| Human Profile | |
| Name: | Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal |
| Birthday: | December 19, 1980 (age 45 years), Born in Los Angeles, California |
| Height: | 5'11" (180 cm) |
| Education: | Harvard-Westlake School (Diploma) Columbia University (Dropped Out), Eastern religions and philosophy |
Overview
Jake Gyllenhaal is an American actor recognized for his diverse and intense roles in acclaimed films such as Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain, and is the brother of actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Latest News (Jan 29, 2026): No newsworthy developments, social media activity, collaborations, events, appearances, streams, videos, or content uploads about Jake Gyllenhaal have been reported within the past 7 days. A fan-made concept trailer for a "District 9: Reboot" featuring Gyllenhaal was uploaded on January 23, 2026, but it is explicitly stated as not being an official announcement or content.
Early Life and Family
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal was born on December 19, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. He was raised in a creative environment deeply connected to the film industry; his older sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is also a noted actress and director. The family’s home was often frequented by writers and filmmakers. His godmother is actress Jamie Lee Curtis, and his godfather was actor and director Paul Newman.
Gyllenhaal is of Swedish and English descent on his father’s side, a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family. His mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from New York. He has stated that he considers himself Jewish. For his 13th birthday, Gyllenhaal participated in a “Bar Mitzvah-like act” by volunteering at a homeless shelter, a tradition his parents encouraged to foster a sense of gratitude for his privileged upbringing. He graduated from the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles in 1998. Following high school, he attended Columbia University, where his mother and sister had also studied, to pursue studies in Eastern religions and philosophy. After two years, he dropped out to concentrate on his acting career, though he has expressed intentions to finish his degree.
Career Beginnings
Exposed to filmmaking from a young age, Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal made his acting debut in the 1991 comedy City Slickers, portraying the son of Billy Crystal’s character. His parents were selective about his early roles, allowing him to audition but sometimes forbidding him from taking parts if it interfered with his life; for instance, they did not permit him to be in The Mighty Ducks (1992) as it would have required a long time away from home.
He was, however, allowed to appear in several of his father’s films, including A Dangerous Woman (1993), alongside his sister Maggie, and Homegrown (1998). He also appeared in a 1994 episode of the television series Homicide: Life on the Street, which his father directed. His first lead role came in the 1999 film October Sky, an adaptation of Homer Hickam’s autobiography Rocket Boys. His portrayal of a West Virginia high school student aspiring to become a NASA engineer was described as his “breakout performance”.
Breakthrough and Acclaim
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal’s breakthrough continued with his role as a troubled teenager in the 2001 independent film Donnie Darko. The film, which also featured his sister Maggie, was not a box office success initially but has since become a cult classic. For this role, he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead. He also starred in the 2001 comedy Bubble Boy and later appeared opposite Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl (2002). In 2002, he made his stage debut in London’s West End in a production of Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, for which he won an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer.
A significant milestone in his career came with the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee. His performance as Jack Twist, a cowboy who engages in a decades-long romance with another man, played by Heath Ledger, earned him widespread critical acclaim. For this role, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor and received nominations for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. That same year, he also starred in the films Jarhead and Proof.
Diverse and Challenging Roles
Following his success with Brokeback Mountain, Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal has taken on a wide range of roles noted for their intensity and diversity. He played crime author Robert Graysmith in David Fincher’s 2007 mystery Zodiac and starred in the sci-fi thriller Source Code (2011). He collaborated with director Denis Villeneuve on two critically acclaimed 2013 films: the thriller Prisoners, in which he played Detective Loki, and the psychological thriller Enemy, where he portrayed dual roles.
His role as a driven and morally ambiguous freelance video journalist in the 2014 film Nightcrawler earned him nominations for a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also appeared in commercially successful films such as the disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and as the antagonist Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which became his highest-grossing release. His other notable film credits include End of Watch (2012), Southpaw (2015), Nocturnal Animals (2016), Stronger (2017), The Sisters Brothers (2018), Ambulance (2022), and Road House (2024). He remains active in stage work, having made his Broadway debut in Constellations (2015) and earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Sea Wall/A Life (2019).
Personal Life
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal’s personal relationships have been a subject of public interest. He was in a relationship with actress Kirsten Dunst from 2002 to 2004. He later dated his Rendition co-star Reese Witherspoon from 2007 to 2009. He also had relationships with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and model Alyssa Miller. Since late 2018, he has been in a relationship with French model Jeanne Cadieu.
He is the godfather to Matilda Rose Ledger, the daughter of his Brokeback Mountain co-stars Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. Gyllenhaal is also vocal about political and social issues.