Maggie Gyllenhaal (born November 16, 1977) is an American actress.She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner (née Achs) and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father's films. Gyllenhaal achieved recognition in a supporting role in the independent cult film, Donnie Darko (2001). Her breakthrough role was in the sadomasochistic romance, Secretary (2002), for which she received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination.

Gyllenhaal has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including Sherrybaby (2006), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe; the romantic comedy, Trust The Man (2006); and numerous big-budget films such as World Trade Center (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). She next starred in the musical-drama, Crazy Heart (2009), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Jean Craddock. Gyllenhaal has also appeared in such theatrical plays as Closer (2000) as well as in television productions like Strip Search (2004) and The Honourable Woman (2014), the latter for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film.