Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Secretary
director	Steven Shainberg
producer	Andrew FierbergAmy HobbySteven Shainberg
screenplay	Steven Shainberg
story	Erin Cressida Wilson
based on
starring	James SpaderMaggie Gyllenhaal
music	Angelo Badalamenti
cinematography	Steven Fierberg
editing	Pam Wise
studio	Twopoundbag ProductionsDouble A FilmsSloughPond Co.
distributor	Lionsgate
released
runtime	111 minutes
country
language	English
gross	$9,304,609 }}

Secretary is a 2002 independent drama film directed by Steven Shainberg. It stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey. The film is based on a short story from Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill.

Plot

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the socially awkward and emotionally sensitive youngest daughter of a dysfunctional family, adjusts to normal life after having been hospitalized following an incident of dangerous self-harm. She learns to type, starts to date an acquaintance from high school named Peter, and begins to work as a secretary for an eccentric attorney, E. Edward Grey (James Spader), who hires her despite her stilted social skills and unprofessional appearance.

Though at first Grey appears highly irritated at Lee's typos and other innocuous mistakes, it soon becomes apparent that he is sexually aroused by her submissive behavior. After he confronts her about her propensity for self-injury and commands that she never hurt herself again, the two embark on a BDSM relationship. Lee experiences a sexual and personal awakening, and she falls deeply in love. Edward, however, displays insecurity concerning his feelings for Lee, and he shows shame and disgust over his sexual habits. After a sexual encounter in his office, he fires Lee.

During this period of exploration with Edward, Lee has also been attempting to have a normal boyfriend in Peter, played by Jeremy Davies, even engaging in lukewarm sex with him. After Lee is fired from her job, Peter proposes to Lee, who reluctantly agrees to marry him. However, whilst trying on her wedding gown she leaves and runs to Edward's office where she declares her love for him. Edward, still uncertain about their relationship, tests Lee by commanding her to sit in his chair without moving her hands or feet until he returns. Lee eagerly complies. Days pass, as Peter, family members, and acquaintances individually visit Lee to alternately attempt to dissuade or encourage her. After three days, Edward returns to the office and takes Lee to his apartment where he bathes and nurtures her. The pair marry and happily continue their dominant/submissive relationship.

Cast

James Spader as E. Edward Grey, Lee's employer and sexually dominant lover

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway, the eponymous submissive secretary

Jeremy Davies as Peter

Lesley Ann Warren as Joan Holloway

Stephen McHattie as Burt Holloway

Jessica Tuck as Tricia O'Connor

Oz Perkins as Jonathan

Amy Locane as Lee's sister

Patrick Bauchau as Dr. Twardon

Production

Many changes were made from Mary Gaitskill's original short story, which had to be significantly expanded and given greater depth in order to be made into a feature-length film. On the small scale, individual lines were changed, such as the protagonist's use of "I'm so stupid" in one instance becoming a fantasy-sequence cry of "I'm your Secretary," which the director thought far more "celebratory." Additionally, the ending of the story was changed to give a more positive outcome to the relationship. Steven Shainberg stated that he wished to show that BDSM relationships can be normal and was inspired by My Beautiful Laundrette which he feels normalized gay relationships for audiences in the 1980s.

A central component to the film, the office spaces of Edward and Lee, took form after two years of planning by Shainberg and production designer Amy Danger, a previous collaborator with Shainberg on several projects. The desire to have the office feel homemade and express Edward's interest in the growing of plants led Danger to juxtapose a natural decorum in the office with an artificial setting that dominated the outside world. Speaking of her choices Danger compares the office, "All the materials I used were natural: natural wood, bamboo, ironwork ... If I wasn't using natural materials, it was natural colors, like the botanical wallpaper." with the rest of the film's locations, "everything was fake ... I covered Lee's house in plastic sheeting, and used artificial, manufactured colors." Although the interior sets were carefully constructed, the independent film Secretary did face some challenges. Notably, in one instance the filmmakers accidentally obtained shooting rights for the wrong park. Gyllenhaal supposedly encouraged them to hastily shoot the required park scene anyway at the park they did not have permission to film at, while crew members distracted the local police.

Speaking on the direction of Secretary's tone and atmosphere, Danger says "With this S&M; material, we could go into a dark place ... Steve and I wanted the total opposite: that the nature of this relationship freed [the characters] to be their natural selves." Because of this atmosphere, Danger says "Everybody kept saying, 'When are we going back to the office?'" It was funny, because the rooms weren't any smaller in the house, and it wasn't any more difficult to shoot. It was because you wanted to be in that space."

Distribution

The film was initially screened at several 2002 film festivals and had its domestic theatrical release on September 20, 2002 and in various foreign markets in 2003 and 2004.

Home release

The film's region 1 DVD was released on April 1, 2003. In the UK, a version by Tartan Video was released on January 5, 2004, followed by a budget edition by Prism Leisure on February 7, 2005. A UK Blu-ray Disc release was scheduled for September 13, 2010.

