Jake Gyllenhaal

He is a much sought-after bachelor who has dated several beautiful women including Kirsten Dunst, Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift. He is very close to his parents and sister.

Along with his entire family he supports the American Civil Liberties Union. He regularly recycles and supports the ‘Future Forests’ program. He also helps raise funds for cancer research through the television fundraiser ‘Stand Up To Cancer’.

He is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. He was always close to the film industry from childhood because of his parents’ professions. His parents wanted him to have a normal upbringing, so they insisted that he volunteer at a homeless shelter and work summer jobs as a teenager.

As a youngster he often appeared in films produced by his father. His parents let him audition for other film roles as well but did not let him act even if selected.

He was educated at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles from where he graduated in 1998. He went to Columbia University to study Eastern religions and philosophy but dropped out after two years to focus on his acting career.

In his first leading role in ‘October Sky’ in 1999, he played Homer Hickam, a coal miner’s son who becomes a NASA engineer through his sheer perseverance and hard work. The film was a big hit and his role was hailed as his ‘breakout performance’.

He appeared in his second major film ‘Donnie Darko’ in 2001. He portrayed a troubled teenager who after narrowly escaping death had recurring visions of a gigantic rabbit named Frank who tells him that the world is coming to an end. The movie became a cult hit.

In 2004 he played Sam Hall in the science fiction disaster film, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ in which the catastrophic effects of global warming are shown in a series of extreme weather events. The movie was a big commercial success.

The year 2005 too was great for his career. He portrayed Jack Twist, a man who develops a complex romantic and sexual relation with another man in the epic romance, ‘Broekback Mountain’. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

He appeared in two other successful movies in 2005. He played Andrew in the biographical drama war film ‘Jarhead’ which also starred Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper. He appeared as Harold Dobbs in the drama film ‘Proof’ along with Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.

He is best known for his work in ‘Brokeback Mountain’ in which he depicts a man who has an intense, romantic and sexual relationship with another man. This was a bold move on his part to accept this role and portray it sensitively as several other actors had refused this role because of the homosexual theme.