Jake Gyllenhaal

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19, 1980) is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal.  He began acting at age eleven, and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received an Academy Award nomination and won a British... More

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19, 1980) is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal.  He began acting at age eleven, and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received an Academy Award nomination and won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award.

His turn as a rocket-loving youngster in 1999's “October Sky” moved him directly into the Hollywood category of hot young actors to watch. It led to more memorable parts such as the sci-fi hit “Donnie Darko” (2001) and “The Good Girl” (2002).  Gyllenhaal has a standout gawky charm that makes up for a lack of classical movie-star looks. He has been in and around movies since he was a kid (he played Billy Crystal's son in 1991's City Slickers). He starred in the drama “Moonlight Mile” (2002, with Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon) and the global-warming disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004). In 2005 he played a Marine fighting the Gulf War in “Jarhead” and co-starred with Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain.” 

His most notable relationship has been with actress Kirsten Dunst. The couple, who met through Gyllenhaal's sister, began dating in September 2002 and were reported to have officially broken up in July 2004. However, the relationship remained off and on up until December 2005. He has been linked to several famous women since, including actress Natalie Portman, actress Mia Maestro, and Olympic silver medallist Gretchen Bleiler.

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