Special editions of the DVD include the film's trailer and TV spots, cast and director interviews, a behind-the-scenes documentary, cast and director "Curricula Vitae" and an audio commentary by director Steven Shainberg and writer Erin Cressida Wilson.

Reception

Critics

The film was generally received positively by critics. As of May 2011, it has a rating of 74% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 141 reviews. Many critics noted the film's original take on themes of sadomasochism, with Roger Ebert saying that the film "approaches the tricky subject...with a stealthy tread, avoiding the dangers of making it either too offensive, or too funny" and Ain't It Cool News commenting: "Perhaps there is something bold about saying that pain can bring healing as long as it's applied by the right hand, but even that seems obvious and even normal thanks to [Gyllenhaal]."

Box office

Secretary grossed $4,059,680 domestically and $5,244,929 internationally, to a total of $9,304,609.

Awards

Secretary was nominated for a number of awards and won several, with numerous wins for Maggie Gyllenhaal's breakthrough performance in particular.

Central Ohio Film Critics:

* Best Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal, winner)

Chlotrudis Awards:

* Best Actor (James Spader, nominee)

* Best Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominee)

* Best Adapted Screenplay (Erin Cressida Wilson and Steven Shainberg, nominee)

Golden Globe Awards:

* Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominee)

Gotham Awards:

* Breakthrough Award (Maggie Gyllenhaal, winner)

Independent Spirit Awards:

* Best Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominee)

* Best Film (nominee)

* Best First Screenplay (Erin Cressida Wilson, winner)

National Board of Review:

* Best Breakthrough Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal, winner)

Online Film Critics:

* Best Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominee)

* Best Breakthrough Performance (Maggie Gyllenhaal, winner)

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album was released on CD on October 8, 2002, with an MP3 download version released on July 11, 2006. The soundtrack album contains Angelo Badalamenti's score as well as two songs that were notably featured over erotic montages in the film: Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" and Lizzie West's "Chariots Rise".

The song "Chariots Rise" was changed slightly for the film, with the lyric "what a fool am I, to fall so in love" changed to "what grace have I, to fall so in love."

;Track listing All tracks by Angelo Badalamenti unless otherwise stated.

# "I'm Your Man" - Leonard Cohen # "Main Title" # "Feelin' Free" # "Snow Dome Dreams" # "Bathing Blossom" # "Seeing Scars" # "Loving to Obey" # "Office Obligations" # "The Loving Tree" # "Orchids" # "Secretary's Secrets" # "Chariots Rise" - Lizzie West

See also

Sadism and masochism in fiction

Nudity in film

References

Further reading

Wilson, Erin Cressida & Shainberg, Steven Secretary: a screenplay. New York: Soft Skull Press, 2003. ISBN 1-887128-19-0

External links

Interview with director

Category:2000s romance films Category:2002 films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:American films Category:American romance films Category:American sex comedy films Category:BDSM in films Category:English-language films Category:Films about dysfunctional families Category:Films based on short fiction Category:Lions Gate Entertainment films

de:Secretary es:Secretary fr:La Secrétaire it:Secretary he:המזכירה lt:Sekretorė (filmas) nl:Secretary (film) ja:セクレタリー no:Secretary pl:Sekretarka pt:Secretary (filme) ru:Секретарша (фильм) sr:Секретарица (филм) sv:Secretary th:เปลือยรัก อารมณ์พิลึก tr:Sekreter (film, ABD)

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Elaine L. Chao 趙小蘭
order1	24th
title1	United States Secretary of Labor
term start1	January 29, 2001
term end1	January 20, 2009
president1	George W. Bush
predecessor1	Alexis Herman
successor1	Hilda Solis
order2	12th
title2	Director of the Peace Corps
term start2	1991
term end2	1992
president2	George H. W. Bush
predecessor2	Paul Coverdell
successor2	Carol Bellamy
birth date	March 26, 1953
birth place	Taipei, Taiwan
party	Republican
alma mater	Mount Holyoke CollegeHarvard Business School
spouse	Mitch McConnell }}

Elaine Lan Chao (; born March 26, 1953) served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She was the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Chinese American to be appointed to a President's cabinet in American history. Chao was the only cabinet member to serve under George W. Bush for his entire administration. She is married to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), the current U.S. Senate Minority Leader.

Childhood and education

The eldest of six daughters, Chao was born in Taipei, Taiwan, to Ruth Mulan Chu Chao (趙朱木蘭 Zhào Zhū Mùlán), a historian, and Dr. James S.C. Chao (趙錫成博士 Zhào Xīchéng), a powerful and well-connected Shanghainese entrepreneur. She attended Tsai Hsing Elementary School in kindergarten and first grade. Her parents had fled to Taiwan from mainland China after the Chinese Communists took over as a result of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. After her father settled in the U.S. and established himself in the shipping business, Chao came to the U.S. at age eight. Chao's father started Foremost Shipping Corp in 1964 and capitalized on exponential growth in trade with China. She attended Syosset High School, a public school in Long Island, New York.

Chao received her B.A. in economics from Mount Holyoke College in 1975 and her MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1979. Chao also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University.

