Jake Gyllenhaal is an American actor who won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Jack Twist in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain. His performance in the film earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination. He received rave reviews from critics and nominations for several prestigious awards for his role in Nightcrawler. He is also known for his roles in films like Zodiac, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Love & Other Drugs, End of Watch, Prisoners, Enemy, and Nocturnal Animals. So, who is Jake Gyllenhaal? Here’s everything we know about the actor.
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Jake Gyllenhaal Biography
Jake Gyllenhaal was born on the 19th of December 1980, in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. He’s currently 43 years old.
| Birth Name | Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal |
| Nickname | Jake, Jakey |
| Date of Birth | December 19, 1980 |
| Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Age | 43 years old |
| Sun Sign | Sagittarius |
| Profession | Actor, Film Producer |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Judaism |
Family and Education
Jake is the son of Naomi Foner (née Achs), a film producer and screenwriter, and Stephen Gyllenhaal, a film director. His older sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is also an actress and they starred in the film Donnie Darko together.
His ancestry is English, Swedish, Swiss-German, Jewish, German, and distant Welsh and French.
Jake attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, graduating in 1998. He then enrolled at Columbia University to study Eastern religions and philosophy but dropped out after two years to pursue his acting career.
Jake Gyllenhaal Love Life
Being friendly and polite demeanor, Jake Gyllenhaal has been romantically linked with several beautiful women including Jenny Lewis, Ruth Wilson, Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Minka Kelly, and Alyssa Miller.
In 2018, he began dating French model Jeanne Cadieu.
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 6 feet Centimeters – 183 cm Meters – 1.83 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 77 kg Pounds – 170 lbs |
| Body Build | Athletic |
| Body Measurements | Chest – 44 inches Biceps – 16 inches Waist – 33 inches |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | 10 (US) |
| Distinctive Features | Smooth voice The athletic and proportional body Beauty spot on the left cheek Oval shaped handsome face Dimpled smile |
Professional Statistics
Film Debut
Jake made his onscreen debut with the 1991 western comedy film City Slickers as Daniel Robbins.
His first lead role was as Homer Hickam in October Sky, Joe Johnston’s 1999 adaptation of the Homer Hickam autobiography Rocket Boys.
His film credits include Zodiac, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Love & Other Drugs, End of Watch, Prisoners, and Enemy, Nocturnal Animals, Everest, and Stronger, among others.
Television Debut
Jake was cast as Matthew “Matt” Ellison in NBC’s police procedural TV series Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994. The role marks his debut appearance in television space.
Brand Endorsements
Jake has done endorsement work for IFC (Independent Film Channel) and “Call of Duty: Black Ops” video game.
Favorite Things
- Book – To Kill A Mockingbird (By Harper Lee)
- Cartoon – Franklin
Jake Gyllenhaal Net Worth
As of 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal has a total net worth of $80 million. He has a lot of impressive exotic cars in his auto collection including the Audi Q7. He owns a $3.5 million lavish mansion in Los Angeles that is equipped with all luxury amenities.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – JakeGyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal Facts
He is a member of the popular Gyllenhaal family, Jake began acting when he was very young. As a child, he was cast in City Slickers (1991), followed by roles in A Dangerous Woman (1993) and Homegrown.
He worked as a lifeguard and as a busboy at a restaurant before attaining fame.
He is close friends with Natalie Portman and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Jake was supposed to play Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2 (2004) after Tobey Maguire injured his back while filming the movie Seabiscuit. However, when Jake was all set for the role, Tobey recovered to reprise his role as Spider-Man.
In 2006, Jake was named among People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” as well as included in People’s “Hottest Bachelors of 2006.”
He was ranked at No.2 on the Gay Wired Magazine poll of male actors who have played gay characters in movies.
In April 2012, Shalom Life ranked him Number 6 on its list of “the 50 most talented, intelligent, funny, and gorgeous Jewish men in the world”.
He and his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal are the first siblings to be Oscar-nominated for acting in the 21st century.
He made the cover of GQ magazine three times in June 2004, February 2007, and May 2010.
In 2019, Jake played villain Mysterio in the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming.
He appeared in the Broadway production of Sea Wall / A Life as Abe that opened at the Hudson Theatre on August 8, 2019.
In 2024, he starred as Elwood Dalton, an ex-UFC fighter, in Doug Liman’s action film Road House alongside Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, and Joaquim de Almeida.
He played the lead role of Rusty Sabich in the miniseries Presumed Innocent, a television adaptation of the 1987 novel of the same name by Scott Turow.