History Creator / JakeGyllenhaal

[[caption-width-right:350:Good luck trying to [[Main/SpellMyNameWithAnS spell his name without looking]]]]

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jake_gyllenhaal_4359.jpg]]

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, he began acting [[FormerChildStar at the age of ten]]. Following his first lead role in ''Film/OctoberSky'', he starred in the indie CultClassic ''Film/DonnieDarko'', in which he played a psychologically troubled teenager alongside his older sister, [[Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal Maggie]]. In 2002, he starred in another indie film, ''Film/TheGoodGirl'', alongside actress Creator/JenniferAniston. In 2004, he appeared in the ScienceFiction film ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'', portraying a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event.

* MrFanservice: Tends to do {{Shirtless Scene}}s in his films.

* ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' (2019) as [[Characters/SpiderManRoguesGalleryIToZ Quentin Beck / Mysterio]]

* ''''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'''' (2019) as [[Characters/SpiderManRoguesGalleryIToZ Quentin Beck / Mysterio]]

* ''''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'''' sequel (2019) as [[Characters/SpiderManRoguesGalleryIToZ Quentin Beck / Mysterio]]

* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' sequel (2019) as [[Characters/SpiderManRoguesGalleryIToZ Quentin Beck / Mysterio]]

!He appeared in
* ''Film/CitySlickers''
* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet''
* ''Film/OctoberSky''
* ''Film/BubbleBoy''
* ''Film/DonnieDarko''
* ''Film/TheGoodGirl''
* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow''
* ''Film/BrokebackMountain''
* ''Film/{{Jarhead}}''
* ''Theatre/{{Proof}}''
* ''Film/{{Zodiac}}''
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''
* ''Film/{{Brothers|2009}}''
* ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime''
* ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs''
* ''Film/SourceCode''
* ''Series/ManVsWild''
* ''Film/EndOfWatch''
* ''Film/{{Enemy}}''
* ''Film/{{Prisoners}}''
* ''Film/{{Nightcrawler}}''
* ''Film/{{Southpaw}}''
* ''Film/{{Everest|2015}}''
* ''Film/NocturnalAnimals''
* ''Film/{{Life|2017}}''
* ''Film/{{Okja}}''

!Tropes

----

* DawsonCasting: Film/DonnieDarko was sixteen, and Jake was nineteen.
* DoingItForTheArt: "The truth is most of the films that make a lot of money no one remembers, and I'm not interested in making films that no one remembers."
* DyeingForYourArt: Gained five pounds of muscle and got a high and tight haircut for ''{{Film/Jarhead}}''.
* EnforcedMethodActing: In order to understand the police training for ''Film/EndOfWatch'', he and the rest of the cast were all tased.
* FakeBrit: Combined with TheQueensLatin for quite a good attempt in ''Film/PrinceOfPersia''. It runs in [[Series/TheHonourableWoman the family]] [[Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal it seems]].

* RealLifeRelative: He and his sister Maggie played siblings in ''Film/DonnieDarko''. Retroactively with Creator/PeterSarsgaard in ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'', as the latter married Maggie ''after'' they made the film, making him and Jake brother-in-laws.
* StarMakingRole: ''Film/DonnieDarko'''s cult appeal was his breakthrough role for most. If not that, then definitely ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'' and ''{{Film/Jarhead}}''.
* ThoseTwoActors: Starred alongside Creator/ChrisCooper in ''October Sky'', ''Jarhead'', and ''Demolition''. He even refers to Cooper as [[TheMentor his mentor]].
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** His parents forbade him to be in ''Film/TheMightyDucks'', as the film would have taken him out of town for two months (it was shot in Minnesota).
** He was really hoping to get the part of Christian in ''Film/MoulinRouge''. He went through months of auditions and was down to the final three, along with Creator/EwanMcGregor and Creator/HeathLedger. Ultimately it went to Ewan.
** Auditioned for Frodo in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', and didn't realize he needed an English accent at first. He heard back it was apparently one of the worst auditions.
** Was set to play Franchise/SpiderMan in ''Film/SpiderMan2'' due to Creator/TobeyMaguire having injured his back while filming ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}''. While Jake was preparing for the role, Tobey recovered to reprise his role as Spider-Man.
** Auditioned for and was one of the top contenders for the role of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman/Bruce Wayne]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Was also on the shortlist to play Harvey Dent in [[Film/TheDarkKnight the sequel.]]
** Was, along with Creator/MattDamon, the studio's first choice for the role of Jake Sully in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', but director Creator/JamesCameron chose to cast the then-unknown Sam Worthington instead.
** He was cast as one of the Princes in ''Film/IntoTheWoods'', but dropped out to do ''Film/{{Nightcrawler}}'' instead.

