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Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Acting • Lower East Side, New York City, New York, USA • Born November 16, 1977

Margalit 'Maggie' Ruth Gyllenhaal (born November 16, 1977) is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in several of her father's films, and appeared with her brother in the cult favorite Donnie Darko (2001). She then appeared in Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (both 2002), and Mona Lisa Smile (2003). She received critical acclaim for her leading performances in the erotic romantic drama Secretary (2002) and the drama Sherrybaby (2006), each of which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. After several commercially successful films in 2006, including World Trade Center, she received wider recognition for playing Rachel Dawes in the superhero film The Dark Knight (2008). For her performance as a single mother in Crazy Heart (2009), she received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She subsequently starred in the comedies and dramas: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010), Hysteria (2011), and Won't Back Down (2012). Her other roles include a Secret Service agent in the action-thriller White House Down (2013), a musician in Frank (2014), and the title role in the drama The Kindergarten Teacher (2018). In 2021, she made her writing and directing debut with the psychological drama The Lost Daughter, for which she won the Venice International Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She has also appeared in five stage productions since 2000, including making her Broadway debut in a revival of The Real Thing. She has starred in several television series, including the BBC political-thriller miniseries The Honourable Woman. For her performance, she won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She also produced and starred in the HBO period drama series The Deuce (2017–19). She has been married to actor Peter Sarsgaard since 2009 and they have two children together.

24
Films
6.8
Avg Score

Filmography (24)

The Bride!

The Bride!

2026 • Horror, Science Fiction • 2h 7m
57
Producer
Writer
Director
The Lost Daughter

The Lost Daughter

2021 • Drama • 2h 2m
67
Producer
Director
Writer
Frank

Frank

2014 • Mystery, Comedy • 1h 35m
69
as Clara
White House Down

White House Down

2013 • Action, Thriller • 2h 11m
63
as Finnerty
Won't Back Down

Won't Back Down

2012 • Drama • 2h 1m
64
as Jamie Fitzpatrick
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

2010 • Comedy, Fantasy • 1h 49m
61
as Isabel Green
Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart

2009 • Drama, Romance • 1h 52m
72
as Jean Craddock
Away We Go

Away We Go

2009 • Comedy, Drama • 1h 38m
70
as LN
The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

2008 • Action, Thriller • 2h 32m
91
as Rachel
Monster House

Monster House

2006 • Comedy, Fantasy • 1h 31m
67
as Zee (voice)
Paris Je T'aime

Paris Je T'aime

2006 • Drama, Romance • 2h
72
as Liz (Quartier des Enfants Rouges)
World Trade Center

World Trade Center

2006 • Thriller, Drama • 2h 9m
60
as Allison Jimeno
Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Fiction

2006 • Comedy, Drama • 1h 53m
75
as Ana Pascal
Sherrybaby

Sherrybaby

2006 • Drama • 1h 36m
66
as Sherry Swanson
Criminal

Criminal

2004 • Action, Thriller • 1h 27m
64
as Valerie
Strip Search

Strip Search

2004 • Drama • 56m
61
as Linda Sykes
Mona Lisa Smile

Mona Lisa Smile

2003 • Drama, Romance • 1h 57m
66
as Giselle Levy
Secretary

Secretary

2002 • Comedy, Drama • 1h 51m
69
as Lee Holloway
Adaptation.

Adaptation.

2002 • Comedy, Crime • 1h 55m
77
as Caroline Cunningham
40 Days and 40 Nights

40 Days and 40 Nights

2002 • Comedy, Romance • 1h 34m
56
as Sam
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

2002 • Thriller, Comedy • 1h 53m
70
as Debbie
Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko

2001 • Mystery, Drama • 1h 54m
80
as Elizabeth Darko
Riding in Cars with Boys

Riding in Cars with Boys

2001 • Comedy, Drama • 2h 11m
65
as Amelia
Cecil B. Demented

Cecil B. Demented

2000 • Action, Comedy • 1h 28m
63
as Raven

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