Jake Gyllenhaal

Infobox actor


imagesize=160px
caption=
birthname=Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal
birthdate=birth date and age |1980|12|19
birthplace=Los Angeles, California, United States
othername=
occupation=Film Actor's Guild
yearsactive=1991–present
website=http://www.jakegyllenhaal.com
baftaawards=Best Actor in a Supporting Role
2005 "Brokeback Mountain"
awards=NBR Award for Best Supporting Actor
2005 "Brokeback Mountain"

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (pron-en|ˈdʒɪlənhɑːl; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten. He has appeared in diverse roles since his first lead role in 1999's "October Sky", followed by the 2001 indie cult hit "Donnie Darko", in which he played a psychologically troubled teen and onscreen brother to his real-life sister, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. In the 2004 blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow" he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event, alongside Dennis Quaid as his father. He then played against type as a frustrated Marine in "Jarhead" (2005). The same year, he won critical acclaim as Jack Twist in the film "Brokeback Mountain".

Gyllenhaal has taken an activist role in supporting various political and social causes. He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising, campaigned for the Democratic Party in the 2004 election, and promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Early life and education

Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner (née Achs). Maggie Gyllenhaal, his sister, is also an actress, and played his sister in the movie "Donnie Darko". Gyllenhaal's father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family. His last native Swedish ancestor was his great-great-grandfather, Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal. [Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004) [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=arc150&id=I098841 Rootsweb.com] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal's mother is from a Jewish family from New York City. Gyllenhaal's Bar Mitzvah celebration took place at a homeless shelter because his parents wanted to instill in him a sense of gratitude for his privileged lifestyle. [Contact Music (November 6, 2005), [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/gyllenhaals%20homeless%20shelter%20bar-mitzvah "Gyllenhaal's Homeless Shelter Bar-Mitzvah"] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal has said that he considers himself "more Jewish than anything else." [Bloom, Nate (June 11, 2004), [http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/22714/edition_id/455/format/html/displaystory.html "Celebrity Jews"] , "Jewish News Weekly". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal's parents insisted that he have summer jobs to support himself. He worked as a lifeguard, and as a busboy at a restaurant operated by a family friend.

Acting career

Early career

During childhood, Gyllenhaal had regular exposure to filmmaking due to his family's deep ties to the industry. As an 11-year-old he made his acting debut as Billy Crystal's son in the 1991 comedy film "City Slickers". His parents did not allow him to appear in the 1992 film "The Mighty Ducks" because it would have required him leaving home for two months.Schruers, Fred (October 30, 2005), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/oct/30/awardsandprizes.oscars2006 "Jake's progress"] ,"The Guardian". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] In subsequent years, his parents allowed him to audition for parts, but regularly forbade him to take them if he were chosen.Horn, Steven (2004), [http://uk.filmforce.ign.com/articles/519/519613p2.html "Interview with Jake Gyllenhaal"] Dead link|date=September 2008, "Ign.com". Retrieved September 16, 2006.] He was allowed to appear in his father's films several times. Gyllenhaal appeared in the 1993 film "A Dangerous Woman" (along with sister Maggie), in a 1994 episode of "", and in the 1998 comedy "Homegrown". Along with their mother, Jake and Maggie appeared in two episodes of "Molto Mario", an Italian cooking show on the Food Network. Prior to his senior year in high school, the only other film not directed by his father in which Gyllenhaal was allowed to perform was "Josh and S.A.M.", a little-known children's adventure. [Wills, Dominic (2006), [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/jake_gyllenhaal_biog/4 "Jake Gyllenhaal biography"] , "Tiscali.com", page 4. Retrieved September 16, 2006.]