Career

George H.W. Bush Administration

With a family background in the shipping business, in 1986 Chao became Deputy Administrator of the Maritime Administration in the US Department of Transportation. From 1988 to 1989, she served as Chairwoman of the Federal Maritime Commission.

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush nominated Chao to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation. From 1991 to 1992, Chao was Director of the Peace Corps. She was the first Asian Pacific American to serve in any of these positions. She expanded the Peace Corps's presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by establishing the first Peace Corps programs in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and other newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.

United Way and Heritage Foundation

Following her service in the government, Chao worked for four years as President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America. She is credited with returning credibility and public trust back to the organization after an embarrassing financial mismanagement scandal involving former United Way of America president William Aramony. From 1996 until her appointment as Secretary of Labor, Chao was a Distinguished Fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank. She returned to the Heritage Foundation after leaving the government in January 2009.

Labor Secretary

During Secretary Chao's tenure, the Department of Labor updated the white collar overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Complaints from the business community about overtime-related litigation spurred the Bush Administration to update the regulations.

In 2003, the Department achieved the first major update of union financial disclosure regulations in more than 40 years, giving rank and file members enhanced information on how their dues are spent.

After analyzing 70,000 closed case files from 2005 to 2007, the Government Accountability Office reported that the Department's Wage and Hour Division inadequately investigated complaints from low-wage and minimum wage workers alleging that employers failed to pay the federal minimum wage, required overtime, and failed to issue a last paycheck.

A 2008 report by the department's inspector general found that despite implementation of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), mine safety regulators did not conduct federally required inspections at more than 14 percent of the country's 731 underground coal mines during the previous year. The number of worker deaths in mining accidents more than doubled to 47. A 2009 internal audit appraising an Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiative under the Bush administration to focus special attention on problem workplaces revealed that OSHA employees failed to gather needed data, conducted uneven inspections and enforcement, and sometimes failed to discern repeat fatalities because records misspelled the companies' names or failed to notice when two subsidiaries with the same owner were involved, resulting in preventable workplace fatalities.

During Chao's tenure, Labor Department gave Congress inaccurate and unreliable numbers that understated the expense of contracting out its employees' work to private firms, according to a Government Accountability Office report issued on November 24, 2008.

A report by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform alleged that Chao and other White House officials campaigned for Republican candidates at taxpayer expense. The report describes this as a violation of the Hatch Act of 1939, which restricts the use of public funds for partisan gain, but no action was taken by any entity with responsibility for enforcing the Hatch Act.

The longest-serving Secretary of Labor since Frances Perkins, 1933–45, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chao was the only Cabinet member who remained throughout the Bush Administration in the same position to which she was appointed.

Timeline

1983: White House Fellow, Office of Policy Development, the White House

1986: Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, US Department of Transportation

1988–89: Chairwoman, Federal Maritime Commission

1989: Deputy Secretary of Transportation

1991–92: Director, Peace Corps

1992–96: President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way of America

1996-2001: Distinguished Fellow, Heritage Foundation

2001–09: U.S. Secretary of Labor

2009–Present: Distinguished Fellow, Heritage Foundation

Family

In 1993, Chao married Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican Leader of the United States Senate. She has three stepdaughters from her husband's previous marriage to Sherrill Redmon: Eleanor (Elly), Claire, and Porter.

Notes and references

External links

Elaine Chao's official website

Elaine Chao Wells Fargo Director Profile

Heritage Foundation profile

Elaine Chao history at Department of Labor

DePauw University; May 19, 2002">Commencement Address at DePauw University; May 19, 2002

{{U.S. Secretary box | before= Alexis Herman | after= Hilda Solis | years= 2001-2009 | president= George W. Bush | department= Secretary of Labor}}

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:American politicians of Chinese descent Category:Columbia University alumni Category:George W. Bush Administration cabinet members Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Heritage Foundation Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Peace Corps directors Category:People from Nassau County, New York Category:Spouses of Kentucky politicians Category:Spouses of United States Senators Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States Category:United States Secretaries of Labor Category:Women members of the Cabinet of the United States Category:Asian American women in politics

de:Elaine Chao fr:Elaine Chao hr:Elaine Chao id:Elaine Chao it:Elaine Chao ja:イレーン・チャオ ru:Элейн Лан Чао sh:Elaine Chao fi:Elaine Chao zh:趙小蘭

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	James Spader
birth date	February 07, 1960
birth place	Boston, Massachusetts, USA
birth name	James Todd Spader
occupation	Actor
years active	1978–present
spouse	(divorced) 2 children
partner	Leslie Stefanson (2008–present; one child) }}

James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, " Less Than Zero, " Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary. His most famous television role is that of the colorful attorney Alan Shore from The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal, for which he won three Emmy Awards making him one of only two actors to win an Emmy portraying the same character in two different drama series. Recently, it was confirmed via the show's official Facebook fan page that Spader will join the cast of The Office as a replacement for Kathy Bates's character Jo Bennett as the CEO of Dunder-Mifflin Sabre.

