Cinematic Crush: Jake Gyllenhaal

With his boy-next-door looks and easygoing nature, it is no wonder that Jake Gyllenhaal has topped many a list of our favorites. Moreover, he would likely be number one with us even without the help of Jack Twist.

Gyllenhaal's film debut at age eleven as Billy Crystal's son in City Slickers didn't exactly show signs of his future greatness; it was his breakthrough role in the inspirational October Sky that marked him as one to watch, and we were rewarded with his brilliantly messed up Donnie Darko for doing so. (Darko also introduced us to Jake's equally talented sister, Maggie.) He went on to nail his alienated youth roles in The Good Girl, Moonlight Mile and even Bubble Boy, plus The Day After Tomorrow, a rare foray into special effects-laden blockbusters.

But 2005 was Gyllenhaal's year. He was great as a math geek in Proof and as a hard-boiled marine in Jarhead. Then he took a trip to Brokeback Mountain. His Jack was the free-spirited optimist trapped in a world that could never understand him. Gyllenhaal's powerful, tragic performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination, a slew of other awards, and a permanent spot in the ranks of the great actors of his generation.

Recent roles in the serial killer thriller Zodiac and the upcoming terrorism drama Rendition have further proved his right to be there.

Links via Imdb.com, AfterElton.com and EW.com.