Biography
After a childhood spent in rural Pennsylvania, he obtained his degree from Trinity College and embarked on a career making industrial films in NYC. He moved into TV with afternoon specials before settling in Los Angeles and finding steady work with primetime TV-movies, most based on true stories. Gyllenhaal first won attention for "The Abduction of Kari Swenson" (NBC, 1987), which managed to avoid sensationalization. He also steered the CBS …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
| Raised in rural Pennsylvania | ||
1974 | Edited and associate produced first feature, "Broken Treaty at Battle Mountain" | |
1975 | Acted in first feature, "Not a Pretty Picture" | |
1978 | Helmed first short film "Exit 10" | |
1980 | Directed first TV special, "What Are Friends For?" an "ABC Afterschool Special" | |
1980 | Moved to Los Angeles with family | |
1982 | Produced first TV special, "Help Wanted" a "CBS Afternoon Playhouse" production (also directed) | |
1984 | Directed first feature, "A Certain Fury" | |
1985 | Directed music video for Taylor Hackford's feature, "White Nights" | |
1985 | Wrote first screenplay for feature, "The New Kids" | |
1988 | Helmed the pilot of the ABC series "Hothouse" | |
1990 | Earned an Emmy nomination for his direction of the TV-movie "A Killing in a Small Town" (CBS), starring Barbara Hershey | |
1991 | Directed the acclaimed Showtime TV-movie "Paris Trout", co-starring Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hershey | |
1993 | Helmed "A Dangerous Woman", produced and scripted by Naomi Foner; feature co-starred Hershey and Debra Winger | |
1995 | Reteamed with Naomi Foner for "Losing Isaiah" | |
1998 | Directed "Homegrown", a drama about marijuana farmers | |
Awards
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Miniseries or a Special in A Killing in a Small Town |
1991 | Directors Guild of America Award for Movies For Television and Mini-Series in Paris Trout |
2011 | Directors Guild of America Award for Movies For Television and Mini-Series in Girl Fight |