Stephen Gyllenhaal
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Although Stephen Gyllenhaal has several feature credits, he has distinguished himself primarily as a television director. 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 miniseries "Family of Spies" (1990) and earned an Emmy nomination for "A Killing in a Small Town" (CBS, 1990) which featured a mesmerizing star turn by Barbara Hershey. Moving to fiction, he guided Hershey and Dennis Hopper to strong critical notices in "Paris Trout" (Showtime, 1991), based on the Pete Dexter novel. The film also was selected for the Directors Fortnight at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Segueing to the big screen, Gyllenhaal debuted with the teen film "Certain Fury" (1984) and followed with the underrated thriller "The New Kids" (1985). After concentrating on the small screen, he returned to theatrical releases with the offbeat but intriguing study of a teacher who works through his life crisis in the classroom "Waterdance" (1992). Gyllenhaal teamed with his screenwriter wife Naomi Foner for the less successful study of a mentally disabled woman who encounters a drunken handyman, "A Dangerous Woman" (1993), and the child custody courtroom drama "Losing Isaiah" (1995). In 1998, he steered an impressive cast (including Billy Bob Thornton, Kelly Lynch and newcomer Ryan Phillippe) in "Homegrown," a drama about marijuana farmers.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Editing (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Producer (Special)
Life Events
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
Wrote first screenplay for feature, "The New Kids"
1985
Directed music video for Taylor Hackford's feature, "White Nights"
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
Family
Companions