Early life

Spader was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of teachers Jean (Fraser) and Stoddard Greenwood "Todd" Spader. During his early education, he attended The Pike School (where his mother taught art) and enrolled in the Brooks School (where his father taught) for one year in North Andover, Massachusetts. Spader later transferred to Phillips Academy, but dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to pursue acting at the Michael Chekhov School in New York City. Before becoming a full-time actor, Spader held a variety of jobs including being a yoga instructor, busboy, truck driver, stable boy, and railroad-car loader.

Career

Spader's first major movie role was in 1981 as Brooke Shields' brother in Endless Love, and his first starring role was in Tuff Turf alongside good friend Robert Downey, Jr.. But he did not rise to stardom until 1986, when he played Molly Ringwald's foil Steff in Pretty in Pink. He starred opposite Andrew McCarthy, another friend, in Mannequin, and in the film adaptation of Less Than Zero, where he played a drug dealer named Rip. Supporting roles in movies such as Baby Boom and Wall Street followed until his critical breakthrough in 1989. In Sex, Lies and Videotape, he played a sexual voyeur named Graham who complicates the lives of three Baton Rouge residents. For this performance, he received the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. His roles in the early 1990s included playing a young, affluent widower opposite Susan Sarandon in White Palace, John Cusack's best friend in True Colors, and a poker-playing drifter who collides with Mandy Patinkin in The Music of Chance. In 1994, he starred as Egyptologist Daniel Jackson in the blockbuster hit Stargate. He played car-accident fetishist James Ballard in the controversial Canadian film Crash in 1996 and assassin Lee Woods in 2 Days in the Valley. In 1997, Spader guest starred in an episode of Seinfeld as an angry recovering alcoholic who refuses to apologize to George for making fun of him. In 2000, he played a drug-addicted detective tracking down serial killer Keanu Reeves in The Watcher. In 2001, he starred as Maggie Gyllenhaal's sadistic boss in the critically acclaimed Secretary.

From 2004 to 2008, Spader starred as the lead character Alan Shore in the TV series Boston Legal, in which he reprised his role from the TV series The Practice. Spader won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award for his portrayal of Alan Shore in 2004, on The Practice and won it again in 2005 and 2007, for Boston Legal. With the 2005 Emmy Win, Spader became one of the few actors (along with co-star William Shatner as Denny Crane) to win an Emmy award while playing the same character in two different series. Even rarer, Shatner and Spader each won a second consecutive Emmy while playing the same character in two different series. Spader also won the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Boston Legal in 2006.

In October 2006, Spader narrated China Revealed, the first episode of Discovery Channel's documentary series Discovery Atlas. Boston Legal cast mate Candice Bergen would follow him in narrating France Revealed. He has also done the voice-over in several television commercials for Acura.

Spader starred as a lead character in Race, a play written and directed by David Mamet, alongside Richard Thomas, David Alan Grier and Kerry Washington. It opened on December 6, 2009 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. The show closed on August 21, 2010 after 297 performances.

In March 2011, Spader was named to star in By Virtue Fall, a movie written and to be directed by Sheldon Turner. Also set to star in the film are Eric Bana, Carla Gugino, Ryan Phillippe, Treat Williams and Kim Coates. , the movie is in pre-production, and set to be released 2013.

Spader was one of a number of prominent guest stars in "Search Committee," the final episode of season 7 of The Office. He portrayed a man named Robert California. , he was in talks to become a series regular. As of 27th June 2011, Ricky Gervais (an executive producer on the show) announced Spader was to join the cast on a permanent basis. It was confirmed on July 6th, 2011 that Spader would replace Kathy Bates' character Jo Bennett as new CEO of Sabre Dunder-Mifflin.

Personal life

Spader met his first wife, Victoria Kheel, a decorator, while working in a yoga studio, after he moved to New York in the 1980s. They married in 1987 and have two sons, Elijah and Sebastian. Spader filed for divorce from Kheel in 2004 and, , has plans to marry his girlfriend (and his former co-star), Leslie Stefanson, with whom he had a child in August 2008.

Filmography

Endless Love (1981)

The New Kids (1985)

Starcrossed (1985) (made for TV)

Tuff Turf (1985)

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Baby Boom (1987)

Less Than Zero (1987)

Mannequin (1987)

Wall Street (1987)

Jack's Back (1988)

The Rachel Papers (1989)

sex, lies, and videotape (1989)

Bad Influence (1990)

White Palace (1990)

True Colors (1991)

Bob Roberts (1992)

Storyville (1992)

The Music of Chance (1993)

Dream Lover (1994)

Wolf (1994)

Stargate (1994)

2 Days in the Valley (1996)

Crash (1996)

Keys to Tulsa (1997)

Driftwood (1997)

Critical Care (1997)

Curtain Call (1999)

Supernova (2000)

Slow Burn (2000)

The Watcher (2000)

Speaking of Sex (2001)

The Stickup (2001)

Secretary (2002)

I Witness (2003)

Alien Hunter (2003)

The Pentagon Papers (2003)

Shadow of Fear (2004)