Gyllenhaal graduated from the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles in 1998, then attended Columbia University, where his sister and mother also attended, to study Eastern religions and philosophy. Gyllenhaal dropped out after two years to concentrate on acting, but has expressed intentions to eventually finish his degree.Gyllenhaal's first lead role was in "October Sky", Joe Johnston's 1999 adaptation of the Homer Hickam autobiography "Rocket Boys", in which he portrayed a young man from West Virginia striving to win a science scholarship to avoid becoming a coal miner. The film earned $32 million and was described in the "Sacramento News and Review" as Gyllenhaal's "breakout performance." [Wills, Dominic (2006), [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/jake_gyllenhaal_biog/5 "Jake Gyllenhaal biography"] , "Tiscali.com", page 5. Retrieved September 16, 2006.] [Halverson, Mark (1998), [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/october_sky/articles/167357/a_breakout_performance_by_jake_gyllenhaal October Sky review] , "News & Review". Retrieved September 21, 2006.]

Critical success

"Donnie Darko", Gyllenhaal's second major film, was not a box office success upon its initial 2001 release, but eventually became a cult favorite. [Snider, Mike (February 2, 2005), [http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-02-14-dvd-donnie-darko_x.htm "'Darko' takes a long, strange trip"] ,"USA Today". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] The film, directed by Richard Kelly, is set in 1988 and stars Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenager who, after narrowly escaping death, experiences visions of a 6 foot (1.8 m) tall rabbit named Frank who tells him that the world is coming to an end. Gyllenhaal's performance was well-received by critics; Dan Kois of Salon.com claimed that "Gyllenhaal manages the difficult trick of seeming both blandly normal and profoundly disturbed, often within the same scene." [Kois, Dan (July 23, 2004), [http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/feature/2004/07/23/darko/index.html?pn=1 "Everything you were afraid to ask about "Donnie Darko""] ,"Salon.com". Retrieved September 19, 2006] [Mairs, Gary, cite web |url=http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies3/DonnyDarko.htm |title= Donnie Darko review |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060615103304/http://culturevulture.net/Movies3/DonnyDarko.htm |archivedate=2006-06-15,"CultureVulture.net". Retrieved September 21, 2006.]

After the critical success of "Donnie Darko", Gyllenhaal's next role was as the lead character in 2002's "Highway", a film ignored by audiences and critics alike. His performance was described by one critic as "silly, cliched and straight to video." [Wills, Dominic (2006), [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/jake_gyllenhaal_biog/7 "Jake Gyllenhaal biography"] , "Tiscali.com", page 7. Retrieved September 16, 2006.] Gyllenhaal had more success starring opposite Jennifer Aniston in "The Good Girl", which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival; he also starred in "Lovely & Amazing" with Catherine Keener. [Hubbell, Anne (January 16, 2002), [http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/16/sun.white/ "Director, writer talk about 'The Good Girl'"] , CNN Entertainment. Retrieved September 16, 2006.] In both films he plays an unstable character who begins a reckless affair with an older woman. Gyllenhaal later described these as "teenager in transition" roles. [Michael, David (October 21, 2002), [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/10/21/jake_gyllenhaal_donnie_darko_interview.shtml BBC Films] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal later starred in the Touchstone Pictures romantic comedy "Bubble Boy", which was loosely based on the story of David Vetter. The film portrays the title character's adventures as he pursues the love of his life before she marries the wrong man. [Gonzalez, Ed (2001), [http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=71 "Slant Magazine" review] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] The film was panned by critics, with one calling it an "empty-headed, chaotic, utterly tasteless atrocity". [Swietek, Frank, [http://www.oneguysopinion.com/Review.php?ID=434 Bubble Boy Review] , oneguysopinion.com. Retrieved September 21, 2006.]

Following "Bubble Boy", Gyllenhaal starred opposite Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Ellen Pompeo in "Moonlight Mile", as a young man coping with the death of his fiancée and the grief of her parents. The story, which received mixed reviews, [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moonlight_mile/ RottenTomatoes.com compilation of critical reviews] . Retrieved September 21, 2006.] is loosely based on writer/director Brad Silberling's personal experiences following the murder of girlfriend Rebecca Schaeffer. [Murray, Rebecca (2006), [http://movies.about.com/library/weekly/aa092502a.htm "Jake Gyllenhaal and Brad Silberling Talk About "Moonlight Mile""] , "About.com". Retrieved September 19, 2006.]

