Maggie Gyllenhaal

Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal Sarsgaard, born November 16, 1977, is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for her work across feature films, television, and theatrical stage productions. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards.

Gyllenhaal was born in Manhattan, New York City, to filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and was raised in Los Angeles, California. She is part of the Gyllenhaal family and is the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She studied at the Harvard–Westlake prep school, graduating in 1995, and subsequently attended Columbia University in New York, where she studied literature and Eastern religions. Additionally, she studied acting during a summer term at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

She began her acting career as a teenager with supporting appearances in several of her father's films, including Waterland in 1992, A Dangerous Woman in 1993, and Homegrown in 1998. In 2001, she achieved recognition playing her real-life brother's on-screen sister in the indie cult film Donnie Darko. Her breakthrough role arrived in 2002 when she starred in the black comedy Secretary. Her performance earned her the Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and her first Golden Globe Award nomination.

Following her breakout role, Gyllenhaal appeared in films such as Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Mona Lisa Smile, Criminal, and Happy Endings. In 2006, she appeared in five film releases, including the drama Sherrybaby, which earned her a second Golden Globe nomination, and the disaster drama World Trade Center. She achieved wider commercial recognition in 2008 when she portrayed assistant district attorney Rachel Dawes in the superhero film The Dark Knight, which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

For her performance as a single mother in the 2009 film Crazy Heart, Gyllenhaal received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her subsequent film credits include Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Hysteria, Won't Back Down, White House Down, Frank, and The Kindergarten Teacher. On television, she starred in the BBC political-thriller miniseries The Honourable Woman in 2014, winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. From 2017 to 2019, she produced and starred in the HBO period drama series The Deuce.

Gyllenhaal made her writing and directing debut with the 2021 psychological drama film The Lost Daughter. Her work on the project earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Best Screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival. In addition to her screen career, Gyllenhaal has performed in five stage productions since 2000, including productions of Closer, Homebody/Kabul, and Uncle Vanya, as well as making her Broadway debut in a revival of The Real Thing.