The Practice (2003–2004)

Boston Legal (2004–2008)

Discovery Atlas: China Revealed (2006)

Shorts (2009)

The Office (2011–)

Lincoln (2012)

References

External links

Category:1960 births Category:Actors from Massachusetts Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Phillips Academy alumni

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
alt	A woman with brown hair poses with her hand on her hip. She is wearing a one-shouldered green and black dress, with long gold earrings, and her hair is styled and tied back.
birth name	Margaret Ruth Gyllenhaal
birth date	November 16, 1977
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actress
years active	1992–present
spouse	Peter Sarsgaard (2009–present)
parents	Stephen GyllenhaalNaomi Foner Gyllenhaal }}

Margaret Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal (; born November 16, 1977) is an American actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (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 later achieved recognition in a supporting role in the indie cult hit Donnie Darko (2001). She made her breakthrough role in the 2002 sadomasochistic romance Secretary, for which she received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination.

Gyllenhaal has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the indie film Sherrybaby (2006), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, the romantic comedy Trust the Man (2006) and big-budget films such as World Trade Center (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). She next starred in the 2009 musical-drama Crazy Heart, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Gyllenhaal has also appeared in theatrical plays, including Closer (2000) and television productions including Strip Search (2004).

Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard since 2002. In 2006, the two became engaged and Gyllenhaal gave birth to their daughter, Ramona, on October 3, 2006. On May 2, 2009, she married Sarsgaard in Italy. She is a politically active Democrat and, like her brother and parents, supports the American Civil Liberties Union. Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq she participated in anti-war demonstrations. Gyllenhaal drew criticism in 2005 for her opinion that America was "responsible in some way" for the 9/11 attacks. She is actively involved in human rights, civil liberty, and anti-poverty campaigns.

Early life

Gyllenhaal was born in New York City to film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (née Achs). Jake Gyllenhaal, her younger brother, is also an actor. Her father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family; her last purely Swedish ancestor was her great-grandfather, a descendant of Leonard Gyllenhaal, a leading Swedenborgian who supported the printing and spreading of Swedenborg's writings. Her mother is from a Jewish family in New York City and is the ex-wife of Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University. Her parents, who married in 1977, filed for divorce in October 2008.

Gyllenhaal grew up in Los Angeles and studied at the Harvard–Westlake prep school. In 1995, she graduated from Harvard–Westlake and moved to New York to attend Columbia University, where she studied literature and Eastern religions; she graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she had a summer job, working as a waitress in a Massachusetts restaurant.

Career

Early work

Gyllenhaal's first films – her feature film debut at the age of 15, Waterland (1992); A Dangerous Woman (1993); and Homegrown (1998) – were directed by her father; the last two also featured her brother, where they had supporting roles as children. With their mother, she and Jake appeared in two episodes of Molto Mario, an Italian cooking show on the Food Network. After graduating from college, she played supporting roles in films like Cecil B. Demented (2000) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). Gyllenhaal later achieved recognition in her own right playing her real brother's on-screen sister in the indie cult hit Donnie Darko (2001).

She made her theatrical debut in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre production of Patrick Marber's Closer, for which she received favorable reviews. Production started in May 2000 and ended in mid-July of that year. Gyllenhaal has performed in several other plays, including The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, The Butterfly Project, and No Exit.

2002–2005

Gyllenhaal's break-out role was in the black comedy Secretary (2002), a film about two people who embark on a mutually fulfilling BDSM lifestyle. New York Times critic Stephen Holden noted: "The role of Lee, which Maggie Gyllenhaal imbues with a restrained comic delicacy and sweetness, should make her a star." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Maggie Gyllenhaal, as the self-destructive secretary, is enigmatic and, at moments, sympathetic." The film received generally favorable reviews, and Gyllenhaal's performance earned her the Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, her first Golden Globe nomination, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Secretary was Gyllenhaal's first film role which featured full frontal nudity. Although impressed with the script, she initially had some qualms about doing the film, which she believed could deliver an antifeminist message. Yet after carefully discussing the script with the film's director, Steven Shainberg, she agreed to join the project. Although insisting Shainberg did not exploit her, Gyllenhaal has said she felt "scared when filming began" and that "in the wrong hands ... even in just slightly less intelligent hands, this movie could say something really weird." Since then, she is guarded about discussing her role in the film, saying only that "despite myself, sometimes the dynamic that you are exploring in your work spills over into your life."

She next played a supporting role in the comedy-drama Adaptation. (2002), a film that tells the story of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's struggle to adapt The Orchid Thief into a film. She later appeared in the unauthorized biography Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), part of an ensemble cast that included Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts. The movie grossed  million worldwide. That same year, she also had a smaller role in the comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights.

