Maggie Gyllenhaal

Part of the Gyllenhaal family, Maggie is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

She made her film debut in Waterland (1992), followed by supporting roles in A Dangerous Woman (1993) and Homegrown (1998). She appeared in Cecil B. Demented (2000) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), and gained wider recognition with Donnie Darko (2001).

Her early film work also includes Secretary (2002), Adaptation (2002), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Casa de los Babys (2003), Criminal (2004), Strip Search (2004), and Happy Endings (2005).

In 2006, she appeared in Trust the Man, Stranger Than Fiction, Monster House, World Trade Center, and Sherrybaby. She starred in The Dark Knight (2008), Away We Go (2009), and Crazy Heart (2009).

Her film credits from the 2010s include Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010), Hysteria (2011), Won’t Back Down (2012), White House Down (2013), Frank (2014), River of Fundament (2014), and The Kindergarten Teacher (2018).

On television, she starred in the miniseries The Honourable Woman (2014) and served as a producer and lead actor on HBO’s The Deuce (2017–2019). She also presented episodes of Independent Lens (2009–2010).

Her stage work includes Closer (2000), The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, The Butterfly Project, No Exit, Homebody/Kabul (2004), Uncle Vanya (2009), and Three Sisters (2011).

She narrated Anna Karenina for Audible (2016). In 2021, she made her feature directorial debut with The Lost Daughter, which she also wrote and produced. She is set to direct The Bride! (announced 2024).