Maggie Gyllenhaal is a famous American actress. She was born November 16th, 1977, in New York City. Her parents were involved in the entertainment business: her father as a director and her mother a film producer and screenwriter. Maggie's younger brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) is also an actor.

The Gyllenhaal children got their first acting parts in films their father directed. The family moved to Los Angeles when Maggie was still young. But after finishing prep school she moved back to New Yorc City. She graduated from Columbia University in 1999 with a BA in literature and Eastern religions. After, she went to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In 2000, Maggie Gyllenhaal started acting in movies in films like "Cecil B", "Demented" and "Riding in Cars with Boys".

It was the 2001 film "Donnie Dark", which became a cult hit, that really established Maggie Gyllenhaal as an actress. Her next great role was in "Secretary" and showed Maggie's ability to play complicated roles. She won a Golden Globe nomination for her part. Afterwards, Maggie Gyllenhaal was in numerous films including "Mona Lisa Smile", "The Dark Night", "Away We Go", and "Crazy Heart".

From 2002, Gyllenhaal was in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard and the couple had a daughter in 2006 and later married in 2009. Gyllenhaal has used her fame as an actress to speak out politically against the Iraq war and has also supported Rock the Vote. She supported John Kerry and then Barack Obama in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections. She also supports the non-profit group Witness which works to expose human rights violations by using technology.