In 2003, she co-starred with Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile in the role of Giselle. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, she revealed the reason for accepting the role was "to play somebody who feels confident in herself as a sexy, beautiful woman". The film generated mostly critical reviews, with Manohla Dargis of the Los Angeles Times describing it as "smug and reductive". Her next roles were in smaller independent films: Casa de los Babys (2003), a story about six American women impatiently waiting out their lengthy residency requirements in an unidentified South American country before picking up their adoptive babies, and Criminal (2004), a remake of the Argentinian film Nine Queens, with John C. Reilly and Diego Luna. Gyllenhaal played an honest hotel manager forced to help her crooked brother (Reilly) by seducing one of his victims. Gyllenhaal was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004. She starred in the HBO film Strip Search (2004), where she portrayed an American student in China suspected of terrorism.

In 2004, Gyllenhaal returned to theater in a Los Angeles production of Tony Kushner's Homebody/ Kabul as Priscilla, the Homebody's daughter, who spends most of the play searching for her elusive mother in Kabul, Afghanistan. Kushner gave her the role in Homebody/ Kabul on the strength of her performance in Closer. Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote: "Ms. Gyllenhaal provides the essential bridge between the parts of the play's title." John Heilpern of The New York Observer noted that Gyllenhaal's performance was "compelling". Viewed as a sex symbol, she was ranked in the "Hot 100 List" by Maxim magazine in 2004 and 2005.

Gyllenhaal's next film role was in the 2005 comedy-drama Happy Endings, in which she played an adventuress singer who seduces a young gay musician (Jason Ritter) as well as his rich father (Tom Arnold). She recorded songs for the movie's soundtrack, calling the role the "roughest, scariest acting ever" and adding she is more natural when singing on screen than when acting. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly declared Gyllenhaal's performance "as wonderfully, naturally slouchy-sexy as her character is artificial".

2006–present

Following Happy Endings, she starred in the 2006 films Trust the Man, Stranger than Fiction, Monster House, World Trade Center, and Sherrybaby. In Trust the Man, featuring Julianne Moore, David Duchovny, and Billy Crudup, she played Elaine, who has been dating Tobey, Crudup's character, for seven years and has begun to feel that it is time for her to settle down and start a family. The film was critically and financially unsuccessful. Ethan Alter of Premiere felt that the performances by Gyllenhaal and Duchovny were "much more at ease" and concluded with "that's probably because they're played these characters many times before". In Stranger than Fiction, Gyllenhaal played a love interest of Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell. Her performance in the film received favorable reviews; Mike Straka of Fox News wrote: "Gyllenhaal has never been sexier in any film before and her interplay with Ferrell will propel her to more A-list films, leaving her indie-darling days behind, no doubt." She voiced Elizabeth "Zee" in the computer animated horror film Monster House. Gyllenhaal depicted Allison Jimeno, the wife of Port Authority officer Will Jimeno, in Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, based on the September 11 attacks on the same-title towers of New York City. She regarded this as "one of the films she most enjoyed making". The film received favorable reviews and proved to be an international success, earning  million worldwide.

In Sherrybaby, Gyllenhaal played a young, drug-addicted thief trying to put her life in order after prison so she can reconcile with her daughter. During promotion of the film, she noted of her portrayal of the character: "I think she's in such dire straights that all she has are these kind of naive, fierce hope. And while I was playing the part I was looking for pleasure and hope in everything, even in these really bleak things. And so it was really mostly after I finished the movie that I felt pain." Her performance in the film was well received: David Germain of the Associated Press wrote, "Gyllenhaal humanizes her so deeply and richly ... that Sherry elicits sympathy even in her darkest and weakest moments", and Dennis Harvey of Variety called her performance "naturalistic". For her work, Gyllenhaal earned her second Golden Globe Best Actress nomination and won the Best Actress category award at the 2006 Stockholm International Film Festival.

She appeared in The Dark Knight (2008), the sequel to Batman Begins (2005), in which she replaced Katie Holmes as Assistant District Attorney, Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal acknowledged her character was a damsel in distress to an extent, but said director Christopher Nolan sought ways to empower her character, so "Rachel's really clear about what's important to her and unwilling to compromise her morals, which made a nice change" from the many conflicted characters she had previously portrayed. The Dark Knight was a financial and critical success, setting a new opening weekend box office record for North America. With revenue of  billion worldwide, it became the fourth highest grossing film of all time, and remains Gyllenhaal's most commercially successful picture to date. In a Salon.com review of the film, Stephanie Zacharek called Gyllenhaal's character "a tough cookie in a Stanwyck-style bias-cut gown" and stated that "the movie feels smarter and more supple when she's on-screen". IGN film critic Todd Gilchrist wrote, "Gyllenhaal adds real depth and energy to Rachel Dawes."

Gyllenhaal played Yelena in the Classic Stage Company's 2009 Off Broadway production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya in New York City. The cast also included Peter Sarsgaard, Mamie Gummer, Denis O'Hare, and George Morfogen. The production, directed by Austin Pendleton, began previews on January 17 and ended its limited run on March 1. Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News, was somewhat less enthusiastic with her performance, writing: "Gyllenhaal, who was so dynamic as a druggie in the film Sherrybaby, plays Yelena with a slow-mo saunter and monotonous pasted-on smile that makes it seem as if she's been in Sherry's stash." However, Malcolm Johnson of the Hartford Courant was complimentary towards her, noting that she "ultimately blossoms" as the character.

