Maggie Gyllenhaal, born on November 16, 1977, is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal began her career with small roles in her father's films and gained recognition for her performances in Secretary (2002) and Sherrybaby (2006), earning Golden Globe nominations for both. She achieved wider fame in The Dark Knight (2008). In May 2009, she married actor Peter Sarsgaard, and they have two daughters.
Gyllenhaal made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed psychological drama The Lost Daughter (2021), for which she also wrote the screenplay. The Lost Daughter earned her the Best Screenplay Award at the Venice International Film Festival and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Gyllenhaal's second film as a director, The Bride!, is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2026. The film, which she also wrote and co-produced, stars Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale.
