gyllenhaal,Tribute.ca. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
  9. ^ Kushner, Tony(February, 2003) Maggie Gyllenhaal - Interview, Interview Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
  10. ^ Academy Invites 127 to Membership
  11. ^ http://www.agentprovocateur.com/frida.php[1]
  12. ^ http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1181971,00.html
  13. ^ It's Official: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard Buy Brooklyn Brownstone / Jossip
  14. ^ TrickleUp.org
  15. ^ TrickleUp.org/SeedADream
  16. ^ Q&A With 'Sherrybaby' Star Maggie Gyllenhaal - Fall 2006 Preview - New York Magazine
  17. ^ Arts and Entertainment News and Reviews - NY Daily News
  18. ^ http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/63485.htm
  19. ^ Gyllenhaal nearly quit Sept. 11 movie - USATODAY.com

[edit] External links