Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most popular, respected, and well-paid actors of our time. In addition to starring in a slew of box office hits, the Los Angeles-native has performed on stage in a number of high-profile productions. He’s also lent his name and image to some big-time brands in exchange for hefty paychecks. So what’s Jake Gyllenhaal’s net worth? Here’s an inside peek at how this Academy Award-nominated actor makes his money.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Film Roles
Jake Gyllenhaal was born into a theatrical family. His father is Stephen Gyllenhaal, a noted film director; his mom is Naomi Foner, an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter; and his older sister is well-known actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. Jake started acting as a child, making his film debut at the age of 11 in the 1991 Billy Crystal comedy, City Slickers. He also appeared in a number of his father’s movies, including the 1993 drama A Dangerous Women and the 1998 thriller Homegrown.
In 1999, Jake Gyllenhaal’s star really began to rise after he delivered a powerful lead performance in the drama October Sky. Two years later, he impressed critics once again as the title character in the acclaimed psychological thriller Donnie Darko. The role earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead.
The hits just kept coming after that—in 2004, Gyllenhaal starred in the disaster blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, which he followed with Brokeback Mountain in 2005. The young actor won a BAFTA Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in the latter film.
After Brokeback Mountain, Gyllenhaal’s status as an A-list Hollywood actor was solidified. Since then, he’s continued to appear in successful films, including the 2007 thriller Zodiac, the 2010 romantic comedy Love & Other Drugs, and the critically acclaimed 2014 film noir flick, Nightcrawler. Currently, he stars in the 2021 crime thriller The Guilty, which premiered in movie theaters in September and is currently streaming on Netflix. Critics have praised the actor for his intense performance as a troubled 911 operator trying to save a kidnapping victim.
Gyllenhaal’s Stage Roles
Jake Gyllenhaal is also an accomplished stage actor. He made his theater debut in a 2002 production of the Kenneth Lonergan play, This Is Our Youth, at the West End in London when he was 22. Ten years later, he had a two-month stint on Broadway in the play Constellations.
In 2015, he took on the role of Seymour Krelborn in a New York production of Little Shop of Horrors. In fact, the Spider-Man: Far From Home actor says that musical theater is his favorite acting medium. “I do love acting in movies and I have had great luck, but really I feel at home when I’m acting and singing simultaneously,” he said in a 2020 interview with Vogue. “It’s been that way since I was very young.”
He returned to Broadway in 2017 to star in the musical Sunday in the Park With George. The production is set to reopen in London in the near future (it was delayed as a result of COVID-19). In 2019, Gyllenhaal starred alongside Tom Sturridge in the Off-Broadway-to-Broadway play, Sea Wall/A Life. The role earned him his first Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play.
He Co-Founded A Production Company In 2015
Gyllenhaal also has his hands in some lucrative behind-the-scenes pursuits. In 2015, the Brokeback Mountain actor co-founded the production company Nine Stories with well-known Hollywood producer Riva Marker. Gyllenhaal was eager to spearhead his own company in an effort to find more interesting acting roles for himself. “We have two goals,” Gyllenhaal said of the company in a 2017 interview with Variety. “One is to find material I can do as an actor. And also, it’s to champion the filmmakers we love.”
Gyllenhaal also credits his famous family with inspiring him to start a production company. “My sister happens to be an actor,” he told Variety. “She’s the person I always looked up to since I was little. And my mother is a very strong, powerful, talented writer. I’ve been raised by these incredible female storytellers, so it’s natural for me to say, ‘Where are those stories?’”
Since its launch, Nine Stories has turned out a wide range of projects, including the Tony-nominated show Slave Play and Gyllenhaal’s recent movie, The Guilty.
Endorsements And Collaborations
In addition to acting and producing, Gyllenhaal has served as a spokesperson for a number of upscale (and high-paying) brands. In 2018, luxury jeweler Cartier tapped him to serve as front man for their Santos de Cartier watch. Gyllenhaal appeared in print ads for the high-end timepiece, in addition to a film advertisement that was released online and in movie theaters. He was the first celebrity to ever be included in a Cartier campaign.
In 2021, the actor was recruited by Prada to front the campaign for their new men’s fragrance, Luna Rossa Ocean. Described by the brand as “a bright cocktail of qualitative citrus combined with a racy duo of lavender and sage,” the cologne has an aroma that Gyllenhaal says he can really get behind. “The scent is refreshing and strong,” he said in a recent interview with Forbes. “The smell of fresh bergamot feels very sophisticated, and I love that the scent evokes a sense of adventure. I also love that the fragrance is connected with the idea of the ocean and venturing into the unknown and taking risks. That is an idea I can align myself with.”
Also in 2021, Gyllenhaal collaborated with the esteemed New York City smoked fish and specialty food store Russ & Daughters. The actor teamed up with the famous shop to design a limited-edition $150 hoodie, with proceeds benefiting the non-profit Actors Fund.
This was Gyllenhaal’s second collab with the venerable store — last year, he designed a limited-edition tie-dye T-shirt to help raise money for independent restaurants affected by the pandemic. Gyllenhaal says his favorite thing about teaming up with Russ & Daughters is having the opportunity to work with a beloved Manhattan institution. “It’s claiming a connection with maybe one of the coolest, most established spots in New York City, which I think is priceless,” he recently said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Net Worth
So what do all these acting and business pursuits add up to? About $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Gyllenhaal’s net worth is notably higher than his sister’s, which is estimated to be about $25 million. That’s likely due to the fact that Jake owns half of a production company and has starred in a few more mainstream box office hits.
In addition to his lucrative acting gigs, endorsement deals, and production company, Gyllenhaal has also fared well in the world of real estate. In 2014, he sold his three-bedroom Hollywood Hills home for a cool $3.2 million. Currently, he owns a 2,868 square-foot loft in New York City’s upscale TriBeCa neighborhood, which was purchased for $8.63 million back in 2017. We can only assume that property has risen in value, especially as TriBeCa continues to attract A-list celebs such as Harry Styles, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, and Beyoncé.