Conversations with Maggie Gyllenhaal (2019)

A career retrospective with Maggie Gyllenhaal on October 23, 2019.

Moderated by Jacqueline Coley, Rotten Tomatoes. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal is one of the great actresses of today. Most recently, Gyllenhaal starred in and produced the film, THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, which premiered on Netflix to phenomenal reviews. She also received a 2018 Golden Globe nomination and a 2019 Critics Choice Award Nomination for playing Candy on the HBO drama THE DEUCE which she also produces. She will return as Candy this September for the show’s third and final season.

Gyllenhaal’s career launched in 2002 out of Sundance after she received rave reviews for her starring role opposite James Spader in Lionsgate’s SECRETARY.  She went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical”, an Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best Actress,” a Chicago Film Critics’ Award for “Most Promising Performer,” A Boston Film Critics’ Award for “Best Actress,” a National Board of Review Award for “Breakthrough Performance” and an IFP/ Gotham “Breakthrough Performance” Award. 

She went on to work on Spike Jonze’s ADAPTATION (2002), MONA LISA SMILE (2003), John Sayles’ CASA DE LOS BABYS (2003), Marc Forrester’s STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006) and Oliver Stone’s WORLD TRADE CENTER (2006). Gyllenhaal was also nominated for a 2006 Independent Spirit Award for her role in Don Roos’ HAPPY ENDINGS, opposite Lisa Kudrow and Tom Arnold.

At Sundance in 2007, Gyllenhaal starred in SHERRYBABY,  where she played a female convict struggling to overcome her drug addiction and regain custody of her daughter.  The film garnered her a second Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama.

In 2008, she starred opposite Christian Bale in The Warner Bros. box office hit THE DARK KNIGHT.

In 2009, She gained critical acclaim, including an Oscar nomination for "Best Supporting Actress," for her portrayal of Jean Craddock in CRAZY HEART alongside Jeff Bridges. She also starred in Sam Mendes’ AWAY WE GO (2009) and Universal’s NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS (2010).

In 2014, Gyllenhaal headlined the BBC/Sundance TV series THE HONORABLE WOMAN earning her a 2015 Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award nomination, and an Emmy Award nomination.

In October 2014, Gyllenhaal made her Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard’s THE REAL THING, opposite Ewan McGregor and Cynthia Nixon. Her previous theater credits include Tony Kushner’s HOMEBODY/KABUL, which ran in both Los Angeles and at The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in 2004 and Patrick Marber’s CLOSER.  In 2009 and 2011, Gyllenhaal starred alongside her husband Peter Sarsgaard in THREE SISTERS and UNCLE VANYA, both at Classic Stage Company.

Some of Gyllenhaal’s other film credits include: John Waters’ CECIL B. DEMENTED (2000), the fantasy thriller DONNIE DARKO (2001), TRUST THE MAN (2005), HYSTERIA (2011), FRANK (2014) and Matthew Barney’s RIVER OF FUNDAMENT (2014).

She has voiced the audiobooks for both THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath and ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy.

Next up, Gyllenhaal is set to write, produce and direct, “THE LOST DAUGHTER,” based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name.