# Stephen Gyllenhaal
**Stephen Gyllenhaal** (Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal) is an American film and television director, producer, writer, and poet, born in 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio. He directed the Emmy-nominated television movie *Paris Trout* and features including *Waterland*, *A Dangerous Woman*, *Losing Isaiah*, and *Homegrown*, and he has directed episodes of series such as *Twin Peaks*, *Homicide: Life on the Street*, *Numb3rs*, *[Rectify](https://www.edgepedia.org/rectify)*, and *[Billions](https://www.edgepedia.org/billions-tv-series)*. He is the father of actors Jake and [Maggie Gyllenhaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/maggie-gyllenhaal).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/) • [2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1949, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; full name Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/) • [3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/) |
| Professions | Director, producer, writer, actor; also a poet[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/) • [2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) |
| Signature TV movie | *Paris Trout* (1991), nominated for five Emmy Awards and winner of a DGA Award for Gyllenhaal[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) |
| Other honored work | *Family of Spies* (1990), nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy; *A Killing in a Small Town* (1990), an Emmy nominee[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) |
| Feature count | *Grassroots* (2012) was his 16th feature as a director[4](https://www.movies.ie/stephen-gyllenhaal-talks-grassroots/) |
| Family | Father of actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal; former husband of screenwriter Naomi Foner[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jake-gyllenhaal-mountains-of-talent-6112633.html) |
| Recent activity | Directed episodes of *Rectify*, *Billions*, *Bosch*, and *Shut Eye* (2013–2017); directed the documentary *Uncharitable* (2023)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/) |
## Early life and career
Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1949.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/) The International Television Almanac gives his birthplace as Pennsylvania and records that he attended Trinity College in [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut).[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/2009/International-Television-Almanac-2009-Whos-Who.pdf) He began his career in New York making industrial films, and directed the short film *Exit 10* with writer-producer Naomi Foner, whom he later married.[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/2009/International-Television-Almanac-2009-Whos-Who.pdf) From 1980 he lived in Los Angeles, directing and producing television programs and dramas, including *Help Wanted*, *Family of Spies*, and *A Killing in a Small Town* with [Barbara Hershey](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbara-hershey), which were nominated for or won [Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmy-awards).[7](https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/fr/realisateur/stephen-gyllenhaal)
His earliest credited directing work includes an episode of the *ABC Afterschool Special* and the television movie *What Are Friends For?*, both from 1980, followed by features such as *Certain Fury* (1985) and *The Abduction of Kari Swenson* (1987).[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US)
## Feature films
Gyllenhaal's best-known theatrical features cluster in the early 1990s. *Paris Trout* (1991), an adaptation of the Pete Dexter novel, brought him a Directors Guild of America Award and five Emmy nominations for the production.[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) The Guardian describes him as a film director of some note, best known for *Paris Trout*, a slice of southern gothic starring [Dennis Hopper](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-hopper) and Barbara Hershey.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/18/features.review) He followed it with *Waterland* (1992), starring [Jeremy Irons](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeremy-irons) and [Ethan Hawke](https://www.edgepedia.org/ethan-hawke), and *A Dangerous Woman* (1993).[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US)
Later features include *Losing Isaiah* (1995), *Homegrown* (1998), which he also co-wrote, *Grassroots* (2012), and *So B. It* (2016).[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) *Grassroots*, a comedy-drama about a Seattle political campaign, was his 16th feature as a director; in a [British Film Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-film-institute) interview he called the film "a love story to Seattle."[4](https://www.movies.ie/stephen-gyllenhaal-talks-grassroots/) • [9](https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/new-hope-stephen-gyllenhaal-grassroots) He also wrote the screenplays for *The New Kids* (1985) and *Homegrown* (1998).[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/)