Gyllenhaal was almost cast as Spider-Man for "Spider-Man 2" due to director Sam Raimi's concerns about original "Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire`s health. [Otto, Jeff. " [http://movies.ign.com/articles/430/430006p1.html An Interview with Tobey Maguire.] " "IGN", July 23, 2003. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.] Maguire recovered, however, and the sequel was shot without Gyllenhaal. [Morales, Wilson (June 2004), [http://www.blackfilm.com/20040625/features/samraimi.shtml "Spiderman 2: An Interview with Sam Raimi"] , Blackfilm.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Instead, Gyllenhaal starred in the blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow" in 2004, co-starring Dennis Quaid as his father. [Mottram, James (May 12, 2004), [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/05/12/jake_gyllenhaal_day_after_tomorrow_interview.shtml BBC Film] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Schruers, Fred (October 30, 2005), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/oct/30/awardsandprizes.oscars2006 "rake's progress"] ,"The Guardian". Retrieved September 19, 2006.]

In his theatrical debut Gyllenhaal starred on the London stage in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of "This is Our Youth". [Billington, Michael (March 18, 2002), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2002/mar/18/theatre.artsfeatures This Is Our Youth review] , "The Guardian". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal said, "Every actor I look up to has done theatre work, so I knew I had to give it a try." [Gritten, David (April 13, 2002), [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/04/13/btgrit13.xml "Fast growing up to be famous"] , "The Telegraph". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] The play, which had been a critical sensation on Broadway, ran for eight weeks in London's West End. Gyllenhaal received favorable critical reviews and an Evening Standard Theatre Award in the category "Outstanding Newcomer." [Loveridge, Lizzie (March 2002), [http://www.curtainup.com/thisisouryouthlond.html "A CurtainUp London Review: This is Our Youth"] , CurtainUp.com. Retrieved September 21, 2006.] [Albemarle-London, [http://www.albemarle-london.com/awards/es0105.html#2002 Albemarle] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.]

"Brokeback Mountain" and after

2005 was a prolific year for Gyllenhaal, who starred in the critically praised films "Proof", "Jarhead", and "Brokeback Mountain". In "Proof", featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, Gyllenhaal played a graduate student in mathematics who tries to convince Paltrow's character to publish a revolutionary proof to a problem puzzling the mathematicians' community. In "Jarhead", Gyllenhaal played against his usual "sensitive yet disturbed" type by displaying an aggressive masculinity as a violent U.S. Marine during the first Gulf War.

In "Brokeback Mountain", GyllenhaalHiscock, John (December 12, 2005), [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/12/10/bfgyllen10.xml " The one Jake: why Gyllenhaal spells success"] ,"The Telegraph". Retrieved November 6, 2006.] and Heath Ledger play young men who meet as sheep herders and embark upon a sexual relationship that begins in the summer of 1963 and continues until the death of Gyllenhaal's character in 1983. The film was often referred to in the media with the shorthand phrase "the gay cowboy movie," [cite web
url=http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27050
first=Godfrey
last=Cheshire
publisher=The Independent Weekly
title=Somewhere over the rainbow
date=January 4, 2006
accessdate=2008-09-07] though there was differing opinion on the sexual orientation of the characters. The film won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film went on to win four Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, and three Academy Awards. Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance, but lost to George Clooney for "Syriana". Gyllenhaal also won the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA for the same role and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination and Best Film Ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild. Also for "Brokeback Mountain", he and Ledger won an MTV Movie Award for "Best Kiss" in 2006. Shortly after the 2006 Academy Awards, Gyllenhaal was invited to join the Academy in recognition of his acting career. [cite press release | date = July 6, 2006 | url = http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.07.01a.html | title = Academy Invites 120 to Membership | publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | accessdate = 2008-09-07] Most recently, Gyllenhaal was awarded the 2006 Young Artist Award for Artistic Excellence by The Americans for the Arts National Arts Awards for his role. [Flowers, Michelle (October 18, 2006), [http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/announcement/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003283415 Gyllenhaal Gets Nod from Americans for the Arts] , backstage.com. Retrieved November 4, 2006.]