Gyllenhaal agreed to appear in the comedy film Away We Go, where she plays a bohemian college professor who is an old friend of John Krasinski's character. The film generated broadly mixed reviews, with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly describing Gyllenhaal's subplot as "over-the-top". However, A. O. Scott of the New York Times praised Gyllenhaal and co-star Allison Janney for their performances, writing that "both [are] quite funny". Scott concluded with, "Ms. Gyllenhaal’s line about sex roles in 'the seahorse community' is the screenplay’s one clean satirical bull’s-eye". Her next role came in the musical-drama Crazy Heart in which she played journalist Jean Craddock who falls for musician Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges. The movie received favorable reviews, with Gyllenhaal receiving praise from critics. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone reported that Gyllenhaal was "funny, touching and vital as Jean" and that her part was "conventionally conceived, but Gyllenhaal plays it with a tough core of intelligence and feeling." Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2010, Gyllenhaal appeared in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, the sequel to the 2005 film Nanny McPhee. The role required her to speak in an English accent. The feature received mixed reviews, and earned  million worldwide. Away from acting, she served as host of the PBS television documentary series Independent Lens. Gyllenhaal will appear in Hysteria, an independent movie focusing on the creation of the vibrator.

In February 2011, Gyllenhaal starred in another Anton Chekhov production as the character Masha in Austin Pendleton's Three Sisters at the Classic Stage Company. The play focuses on the Prozorov sisters (Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hecht, and Juliet Rylance) "unlucky in love, unhappy in the provinces and longing to return to Moscow" as summarized by Bloomberg's Jeremy Gerard. The Off Broadway production began preview performances on January 12 with limited engagement through March 6.

Personal life

Gyllenhaal has been in a relationship with actor Peter Sarsgaard, a close friend of her brother Jake, since 2002. In April 2006 they announced their engagement. They have a daughter Ramona, born October 3, 2006, and live in Brooklyn, New York. On May 2, 2009, Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard were married in a small chapel in Brindisi, Italy.

Comments on 9/11 attacks

Gyllenhaal drew criticism for comments on the September 11 attacks made during an interview with NY1 at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. She remarked, "I think America has done reprehensible things and is responsible in some way..." In response to the criticism, she issued a statement saying that 9/11 was "an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world" and that it was "useful as individuals or nations to ask how we may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this conflict." She pointedly denied saying that the 9/11 attacks were deserved. Gyllenhaal later said that she regretted her comments and asserted that film interviews were not the "right place" to discuss politics. Gyllenhaal also said that she had "nothing but gratitude and admiration" for firefighters and that she should have "been more gentle and more thoughtful" in her comments.

Gyllenhaal eventually met with Port Authority officer Will Jimeno and his wife, Allison, whom Gyllenhaal depicted in the 2006 film World Trade Center. She said she would have left the project if the Jimenos wanted, but Allison Jimeno expressed the opinion that she and her husband were comfortable with her and "had no problem with her in [the] movie".

Activism

Politics

Gyllenhaal is politically active. At the 18th Independent Spirit Awards, she spoke out against the Iraq war, stating the reason for the invasion was "oil and imperialism". Gyllenhaal also took part in Artists United to Win Without War, a campaign started by Robert Greenwald with the aim of advancing progressive causes and voicing opposition to the Iraq War. She and her brother Jake filmed a commercial for Rock the Vote and visited the University of Southern California (USC) campus to encourage students to vote in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, in which she supported John Kerry. Gyllenhaal supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. She has campaigned on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization her family strongly supports.

Charity work

Besides acting, she has modeled for Miu Miu, Reebok, and Agent Provocateur, and recorded the first unabridged audiobook version of Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar. Gyllenhaal is a supporter of Witness, a non-profit organization that uses video and online technologies to expose human rights violations. She co-hosted a benefit dinner with founder Peter Gabriel in November 2007. Gyllenhaal helped raise funds for TrickleUp.org, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished people start a micro-enterprise. For one of the fundraisers, Gyllenhaal helped design and promote a necklace that sold for ; all proceeds from sales went to the charity. In October 2008 she hosted a fashion show event called "Fashionably Natural", which was presented by Gen Art and SoyJoy in Los Angeles. The show featured four up-and-coming designers who only worked with all-natural and eco-friendly fabrics and materials.

