Maggie Gyllenhaal is an American actress and producer. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in several of her father’s films and appeared alongside her brother in the cult favorite Donnie Darko. She received critical acclaim for her starring roles in the independent films Secretary and Sherrybaby, earning Golden Globe nominations in the Comedy and Drama categories, respectively. In 2008, she received widespread recognition for playing Rachel Dawes in Christopher Nolan’s superhero film The Dark Knight.
Birth Name
Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal
Nickname
Maggie
Profession
Actress
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Maggie Gyllenhaal was born on 16th of November 1977, in New York City, New York, United States.
Age
She’s currently 48 years old.
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Ethnicity
White
She has Swedish and English ancestry on her father’s side, while she is of Russian and Polish descent on her mother’s side.
Religion
Judaism
Education
Gyllenhaal studied at the Harvard–Westlake prep school. She spent four months as a student at The Mountain School, a semester school for high school juniors in Vermont. In 1995, she graduated from Harvard–Westlake and moved to New York to attend Columbia University, where she studied literature and Eastern religions. She also studied acting for a summer term at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, England.
Family Details
- Father – Stephen Gyllenhaal (Film director and writer)
- Mother – Naomi Achs (Producer, writer, director)
- Siblings – Jake Gyllenhaal (Younger Brother) (Actor)
Marital Status
Married
Boyfriend / Spouse
Maggie Gyllenhaal has dated –
- Peter Sarsgaard (2002-Present)– Maggie started dating actor Peter Sarsgaard in June 2002. He was already a close friend of her brother Jake. They got engaged in April 2006 and married on May 2, 2009 in Brindisi, Italy. The couple has two daughters named, Ramona (b. October 2006) and Gloria Ray (b. April 2012).
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 9 inches
- In centimeters – 175 cm
- In meters – 1.75 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 60 kg
- In Pounds – 132 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 34-25-35
- Bust – 34 inches
- Waist – 25 inches
- Hip – 35 inches
- Bra Size – 33B
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Blue
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Shoe Size
She wears a size 9.5 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 5 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Playing the role as Lee Holloway in the 2002 erotic romance film Secretary. The film received nearly two dozen nominations, out of which many of were turned into awards.
Film Debut
In 1992, she appeared mystery drama film Waterland for her role as Maggie Ruth. Her dad Stephen directed the film.
Television Debut
In 2014, she debuted in the political–spy thriller miniseries The Honourable Woman as Nessa Stein.
Brand Endorsements
She has appeared in fashion brand Miu Miu’s ad in 2004. From 2011 to 2012, she appeared in the print ads for got milk?
Dinah Jane Favorites
- Favorite Actress – Gena Rowlands
- Favorite Salad – Summer Zucchini Salad
- Favorite Coffee Shop – Gorilla Coffee Shop in Brooklyn
- Favorite Color – Blue
- Favorite Song – Kiss Me (By Ed Sheeran)
Maggie Gyllenhaal Net worth
Maggie Gyllenhaal has a estimated net worth of $25 million dollars as of 2025.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Instagram – mgyllenhaal
- X – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Some Lesser Known Facts About Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Maggie’s dad grew up in Swedenborgian religion.
- Maggie did not go to any Hebrew school.
- Gyllenhaal’s birth certificate contains the name Margalit, which she found in 2013. She then officially changed it to “Maggie.” In some news websites, Margolit can also be seen.
- Margalit is a Hebrew word, which means Pearl in English.
- She has also worked as a waitress in a Massachusetts restaurant.
- She has modeled for brands like Miu Miu, Reebok and Agent Provocateur.
- She also used to smoke earlier, but now has quit.
- Maggie is good friends with actress Emma Thompson.
- In June 2013, Gyllenhaal and numerous other celebrities appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning.
- In 2014, she played the title role as Baroness Nessa Stein, a British-Israeli businesswoman heiress in the British television BBC Television political spy thriller television miniseries, The Honourable Woman.
- In 2015, she revealed that she was rejected to play the love interest of a 55-year old male character in a movie, saying that, she was too old to do that. At that time, she was 37.
- In February 2017, she was a member of the jury for the 2017 Berlin Film Festival. She has been working as a producer and is also acting in the HBO series The Deuce.
- In 2021, Gyllenhaal made her feature directorial debut with the psychological drama The Lost Daughter, which she also produced and adapted from a novella by Elena Ferrante.
