27 Maggie Gyllenhaal Wallpapers [1024x768]

28 October 2011 1,905 views No Comment

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Margaret Ruth “Maggie“ Gyllenhaal ( /ˈdʒɪlənhɔːl/; born November 16, 1977) is an American actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (née Achs) and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father’s films. Gyllenhaal achieved recognition in a supporting role in the indie cult hit Donnie Darko (2001). Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 sadomasochistic romance Secretary, for which she received critical acclaim and a Golden Globenomination.

Gyllenhaal has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the indie film Sherrybaby (2006), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, the romantic comedy Trust the Man (2006), and big-budget films such as World Trade Center (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). She next starred in the 2009 musical-drama Crazy Heart, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Gyllenhaal has also appeared in theatrical plays, includingCloser (2000), and television productions, including Strip Search (2004).

Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard since 2002. In 2006 the two became engaged, and Gyllenhaal gave birth to their daughter, Ramona, on October 3, 2006. On May 2, 2009, she married Sarsgaard in Italy. She is a politically active Democrat and, like her brother and parents, supports the American Civil Liberties Union. Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq she participated in anti-war demonstrations. Gyllenhaal drew criticism in 2005 for her opinion that America was “responsible in some way” for the September 11 attacks. She is actively involved in human rights, civil liberty, and anti-poverty campaigns.

Early life

Gyllenhaal was born in New York City to film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (néeAchs). Jake Gyllenhaal, her younger brother, is also an actor. Her father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family; her last purely Swedish ancestor was her great-grandfather, a descendant of Leonard Gyllenhaal, a leading Swedenborgian who supported the printing and spreading of Swedenborg’s writings. Her mother is from a Jewish family in New York City and is the ex-wife of Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University. Her parents, who married in 1977, filed for divorce in October 2008.

Gyllenhaal grew up in Los Angeles and studied at the Harvard–Westlake prep school. In 1995 she graduated from Harvard–Westlake and moved to New York to attend Columbia University, where she studied literature and Eastern religions; she graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she took a summer job working as a waitress in a Massachusetts restaurant.

Personal life

Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard, a close friend of her brother Jake, since 2002. In April 2006 they announced their engagement. They have a daughter Ramona, born October 3, 2006, and live in Brooklyn, New York. On May 2, 2009, Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard were married in a small chapel in Brindisi, Italy. [Source]