Jake Gyllenhaal is an American actor and producer who has appeared in over 35 motion pictures (including some yet to be released), three television programs, one commercial, and four music videos. He made his film debut in 1991 with a minor role in the comedy-dramaCity Slickers.[1] In 1993, he appeared in A Dangerous Woman, a motion picture adaptation directed by Gyllenhaal's father Stephen Gyllenhaal and co-written by his mother Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal that was based on the novel of the same name by Mary McGarry Morris. In the following year, he portrayed Robin Williams' son in an episode of the police procedural television series Homicide: Life on the Street; the episode was directed by his father.[2] In 1999, Gyllenhaal starred in the Joe Johnston-directed drama October Sky; the film was received warmly by critics,[2] and Gyllenhaal's portrayal of the NASA engineer Homer Hickam was praised.[3]
In 2001, he appeared in the comedy film Bubble Boy, which was a critical failure and a box-office bomb but has since gone on to attain status as a "cult comedy".[3][4] Later that same year, he starred in the Richard Kelly-directed drama Donnie Darko alongside his sister Maggie, and Drew Barrymore.[5] His portrayal of the Donnie Darko character, a "sullen" and "schizophrenic" teenager, made him a cult hero.[3] Although the film was critically acclaimed, it failed commercially. Gyllenhaal starred in the 2004 disaster filmThe Day After Tomorrow,[3] which, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics,[6] was a commercial success at the box office.[7] In 2005, he co-starred as Jack Twist opposite Heath Ledger in the romance drama Brokeback Mountain. The actors portrayed two men that fall in love during a sheepherding expedition. The roles earned both Gyllenhaal and Ledger critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations.[8] That same year, he starred in the drama films Jarhead and Proof.[9]
