If you have seen The Mentalist and wondered ‘Who is the man behind this amazing series?’ I am glad to present to you, HIM! Stephen Gyllenhaal is known for directing TV series which have earned him many accolades, award nominations, and wins.
He started his career in the late 1970s and has been active in film and TV series, directing some notable titles such as the film version of Paris Trout which got 5 Emmy Awards nominations and a DGA Award. He also directed the renowned Waterland feature film in 1992.
The Director has been married twice and has 2 of his children in the entertainment industry, following unique paths and making a name for themselves too.
Brief Bio of Stephen Gyllenhaal
The Mentalist director was born Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal on October 4, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents are Virginia Lowries and Hugh Ander Gyllenhaal and through Hugh Ander, Stephan has dual ancestry rooted in Sweden and England.
The Gyllenhaal family name is most prestigious as it connotes one who comes from the ancestry line of the cavalry officer, Nils Gunnesson Haal whom the former Queen of Sweden, Queen Christina conferred the crest and family name ‘Gyllenhaal’.
The Gyllenhaal family later moved to Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and there Stephen furthered his college education at Trinity College, in Hartford, Connecticut where he graduated with a degree in English in 1972.
Being a mentee of poet Hugh Ogden, Stephen also prides himself a poet. His literary publications as a poet include a collection of poetry titled Claptrap: Notes from Hollywood which was published in 2006. Other publications include Prairie Schooner and Nimrod.
His 2 Older Children are Also Actors
Gyllenhaal has been married twice with his first marriage lasting for more than 3 decades. He was first married to screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal from 1977 to 2009 (32 years).
From this marriage, Stephen and Naomi had 2 children together. The first child known as Maggie Gyllenhaal is an American actress and filmmaker. Some of her movie credits include Donnie Darko, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Monalisa.
Maggie was born on November 16, 1977. She began her acting career by taking on small roles in some of her father’s films in 1992.
In 2009, Naomi got married to fellow American actor, Peter Sarsgaard and has 2 children with him.
Stephen’s second child is ‘Mysterio’ from Spider-Man: Far from Home, better known in the real world as Jake Gyllenhaal.
Jake also started his career making cameos in his dad’s films when he was still a young boy. He also starred alongside his sister in Donnie Darko and then went on to feature in many more films since then.
Some of Jake’s movie accolades from when he became active in 1991 include Brokeback Mountain which earned him a BAFTA Award. In more recent times, he starred in The Guilty, Ambulance, Road House, and Presumed Innocent.
In addition to being an actor, Stephen’s second child is also a producer and has performed on stage plays.
Gyllenhaals’ marriage to Naomi ended in 2009 and in 2011 he remarried. The father of the 2 actors married filmmaker and professor, Kathleen Man. She was a co-producer on his 2012 movie titled Grassroots. This movie is regarded as the director's highest-rated.
Kathleen and Stephen welcomed their son, Luke, in 2014. Luke is the director’s third child.
Stephen Gyllenhaal is Widely Known for The Mentalist But Here Are Some Other Movies He Directed
One of the first productions that got people talking about Stephen Gyllenhaal is the film The Abduction of Kari Swenson. However, The Mentalist can be argued to be one of his most famous movie credits to date.
Furthermore, you should know that he also directed the film version of Paris Trout by Pete Dexter, and this film earned him 5 Emmy Awards nominations. The movie also won him a DGA Award.
Given the success of the aforementioned, Gyllenhaal went on to direct the fan-favorite film Family of Spies, Waterland soon followed as one of his famous film projects.
Moving on, Stephen delved into directing for TV from 1993 and has credits on TV programs such as Twin Peaks. He also directed an episode of NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street which featured his son, Jake.
He then went on to direct episodes of the following TV shows and films:
· Numb3rs
· Mentalist
· Hawthorne
· Army Wives
· Rectify
· Blue Bloods
· Girl Fight (TV film)
· Sworn to Silence (A backdoor pilot)
· Exit 10
· Certain Fury
· A Killing in a Small Town
· A Dangerous Woman
· Losing Isaiah
· Homegrown
· Resurrection
· The $treet
· The Warden of Red Rock
· Living with the Dead
· Time Bomb
· Manchild
· NYC 22
· Grassroots
· An Amish Murder
· Rectify
· So B. It
· Billions
· UnCharitable
Gyllenhaal’s Accolades in Awards and Nominations
The director and poet has been nominated for many awards since he broke into the scene in 1979. Some of the awards and nominations include;
· Nominated for 4 Emmy Awards – Paris Trout
· Won a DGA Award – Paris Trout
· Nominated For 2 Golden Globe and Emmy Awards – Family of Spies
· Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award – A Killing in a Small Town.
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