Gyllenhaal expressed mixed feelings about the experience of being directed by Ang Lee in "Brokeback Mountain", but generally had more praise than criticism for Lee's directing style. While complaining of the way Lee tended to disconnect with his actors once filming began, Gyllenhaal praised his encouraging direction of the actors and sensitive approach to the material. [Wenn (December 20, 2005), [http://www.hollywood.com/news/Gyllenhaal_Suffered_with_Unfriendly_Lee_/3472467 Hollywood.com] . Retrieved September 29, 2006.] [Cavagna, Carla (December 2005), [http://www.aboutfilm.com/movies/b/brokebackmountain/gyllenhaal.htm "Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal"] , aboutfilm.com. Retrieved September 19, 2006.] At the Directors Guild of America Awards on January 28, 2006, Gyllenhaal also praised Lee for "his humbleness and his respect for everyone around him." [CBS news, AP, (January 26, 2005), [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/29/entertainment/main1249075.shtml "'Brokeback' Director Grabs Top Award"] . Retrieved September 29, 2006.]

When asked about his kissing scenes with Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain", Gyllenhaal said, "As an actor, I think we need to embrace the times we feel most uncomfortable."Denizet-Lewis, Benoit [http://men.style.com/details/features/full?id=content_4026&pageNum=2 "Jake"] , "Details". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] When asked about the more intimate scenes with Ledger, Gyllenhaal likened them to "doing a sex scene with a woman I'm not particularly attracted to."Hiscock, John (December 12, 2005), [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/12/10/bfgyllen10.xml "The one Jake: why Gyllenhaal spells success"] ,"The Telegraph". Retrieved November 6, 2006.] Following the release of "Brokeback Mountain", rumors circulated regarding the actor's sexual orientation. When asked about such gossip during an interview, Gyllenhaal said: cquote|You know it's flattering when there's a rumor that says I'm bisexual. It means I can play more kinds of roles. I'm open to whatever people want to call me. I've never really been attracted to men sexually, but I don't think I would be afraid of it if it happened. [ [http://www.glaad.org/eye/brokeback_mountain.php "All the latest interviews, reviews and awards for Brokeback Mountain."] , GLAAD. Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal narrated the 2005 short animated film "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers", [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G1R3Z8 Amazon ad listing Gyllenhaal as star and narrator] ] based on Mordicai Gerstein's book of the same name about Philippe Petit's famous stunt. [ [http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/carnegiemedal/carnegiecurrent/carnegiemedal.htm Andrew Carnegie Medal Winner, 2007. Author/Illustrator Mo Willems and Weston Woods Studios.] Association for Library Service to Children. Retrieved September 19, 2006] In January 2007, as host of "Saturday Night Live", he put on a sparkly evening dress and sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the musical "Dreamgirls" for his opening monologue, [Edgeboston.com (January 17, 2007), [http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=17496 YouTube Extras: Jake as Effie, and a Musical "Scrubs"] . Retrieved January 27, 2007.] dedicating the song to his "unique fan base... the fans of "Brokeback"." [Saturday Night Live Opening Monologue, [http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/jake+gyllenhaal/video/xzovb_jake-gyllenhaal-sings_events] .]