Filmography

A Dangerous Woman (1993 film)Shattered Mind Homegrown (film)The Patron Saint of Liars Resurrection The Photographer (film)Cecil B. Demented Riding in Cars with Boys Donnie Darko Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Adaptation. 40 Days and 40 Nights Secretary (film)Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActressCentral Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressChicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising PerformerFantasportoMona Lisa Smile Casa de los Babys Criminal (film)Strip Search (film)The Great New Wonderful Happy Endings (film)Stranger than Fiction (2006 film)Trust the Man Sherrybaby Karlovy Vary International Film FestivalParis, je t'aime World Trade Center (film)Monster House (film)The Dark Knight (film)[[Away We Go (film)Crazy Heart Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang Hysteria (2011 film)Steel Town Voice from the Stone Innocence

+Filmography
Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992	Waterland (film)>Waterland	Maggie Ruth
1993	A Dangerous Woman ||	Patsy
1996	|	Clothes clerk	TV
1998	Homegrown ||	Christina
1998	|	Lorraine Thomas	TV
1999	|	Mary	TV
2000	The Photographer ||	Mira
2000	|	Raven
2001	|	Amelia Forrester
2001	|	Elizabeth Darko
2002	|	Debbie	Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2002>Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer
2002	|	Caroline Cunningham	Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer
2002	|	Sam
2002	Secretary ||	Lee Holloway	Directors' Week Award for Best ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Pauline Kael Breakout AwardGotham Award for Breakthrough ArtistNational Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by an ActressOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceParis Film Festival Award for Best ActressNominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best ActressNominated — Empire Award for Best ActressNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Female LeadNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best NewcomerNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2003	|	Giselle Levy
2003	|	Jennifer
2004	Criminal ||	Valerie
2004	Strip Search ||	Linda Sykes	TV
2005	|	Emme
2005	Happy Endings ||	Jude	Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2006	Stranger than Fiction ||	Ana Pascal	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress
2006	|	Elaine
2006	|	Sherry Swanson	Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best ActressMilan International Film Festival Award for Best ActressPrism Award for Best Performance in a Feature FilmStockholm International Film Festival Award for Best ActressNominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture DramaNominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the YearNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
2006	|	Liz	Segment "Quartier des Enfants Rouges" only
2006	World Trade Center ||	Allison Jimeno
2006	Monster House ||	Elizabeth "Zee"	Nominated — Annie Award> Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
2008	The Dark Knight ||	Rachel Dawes	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble People's Choice Awards
2009	Away We Go ||	Ellen "LN"
2008	|	Jean Craddock	Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010	|	Mrs. Green
2011	Hysteria ||		Post-production
2012	|		Filming
2012	|	Verena	Pre-production
2012	|	Pamela	Pre-production

References

Further reading

Heyman, Marshall. "The Pictures: Sad-Eyed Siblings." New York Magazine. July 22, 2002. Accessed January 14, 2009.

Head, Steve. "IGN: Happy Endings for Ms. Gyllenhaal." IGN Movies. January 3, 2005. Accessed November 4, 2008.

Riggs, Jonathan. "Maggie Begins." Instinct Magazine. August 1, 2005. Accessed December 14, 2008.

Schwartz, Missy. "Maggie, Maybe...." Entertainment Weekly. July 28, 2006. Accessed May 28, 2009.

Rosen, Alison. "The Hot Seat–Maggie Gyllenhaal." Time Out New York. Issue 570: August 31 – September 6, 2006. Accessed December 14, 2008.

Rees, Serena. "Maggie Gyllenhaal: Romantic chemistry." The Daily Telegraph. May 9, 2007. Accessed September 27, 2008.

Stewart, Sara. "Maggie Gyllenhaal." New York Post. July 6, 2008. Accessed September 27, 2008.

Wolf, Jeanne. "Maggie Gyllenhaal Is No Stay At Home Mom." Parade. July 11, 2008. Accessed January 13, 2009.

Berkshire, Geoff. "'Dark Knight' Q&A;: Maggie Gyllenhaal." Chicago Metromix. July 13, 2008. Accessed December 15, 2008.

Freydkin, Donna. "'Dark Knight' puts spotlight on publicity-shunning Gyllenhaal." USA Today. July 13, 2008. Accessed September 27, 2008.

Lytal, Cristy. "Maggie Gyllenhaal in ‘The Dark Knight’." Los Angeles Times. July 17, 2008. Accessed February 2, 2009.

Brinton, Jessica. "Maggie Gyllenhaal's rising star." The Times. July 20, 2008. Accessed October 9, 2008.

DiLiberto, Rebecca. "Finding her place in a new world order." The Boston Globe. July 22, 2008. Accessed December 14, 2008.

Kelly, Nick. "A light that never goes out." Irish Independent. July 25, 2008. Accessed April 3, 2009.

Fischer, Paul. "Maggie Gyllenhaal Dark Knight Interview." Femail. Accessed October 9, 2008.

Hill, Lawrence. "Lady of the Knight." Sunday Herald. September 27, 2008. Accessed September 27, 2008.

Blanks, Tim. "Maggie Gyllenhaal." Interview Magazine. November 17, 2008. Accessed January 13, 2009.

Snook, Raven. "Features–Maggie Gyllenhaal interview." Time Out New York Kids. Issue 38: December 1 – December 30, 2008.

Freydkin, Donna. "Gyllenhaal does something for herself: Star in 'Crazy Heart'." USA Today. January 3, 2010. Accessed January 4, 2010.

External links

Category:American anti–Iraq War activists Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:Jewish actors Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American Jews Category:American stage actors Category:Columbia University alumni Category:New York Democrats Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:Actors from New York City Category:Swedish nobility Category:1977 births Category:Living people

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