Meet Jake Gyllenhaal's famous family: his Oscar-nominated mom, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, a
There are a lot of family trees in Hollywood full of famous stars you might never have suspected were related, and Jake Gyllenhaal has quite the star-studded one.
The actor, 43, has deep ties to the industry, having been born and raised in Los Angeles as the son of a film director dad and a screenwriter mother.
And not only did he continue their legacy in the industry with his own acting career, but in doing so he followed in the footsteps of his famous older sister, his legendary godfather, and his godmother, who has quite the star-studded family tree of her own.
Below, catch up on everything you need to know about Jake's famous family, and see their sweet photos together.
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Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal
Naomi, 78, is a native New Yorker, and an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, producer, and later on became a director as well. Speaking with ABC News in 2014, she said of her two children: "I can't say that there's anything that gives me more pleasure than to get to the point where my children are my friends. I adore my kids. They are spectacular," emphasizing: "Nothing is more important than family."
Her first feature film to come to life on the big screen was , which premiered in 1986, and starred Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline. She earned an Oscar nomination in 1988 for Best Original Screenplay for which featured Judd Hirsch, Martha Plimpton, and the late River Phoenix, and in 2013, she made her directorial debut with , starring Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, and Demi Moore.
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Stephen Gyllenhaal
Stephen, 74, has worked as a director since 1979, and some of his film and television credits include , and , among others.
He and Naomi tied the knot in 1977, the year they welcomed daughter Maggie Gyllenhaal, and they moved from New York to Los Angeles the following year. They divorced in 2009 after more than 30 years of marriage, when Maggie was 32 and Jake was 29. Six years later, Jake told People his parents' split "allowed me to be more honest with myself," and that: "It was painful for a lot of people in our family, but that honesty was inspiring."
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Maggie Gyllenhaal
Like Jake, Maggie, 46, is also an Oscar-nominated actress, and a director. She made her film debut when she was 15 in her dad's film , and after graduating from Columbia University, she gained recognition for her roles in and more.
She made her directorial debut with in 2021, based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, and Jake later told InStyle: "She's an incredible writer, and she's an incredible filmmaker, and I've known that for a long time. And now the world knows it."
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Peter Sarsgaard
Peter, 53, is Jake's brother-in-law. He married Maggie in 2009 after first meeting in 2001, and together they share daughters Ramona, 17, and Gloria, 12.
His acting credits include , and most recently, he was his brother-in-law's co-star on .
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Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee, herself the daughter of Hollywood legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, is Jake's godmother. Recently speaking with E! News, Jake gushed about his godmother: "She gives me strength and gives me love at times [that] I've definitely needed it, and I hope I can be the same for her."
Though they have yet to share a screen together, they have shared a home; during the COVID-19 lockdown, Jake and his girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu lived at the house next door to Jamie Lee that she also owns.
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Paul Newman
Last but certainly not least in Jake's list of star-studded relatives is the legendary actor, his godfather, who passed away in 2008 aged 83. In a 2002 conversation with Susan Sarandon for Interview Magazine, Jake told the hilarious story of how his godfather taught him how to drive, or rather how not to, when he was 15, in a race car no less.
He shared: "He was driving the car and he threw me in the passenger's seat and with his glasses dangling from his ear, he started driving on the track towards a brick wall. We're 100 feet from a wall, going 60 miles-per-hour, and he hits the brake and turns the wheel and the car spins three times. So then he turns to me and goes, 'That’s what you don’t do.'"
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