The 15 best Jake Gyllenhaal performances

Plot: Susan Morrow receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband – a man she left 20 years earlier – asking for her opinion of his writing. As she reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a mathematics professor whose family vacation turns violent.

Starring: Amy Adams,Jake Gyllenhaal,Michael Shannon

Plot: A discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.

Starring: Jennifer Aniston,John C. Reilly,Jake Gyllenhaal

Plot: Based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner’s son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father’s wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.

Starring: Laura Dern,Jake Gyllenhaal,Chris Owen

Plot: A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Tatiana Maslany,Miranda Richardson

Plot: Jarhead is a film about a US Marine Anthony Swofford’s experience in the Gulf War. After putting up with an arduous boot camp, Swofford and his unit are sent to the Persian Gulf where they are eager to fight, but are forced to stay back from the action. Swofford struggles with the possibility of his girlfriend cheating on him, and as his mental state deteriorates, his desire to kill increases.

Starring: Jamie Foxx,Jake Gyllenhaal,Peter Sarsgaard

Plot: Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Michael Peña,Natalie Martinez

Plot: Maggie is an alluring free spirit who won’t let anyone – or anything – tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie, whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serves him well with the ladies and the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie’s evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Anne Hathaway,Oliver Platt

Plot:When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Michelle Monaghan,Vera Farmiga

Plot: A mild-mannered college professor discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man’s private affairs.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Mélanie Laurent,Sarah Gadon

Plot: After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Jena Malone,James Duval

Plot: Billy “The Great” Hope, the reigning junior middleweight boxing champion, has an impressive career, a loving wife and daughter, and a lavish lifestyle. However, when tragedy strikes, Billy hits rock bottom, losing his family, his house and his manager. He soon finds an unlikely savior in Tick Willis, a former fighter who trains the city’s toughest amateur boxers. With his future on the line, Hope fights to reclaim the trust of those he loves the most.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Rachel McAdams,Forest Whitaker

Plot: A cartoonist teams up with an ace reporter and a law enforcement officer to track down an elusive serial killer.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Mark Ruffalo,Anthony Edwards

Plot: Keller Dover faces a parent’s worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki, arrests the driver, but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter’s life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

Starring: Hugh Jackman,Jake Gyllenhaal,Maria Bello

Plot: When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal,Rene Russo,Riz Ahmed

Plot: Rodeo cowboy Jack and ranch hand Ennis are hired as sheepherders in 1963 Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, they spark a physical relationship. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart and Jack marries a fellow rodeo rider, they keep up their tortured, sporadic love affair for 20 years.

Starring: Heath Ledger,Jake Gyllenhaal,Michelle Williams

These performances demonstrate Jake Gyllenhaal’s versatility, range, and ability to fully embody complex characters, earning him a reputation as one of the most talented actors working in Hollywood today.