Jacob "Jake" Gyllenhaal (last name pronounced jill-en-hall) was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 19, 1980 to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner and is the brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played his sister in Donnie Darko (2001). His father is of partial Swedish heritage and his mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. Jake made his film debut at age eleven in City Slickers (1991) playing Billy Crystal’s son and began to establish himself as an up-and-coming actor in films like as October Sky (1999) before being cast in the title role in Donnie Darko (2001), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best actor. Gyllenhaal’s performance as a troubled psychotic won him excellent reviews, and the film quickly received cult status. He played opposite Jennifer Aniston in another Sundance favorite in The Good Girl (2002) and once again earned good reviews. Gyllenhaal also starred in the Walt Disney romantic comedy, Bubble Boy (2001) and in the science fiction blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow (2004) which also starred Dennis Quaid.