Jake Gyllenhaal Dennis Quaid as his father. In his theatrical debut, Gyllenhaal starred on the London stage in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of "This Is Our Youth" at the Garrick Theatre in 2002. Gyllenhaal said, "Every actor I look up to has done theatre work, so I knew I had to give it a try." The play, which had been a critical sensation on Broadway, ran for eight weeks in London's West End. Gyllenhaal received favorable critical reviews and an Evening Standard Theatre Award in the category "Outstanding Newcomer". In 2005, Gyllenhaal starred in the critically praised films "Proof", "Jarhead", and "Brokeback Mountain".
Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (née Achs; born March 4, 1946) is an American screenwriter, director, and former wife of Stephen Gyllenhaal. She is the mother of actors Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal was born in New York City, the daughter of doctors Ruth ("née" Silbowitz; 1920–1968) and Samuel Achs (1919–2014). Her parents were both of Jewish ancestry. Her aunt was Freda (Silbowitz) Hertz (1915–2013), a lawyer. She was raised in a family of "high-achieving New York Jews." Her grandparents immigrated from Eastern Europe (Russia and Poland). She attended Barnard College in New York City, graduating with a BA