Maggie Gyllenhaal
Biography
Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal Sarsgaard, known professionally as Maggie Gyllenhaal, is an American actress and filmmaker born on November 16, 1977, in the Lower East Side of New York City, New York. She is part of the Gyllenhaal family as the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in several of her father's films, and later appeared with her brother in the 2001 thriller Donnie Darko. Her subsequent film appearances include Adaptation and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2002, and Mona Lisa Smile in 2003.
Career overview
Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal Sarsgaard, known professionally as Maggie Gyllenhaal, is an American actress and filmmaker born on November 16, 1977, in the Lower East Side of New York City, New York. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in several of her father's films.
Throughout her career, she has appeared in a variety of notable films. She appeared with her brother in the thriller Donnie Darko in 2001. She then appeared in Adaptation and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, both released in 2002, followed by Mona Lisa Smile in 2003. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Bride! (2026) Producer
- The Bride! (2026) Writer
- The Bride! (2026) Director
- Lost Treasures of Arabia: The Nabataean Kingdom (2025) as Narrator (voice)
- The Lost Daughter (2021) Director
- The Lost Daughter (2021) Producer
- The Lost Daughter (2021) Writer
- Homemade (2020) Writer
- Homemade (2020) Director
- How To with John Wilson (2020) as Self
- Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020) as Self
- Best Summer Ever (2020) as TV Reporter
- Best Summer Ever (2020) Executive Producer
- The Ben Cobb Show (2019) as Amun Ra
- The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) as Lisa Spinelli
- The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) Producer
- Sylvia Plath: Inside The Bell Jar (2018) as The Bell Jar Reader (voice)
- The Deuce (2017) as Eileen 'Candy' Merrell
- The Deuce (2017) Producer
- Chelsea (2016) as Self
- Beauty Mark (2016) as Valerie
- Starring Austin Pendleton (2016) as Self
- Home (2016) as Ruth
- The New Empress (2016) as Olive
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2014) as Self
- The Honourable Woman (2014) as Nessa Stein
- Frank (2014) as Clara
- River of Fundament (2014) as Hathfertiti
- The Sturgeon Queens (2014) as Self
- White House Down (2013) as Finnerty
- Finding Your Roots (2012) as Self
- Won't Back Down (2012) as Jamie Fitzpatrick
- BAM150 (2012) as Self
- Curiosity (2011) as Host
- Hysteria (2011) as Charlotte Dalrymple
- Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010) as Isabel Green
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (2009) as Self - Guest
- Crazy Heart (2009) as Jean Craddock
- Away We Go (2009) as LN
- Heath Ledger: A Tribute (2009) as Self
- Live from Studio Five (2009) as Self
- The Dark Knight (2008) as Rachel
- Gotham Tonight (2008) as Rachel Dawes
- Voyage to the Bunny Planet (2008)
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- High Falls (2007) as April
- Monster House (2006) as Zee (voice)
- Stranger Than Fiction (2006) as Ana Pascal
- World Trade Center (2006) as Allison Jimeno
- Paris Je T'aime (2006) as Liz (Quartier des Enfants Rouges)
- Sherrybaby (2006) as Sherry Swanson
- Quartier des Enfants-Rouges (2006) as Liz
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005) as Self
- Happy Endings (2005) as Jude
- Trust the Man (2005) as Elaine
- The Great New Wonderful (2005) as Emme Keeler
- The Dying Gaul (2005) Thanks
- Criminal (2004) as Valerie
- Strip Search (2004) as Linda Sykes
- The Misbehavers (2004) as Self
- The Pornographer: A Love Story (2004) as Sidney
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self
- Mona Lisa Smile (2003) as Giselle Levy
- Casa de los Babys (2003) as Jennifer
- Secretary (2002) as Lee Holloway
- 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002) as Sam
- Adaptation. (2002) as Caroline Cunningham
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) as Debbie
- Donnie Darko (2001) as Elizabeth Darko
- Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) as Amelia
- Cecil B. Demented (2000) as Raven
- The Photographer (2000) as Mira
- Independent Lens (1999)
- Resurrection (1999) as Mary
- The Patron Saint of Liars (1998) as Lorraine Thomas
- Homegrown (1998) as Christina
- The View (1997) as Self
- The View (1997) as Self - Guest
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- Shattered Mind (1996) as Clothes Clerk
- Late Show with David Letterman (1993) as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- A Dangerous Woman (1993) as Patsy
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)
- Waterland (1992) as Maggie Ruth
- Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1991) as Noreen Bixler
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988)
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Creation Lake Director
- Creation Lake Producer
- Creation Lake Screenplay
- Flesh Impact Director