In 2007, Gyllenhaal starred in David Fincher's "Zodiac", which was based on a true story. He played Robert Graysmith, a "San Francisco Chronicle" cartoonist and author of two books about the Zodiac serial killer.Mottram, James (December 11, 2005), [http://www.sundayherald.com/53241 "Jake's Progress"] , "Sunday Herald". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal stars opposite Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, and Reese Witherspoon in the October 2007 release "Rendition", a Gavin Hood-directed political thriller about the U.S. policy of extraordinary rendition. [Mcnary, Dave, Fleming, Michael (September 26, 2006), [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950781.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1&query=rendition "New Line renders cast"] , "Variety.com". Retrieved November 16, 2006.] Gyllenhaal's next roles will be in Jim Sheridan's remake of Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish language film "Brothers" [Siegel, Tatiana (October 2, 2007), [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973231.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Natalie Portman to star in 'Brothers'"] , "Variety.com". Retrieved October 4, 2007.] and Doug Liman's as yet untitled film about the race for lunar colonization. [Siegel, Tatiana (October 8, 2007), [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973661.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 Jake Gyllenhaal flies to the 'Moon'] , "Variety.com". Retrieved October 10, 2007.] He will also shoot 2009's "Nailed" in South Carolina, opposite Jessica Biel.cite news|url=http://news.ccpblogs.com/2008/03/03/sc-statehouse-to-double-as-capital-hill-gyllenhaal-and-biel-to-star/|title=SC Statehouse to Double as Capitol Hill; Gyllenhaal and Biel to Star|last=Hambrick|first=Greg|date=2008|work=Charleston City Paper|accessdate=2008-10-08]

Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, Gyllenhaal was named one of "People" magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2006. ["People" Magazine, "50 Most Beautiful People", April 28, 2006.] He was also listed in "People's" "Hottest Bachelors of 2006" ["People magazine", (November 10, 2005), [http://people.aol.com/people/galleries/0,19884,1201344_1127388,00.html "Ten Things to Love about Jake"] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] and their Top 10 Hottest Men of 2007.Fact|date=March 2008 In response to mainstream press lists like these, thousands of gay and bisexual men were polled for the 2007 and in 2008 "AfterElton.com Hot 100 List." Gyllenhaal was ranked at #1 in both consecutive years.Jenson, Michael. (July 23, 2007), [http://www.afterelton.com/people/2007/7/hot100 "The AfterElton.com Hot 100 List"] , "AfterElton". Retrieved July 24, 2007.] He was ranked at #2 on the "Gay Wired Magazine" poll of male actors who have played gay characters in movies. [ [http://www.gaywired.com/Article.cfm?ID=19151 GayWired Top Ten Celebrity Countdown Results. ‘Gay 4 Pay 2’] ]

On the show Entourage, Gyllenhaal, though not featured on screen, was the replacement for Vincent Chase in Aquaman 2 after Chase was fired.

On May 20, 2008 it was announced that Gyllenhaal will play the lead role in the movie adaptation of the video game "", produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. As of July 2008, production has started.

Personal life

Family

The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal's immediate family includes his sister, actress Maggie, who is engaged to actor Peter Sarsgaard, Gyllenhaal's co-star in "Jarhead" and "Rendition". In December, 2006, Jake and his sister escaped a fire that destroyed Manka's, a famed lodge and restaurant in Inverness, California, at which they were vacationing. [Whitaker, Tad (December 27, 2006), [http://marinij.com/marin/ci_4911533 Inverness fire engulfs lodge, Manka's eatery] , "Marin Independent Journal". Retrieved January 6, 2006.] Gyllenhaal's niece, Ramona Sarsgaard, was born on October 3, 2006. Jamie Lee Curtis is Gyllenhaal's godmother, and he has repeatedly referred to his godfathers being a gay couple. [Sumi, Glen (December 12, 2005), [http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-12-15/cover_story2.php Jake Gyllenhaal] , "Now Magazine". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Applebaum, Stephen (January 27, 2006), [http://www.netribution.co.uk/content/view/86/267/ "Love and War"] , "Netribution". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Gyllenhaal himself is the godfather of Matilda Rose Ledger (born October 28, 2005), daughter of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, both of whom co-starred with him in "Brokeback Mountain". [ [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23100660-661,00.html Jake Gyllenhaal to help a devastated Michelle Williams] ] His uncle, Anders Gyllenhaal, is the executive editor of "The Miami Herald". His late uncle is filmmaker Robert Achs.