* RealLifeRelative: He and sister Maggie played siblings in ''Film/DonnieDarko''. Subverted with Creator/PeterSarsgaard in ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'' because they weren't brothers-in-law (Pete is Maggie's eventual husband) at the time.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Was set to play Franchise/SpiderMan in ''Film/SpiderMan2'' due to Creator/TobeyMaguire having injured his back while filming ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}''. While Gyllenhaal was preparing for the role, Tobey recovered to reprise his role as Spider-Man.
** Auditioned for and was one of the top contenders for the role of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman/Bruce Wayne]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. Was also on the shortlist to play Harvey Dent in [[Film/TheDarkKnight the sequel.]]
** Was, along with Creator/MattDamon, the studio's first choice for the role of Jake Sully in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', but director Creator/JamesCameron chose to cast the (back then) more unknown Sam Worthington in the lead role instead.
** His parents forbade him to be in ''Film/TheMightyDucks'', as the film would have taken him out of town for two months (it was shot in Minnesota).
** He was cast as one of the Princes in ''Film/IntoTheWoods'', but dropped out to do ''Film/{{Nightcrawler}}'' instead

* HeterosexualLifePartners: He had a close friendship with his ''Brokeback Mountain'' co-star Heath Ledger, until the latter's death in 2008.

* ''[[Film/{{Everest2015}} Everest]]''

He then [[PlayingAgainstType played against type]] as a frustrated Marine in ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'' in 2005. The same year, his role as Jack Twist in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' earned him critical acclaim. For his performance he won the UsefulNotes/{{BAFTA}} Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the AcademyAward in the same category. He has since played the lead roles in many notable films, including ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'', ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'', ''Film/SourceCode'', and ''Film/EndOfWatch''.

He then [[PlayingAgainstType played against type]] as a frustrated Marine in ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'' in 2005. The same year, his role as Jack Twist in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' earned him critical acclaim. For his performance he won the {{BAFTA}} Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the AcademyAward in the same category. He has since played the lead roles in many notable films, including ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'', ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'', ''Film/SourceCode'', and ''Film/EndOfWatch''.

** Auditioned for and was one of the top contenders for the role of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman/Bruce Wayne]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins''.

* BrotherSisterTeam: He and sister Maggie are the first siblings to be Oscar-nominated for acting in the 21st century.
* ButNotTooForeign: His father has Swedish, English, and distant Swiss-German and French, ancestry, while his mother's family is Ashkenazi Jewish.

* FormerChildStar: Averted.

* OnAgainOffAgainBoyfriend: Although they broke up in July 2004, he and Creator/KirstenDunst had an on and off relationship up until 2006.

He then [[PlayingAgainstType played against type]] as a frustrated Marine in ''Film/{{Jarhead}} in 2005. The same year, his role as Jack Twist in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' earned him critical acclaim. For his performance he won the {{BAFTA}} Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the AcademyAward in the same category. He has since played the lead roles in many notable films, including ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'', ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'', ''Film/SourceCode'', and ''Film/EndOfWatch''.