Jake Gyllenhaal Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Jake Gyllenhaal was born on December 19, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, USA. His parents are Naomi Foner and Stephen Gyllenhaal. His sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, also works in film.

Education

As a teenager, Jake Gyllenhaal attended Harvard-Westlake School. While there, he also worked with his parents (who worked in the film industry) to learn the tricks of the trade. However, He did not appear in any major films/ main roles while still in high school. He later graduated from high school in 1998.

High school, Jake Gyllenhaal went on to study theology and philosophy at Columbia University. He studied at this college for two years before dropping out of school to pursue a full-time acting career.

Film And Television Acting Career

Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting career began in the early 1990’s when he was still a child. His first small role was in the film City Slickers when he was only 11 years old. Jake Gyllenhaal appeared in several other small roles in television shows and movies in the 1990’s, including A Dangerous Woman, Homegrown, and Homicide: Life on the Street. However, it wasn’t until 1999 that he gained major popularity from a film. In this year he played the character Homer Hickam in the movie October Sky. This film would go on to influence future roles for Gyllenhaal in the 2000’s.

Gyllenhaal’s film career kicked off in the 2000’s. His first film of the decade, Donnie Darko, was also one of the most popular films he would go on to make, as it is now known as a horror cult classic. He also appeared in many blockbuster hits like The Day After Tomorrow, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, and Zodiac. He also narrated the short Between the Towers in 2005.

As of the 2010’s, Jake Gyllenhaal continues to act. He is seen as a great actor and sex symbol all around the world. Some of his most recent blockbuster films include Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, End of Watch, Accidental Love, Nightcrawler, and Nocturnal Animals. As of 2018, Gyllenhaal is already scheduled to appear in several movies later this year and in upcoming years.

Theater Acting Career

It was not until recently, in 2012, that Jake Gyllenhaal began acting in theater. He first appeared on the stage in an off-Broadway performance of If There Is I Haven’t Found it Yet. He later appeared in his first Broadway play, Constellations, in 2014. Since then, he has appeared in several plays both on and off-Broadway. The other plays he has appeared in (as of 2018) are Little Shop of Horrors and Sunday in the Park with George (both on and off-Broadway).

Awards And Accomplishments

Over the course of his decades-long career, Jake Gyllenhaal has one more than 30 awards and has been nominated for almost 100 others. Some of his most impressive awards are listed below.

Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance - Male - 2002

BAFTA Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Brokeback Mountain)

Women’s Image Network Award for Best Actor in Film (Proof)

National Board of Review, USA NBR Award for Best Ensemble (Prisoners)

Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Film Feature (Nightcrawler)

Dubai International Film Festival for International Star of the Year - 2015

Hollywood Film Awards Actor of the Year - 2017 (Stronger)