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Jake Gyllanhaal
Name: Jake Gyllanhaal
DOB: 19 December 1980
Birth Place: Los Angeles, USA
Claim to fame: Actor
Star Facts
- Jake’s sister Maggie played his character’s sister in cult flick Donnie Darko
- He has dated Kirsten Dunst, Reece Witherspoon, and Taylor Swift
- Jake’s dad is a movie director and his mum a Hollywood screenwriter
- He’s a big fan of cookery shows!
Biography
One half of the coolest brother and sister acting team in Hollywood, Jake Gyllanhaal was born into a showbiz LA family – his dad Stephen is a director and his mum Naomi is a screenwriter. So with his striking good looks it was almost inevitable that Jake would end up in the movie business somewhere.
Jake started acting at the age of ten and landed his first feature film role in the classic 90’s cowboy comedy City Slickers when he was just eleven. Jake dropped out of university two years into his course to concentrate on his acting career.
He first came to prominence in the October Sky in 1999 before going on to star in the role that made him a star, the cult indie hit Donnie Darko in 2001. Jake’s tended to stick to dark comedies and movies with an indie edge ever since.
2005 was the year that really cemented his Hollywood superstardom when he starred in the critically acclaimed Proof, Jarhead and opposite Heath Ledger in the gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain. Since then he’s dabbled in stage acting, treading the boards in This Is Our Youth in London’s West End to great acclaim.
And as for the ladies, Jake has dated some serious A-list crumpet, including Kirsten Dunst, Reece Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Jessica Lowndes and has recently been linked to Olivia Wilde.