Maggie Gyllenhaal: Where Is She Now & What Movies Did She Direct?
Maggie almost gave up her acting career to pursue her dream of becoming a director.
Born to a director father and a screenwriter mother, Maggie Gyllenhaal had no choice but to immerse herself in cinema and continue the family tradition. She began acting in films at the same time as her younger brother Jake and for a long time went hand in hand with him in terms of the number of successful roles and popularity.
Maggie was noticed when she played a supporting role in Donnie Darko, portraying the sister of the character played by her real-life brother, Jake Gyllenhaal. However, the actress' real Hollywood fame came when she starred in Secretary — Steven Shainberg's provocative romantic comedy about a sadistic lawyer and a masochistic secretary.
Maggie Gyllenhaal's Works as a Director
The actress has rarely appeared on screen lately — her last movie, Best Summer Ever, was released four years ago. All because Maggie has devoted herself to directing.
At the end of 2021, Netflix released the film The Lost Daughter — Maggie's feature-length directorial debut. The movie tells the story of a woman who reconsiders her own past in the company of a young mother on the beach. Gyllenhaal was inspired to direct by her work on The Deuce, a series about the birth of the porn industry.
The Lost Daughter turned out to be not just a debut for Maggie, but a resounding success — the film was warmly received at the Venice Film Festival, won the prize for Best screenplay and was even nominated for an Oscar in three categories.
Maggie's next project will be a remake of the classic Bride of Frankenstein. The movie is still considered one of the best sequels in history, even though it was released back in 1935. Not only did Bride of Frankenstein not lower the bar, it introduced several techniques to the genre that are still used in movies today.
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To bring this idea to life, Gyllenhaal has assembled a truly star-studded cast: Frankenstein's monster will be played by Christian Bale himself, and the title character will be portrayed by Jessie Buckley, known for her roles in the Chernobyl series and the film Men. Maggie has also invited her brother Jake, but his role has not yet been revealed.
The film, titled The Bride and set in Chicago in the 1930s, will follow the adventures of Frankenstein and his acquaintance with Dr. Euphronius. Together, the characters bring to life a young woman who becomes Frankenstein's companion.