Maggie Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California on November 16, 1977. She is the daughter of screenwriter Naomi Foner and director Stephen Gyllenhaal (also the sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal). She has brown hair, blue eyes and is 5'4" tall. Her education includes graduating from Harvard-Westlake private school and later in 1999 earning a Bachelor's Degree in literature and eastern religion from Columbia University. She also studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. She currently resides in New York City.
After graduating from Columbia University, Gyllenhaal needed a stand-out role to get her in the running for the high-profile parts. That break came in the form of her role as Raven, a Satanic make-up artist in the eccentric John Waters film "Cecil B. Demented" (2000). This gave Gyllenhaal enough recognition that she landed a string of supporting roles the following year. She played her brother's sister in the sci-fi movie "Donnie Darko" (2001), appeared in "Riding in Cars with Boys" (2001) and was featured in the teen romance "40 Days and 40 Nights". Maggie Gyllenhaal made her debut in a leading role in Steven Shainberg's film Secretary in 2002.
Awards:
2003 Chicago Film Critics Award "Most Promising Performer" for her work in "Secretary," "Adaptation" and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"
2002 National Board of Review Award "Breakthrough Preformance" for Secretary
2002 Movieline Magazine Breakthrough Performance Award for Secretary
2002 Gotham Award "Breakthrough Performance" for Secretary 2002
Award Nominations:
Golden Globe 2003 "Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical" for Secretary
Independent Spirit Award 2003 for Secretary
Maggie Gyllenhaal's filmography:
In God's Hands (2003) (in production)
Mona Lisa Smile (2003) (filming) .... Giselle Levy
Shattered Glass (2003) (post-production)
Casa de Los Babys (2003) (post-production) .... Jennifer
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) .... Debbie
Adaptation (2002) .... Caroline
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002) .... Sam, Erica's Roommate
Secretary (2002) .... Lee Holloway
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) .... Amelia Forrester
Donnie Darko (2001) .... Elizabeth Darko
Pornographer: A Love Story, The (2000) .... Sidney
Cecil B. DeMented (2000) .... Raven
Photographer, The (2000) .... Mira
"Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story" (1999) (mini) TV Series
Resurrection (1999/II) (TV) .... Mary
Homegrown (1998) .... Christina
Patron Saint of Liars, The (1998) (TV) .... Lorraine Thomas
Shattered Mind (1996) (TV) .... Clothes clerk
Dangerous Woman, A (1993) .... Patsy
Waterland (1992) .... Maggie Ruth
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/Bio?Gyllenhaal,%20Maggie
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800360995&cf=biog&intl=us
http://idolpleasures.com/maggie_gyllenhaal.shtm
http://www.tribute.ca/all_actors/bios/7488.htm