Maggie Gyllenhaal is a woman who acts.
Margalit Ruth `` Maggie '' Gyllenhaal ( [ ˈdʒɪlənhɑːl ] born November 16 , 1977 in New York City ) is an American actress . For her performance in Sherrybaby ( 2006 ) , she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama . She also received recognition for starring as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) . For her performance in the musical-drama Crazy Heart ( 2009 ) , she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . She subsequently starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang ( 2010 ) , Wo n't Back Down ( 2012 ) and Frank ( 2014 ) , for which she was nominated for a BIFA Award .