## Television directing
Since 1993 Gyllenhaal has worked primarily in television.[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) His credits include an episode of ABC's *Twin Peaks* (1991) and, in 1994, an episode of NBC's *Homicide: Life on the Street* in which he directed his son Jake, then 14 years old.[2](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US) On Metacritic, *Homicide: Life on the Street* is the highest-scoring series he directed, with a Metascore of 95.[10](https://www.metacritic.com/person/stephen-gyllenhaal/)
His episodic work spans a wide range of American series: *The Shield*, *Felicity*, *Everwood*, *Numb3rs*, *The Mentalist*, *Army Wives*, *Blue Bloods*, *Rectify*, *Billions*, *Bosch*, and *[Shut Eye](https://www.edgepedia.org/shut-eye)*, among others.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/) • [10](https://www.metacritic.com/person/stephen-gyllenhaal/) He also directed the television movies *Girl Fight* (2011) and *An Amish Murder* (2013); in 2012 he received a DGA nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for *Girl Fight*.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/) • [11](https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/5894768f75dd2f25f4000000/attachments/original/1490468245/Press_Kit_030817.pdf?1490468245=) IMDb credits him with one Primetime Emmy nomination and, in total, one win and five nominations.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/)
## Family and personal life
With the screenwriter Naomi Foner, whose screenplay for *[Running on Empty](https://www.edgepedia.org/running-on-empty-1988-film)* was nominated for an Oscar, Gyllenhaal had two children, both of whom became actors: Maggie Gyllenhaal and [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/jake-gyllenhaal).[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jake-gyllenhaal-mountains-of-talent-6112633.html) • [12](https://time.com/5647321/jake-gyllenhaal-sea-wall-a-life-interview/) Maggie made her film debut in his *Waterland*, and Jake appeared in his *A Dangerous Woman* and *Homegrown*.[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/2009/International-Television-Almanac-2009-Whos-Who.pdf) The family grew up in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jake-gyllenhaal-mountains-of-talent-6112633.html)
Gyllenhaal has since remarried; as of 2022 he lived in Los Angeles with his wife and their son Luke, then seven years old.[13](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a39008068/jake-gyllenhaal-interview-2022/?click=main_sr) He is a member of the [Directors Guild of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/directors-guild-of-america)'s Independent Directors Committee (IDC West), a body of director members working in independent and low-budget film.[14](https://www.dga.org/~/media/Files/TheGuild/Committees/IndieBrochure2014.ashx)
## References
1. [Stephen Gyllenhaal, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350455/)
2. [Stephen Gyllenhaal, The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15912-stephen-gyllenhaal?language=en-US)
3. [Stephen Gyllenhaal List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/stephen-gyllenhaal/credits/3030544160/)
4. [Stephen Gyllenhaal talks GRASSROOTS, Movies.ie](https://www.movies.ie/stephen-gyllenhaal-talks-grassroots/)
5. [Jake Gyllenhaal: Mountains of talent, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jake-gyllenhaal-mountains-of-talent-6112633.html)
6. [International Television Almanac 2009: Who's Who (Gyllenhaal entries)](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/2009/International-Television-Almanac-2009-Whos-Who.pdf)
7. [Stephen Gyllenhaal, Quinzaine des cinéastes](https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/fr/realisateur/stephen-gyllenhaal)
8. [Assume the star position, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/18/features.review)
9. [A new hope: Stephen Gyllenhaal on Grassroots, BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/new-hope-stephen-gyllenhaal-grassroots)
10. [Stephen Gyllenhaal, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/stephen-gyllenhaal/)
11. [About The Filmmakers, Grassroots press kit](https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/5894768f75dd2f25f4000000/attachments/original/1490468245/Press_Kit_030817.pdf?1490468245=)
12. [In a New Broadway Play, Jake Gyllenhaal Attempts Something Radical: Normalcy, Time](https://time.com/5647321/jake-gyllenhaal-sea-wall-a-life-interview/)
13. [Jake Gyllenhaal Interview: On Fame, Taylor Swift, Heath Ledger, 'Ambulance', Esquire](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a39008068/jake-gyllenhaal-interview-2022/?click=main_sr)
14. [DGA Independent Directors Committee brochure](https://www.dga.org/~/media/Files/TheGuild/Committees/IndieBrochure2014.ashx)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Film directors by country and region › North and South American directors › Contemporary American directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license