Jake Gyllenhaal

Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (pronounced Jill-en-hall) (born December 19, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is an American film actor

Gyllenhaal made his film debut in City Slickers (1991) and began to establish himself as an up and coming actor in such films as October Sky (1999) before being cast in the title role in Donnie Darko (2001), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best actor. Gyllenhaal's performance as a troubled schizophrenic won him excellent reviews and the film quickly acquired cult status. He played opposite Jennifer Aniston in another Sundance favorite in 2002 The Good Girl and once again earned good reviews. Gyllenhall also stared in the the Walt Disney romantic comedy, Bubble Boy. The film is the story of his adventure outside the confines of his bubble as he goes after the woman he loves before she marries the wrong man.

Marking his theater debut, Gyllenhaal appeared on the London stage with a starring role in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of This Is Our Youth. The play, which was a critical sensation on Broadway, ran for eight weeks in London's West End. For his role, Gyllenhaal received an Evening Standard Theater Award in the category of "Outstanding Newcomer."

Other credits include:

Me and My Monster (2005) (pre-production)
Nautica (2005) (pre-production)
Jarhead (2005) (pre-production) .... Swoff
Brokeback Mountain (2005) (post-production) .... Jack Twist
Wannabe (2005) (post-production) .... Actor
Proof (2004) (completed) .... Hal

Day After Tomorrow, The (2004) .... Sam Hall
Moonlight Mile (2002) .... Joe Nast
Highway (2002/I) .... Pilot Kelson
Lovely & Amazing (2001) .... Jordan
Homegrown (1998) .... Jake/Blue Kahan
Josh and S.A.M. (1993) .... Leon
Dangerous Woman, A (1993) (as Jacob Gyllenhaal) .... Edward

Gyllenhaal is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, and the brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played his sister in Donnie Darko.

Gyllenhaal appeared in his first leading-role action film, The Day After Tomorrow, in 2004.