Politics and other interests

Gyllenhaal is politically active. He shot a commercial for Rock the Vote, and along with his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal, visited the University of Southern California to encourage students to vote during the 2004 U.S. Election. [Nichols, Kara (September 21, 2004), [http://media.www.dailytrojan.com/media/storage/paper679/news/2004/09/21/News/Celebrities.Rally.Voters-725307.shtml?norewrite200608241431&sourcedomain=www.dailytrojan.com "Celebrities rally voters"] , "The Daily Trojan". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] He also campaigned for Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry. [Pelleymounter, Alison (October 28, 2004), [http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2004/10/28/CampusNews/Celebrity.Politics-784494.shtml?norewrite200608241448&sourcedomain=www.spectatornews.com "Star of Donnie Darko visits EC"] , "The Spectator". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] He has said, however, that "it frustrates me when actors talk politics; I'm political and I make choices in my movies that I think are political. I try and say things with what I do. Rightly or wrongly, young actors have all the power." [Mottram, James (December 11, 2005), [http://www.sundayherald.com/53241 "Jake’s Progress"] , "Sunday Herald". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] In an interview for "Rendition", he stated his view that "it's a sad time when actors are politicians and politicians are actors". [ [http://www.stv.tv/content/out/film/videointerviews/display.html?id=opencms:/out/films/video_interviews/stv__Movies__Jake_Gyllenhaal_video_int_20071019 "Jake Gyllenhaal: How do you pronounce that?" video interview with stv.tv] ]

Raised in a family concerned with social issues, Gyllenhaal has campaigned on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization which his entire family strongly supports. [ ACLU Official Statement (May 15, 2003), [http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/16776prs20030915.html "Celebrities Speak out for Civil Rights"] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Dennis Van Tine, Jen Lowery, Bennett Marcus (October 4, 2005), [http://www.oanmedia.com/2004/09/aclu_freedom_concert.php "ACLU Freedom Concert"] , "Open all night". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] Environmentally conscious, he recycles regularly, and said in an interview that he spends $400 a year to have trees planted in a Mozambique forest, partly to promote the Future Forests program. [Foley, Jack (2003), [http://www.indielondon.co.uk/film/day_after_tomorrow_gyllenhaalQ&A.html "The Day After Tomorrow - Jake Gyllenhaal Q&A"] , "Indie London". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Curry, Carolann (May 27, 2004), [http://www.geocities.com/youthquakemagazine/actor_articles/jake.htm "2004: The year of Jake Gyllenhaal"] , "Youth Quake" magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.] After filming "The Day After Tomorrow", he flew to the Arctic to promote awareness of climate change. [Eilperin, Juliet (April 26, 2005), [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/25/AR2005042501579.html "Ice Crusade"] , "The Washington Post". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Spectral Productions Inc. (April 21 & April 22, 2005), [http://arcticwisdom.org/home.shtml Arctic Wisdom] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.]

In his spare time, Gyllenhaal enjoys woodworking and cooking. [Femalefirst (2006), [http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/79122004.htm "Carpenter Jake Gyllenhaal"] . Retrieved September 19, 2006.] He has said, "I am not a card-carrying Buddhist, but I do try to practice mindfulness" and it is his goal to meditate every day. [Eimer, David (May 23, 2004), [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article429340.ece "Jake's Progress"] , "The Times". Retrieved September 19, 2006.] [Denizet-Lewis, Benoit, [http://men.style.com/details/features/full?id=content_4026&pageNum=2 "Jake"] , "Details". Retrieved September 19, 2006.]

Filmography

Awards

References

External links

* [http://www.jakegyllenhaal.com/ Official website]
*imdb name | id=0350453 | name=Jake Gyllenhaal

Persondata
NAME= Gyllenhaal, Jake
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Gyllenhaal, Jacob Benjamin
SHORT DESCRIPTION= American actor
DATE OF BIRTH=December 19, 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH= Los Angeles, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=