Quick Links
Peter Sarsgaard began his career as a stage actor and gave many astonishing performances that helped him land a career in Hollywood, starring in multiple independent movies and miniseries. He came to prominence in the late 1990s and became popular in the critics' circle for his passionate and dramatic roles, which made him an impactful part of every project. The actor has been honored for his performances in independent movies and bestowed with several accolades, distinctions, and awards for his stunning scene-stealing portrayals.
Sarsgaard’s successful career in theater slowly catapulted him into the world of Hollywood with roles in movies and television shows. Let’s take a look at how Peter Sarsgaard started his career and grew it into a $25 million fortune over the years.
Kicking It Off With Theater
Peter has a family background in the Air Force, due to which he spent a lot of his childhood moving from one place to another. Growing up, he wanted to pursue the field of soccer; however, after facing multiple concussions, he gave up on the dream and decided to become an actor. Sarsgaard began acting after co-founding the comedy troupe Mama’s Pot Roast during college in St. Louis, where he graduated with a History major, as stated by Celebrity Net Worth.
The actor began his career as a stage actor in 1995 when he debuted in Laura Dennis, in an Off-Broadway production followed by the Kingdom Of Earth. While concentrating on his film career, the actor replaced Edward Norton in a stage production of Burn This in 2002. Over the years, Sarsgaard starred in multiple plays, including Anton Chekhov's plays The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, and Three Sisters. As noted by The New York Times, Peter was last seen starring in the 2015 Classic Stage Production’s Off-Broadway production of Hamlet in the titular role. Critics highly appreciated his performance as the tortured lead Shakespearean character.
Finding Success In Hollywood
The artist entered the world of theater in 1995; moreover, he also made his television and movie screen debut in the same year. He played minor characters in the TV show Law And Order and the critically acclaimed movie Dead Man Walking. His breakthrough role occurred in 1999 when he received rave reviews for his performance as a serial killer in Boys Don’t Cry. As mentioned by IMDB, he was awarded the Emerging Actor Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. To date, his most popular role is portraying journalist Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, an autobiographical drama. He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role and went on to win the National Society of Film Critics Award.
After his praise-worthy performance with Shattered Glass, Peter Sarsgaard became one of the most underrated yet skillful actors in Hollywood. He landed roles in independent and mainstream movies wherein his role as a supporting and lead actor stole the show. He has starred in The Dying Gaul, Flightplan, Jarhead, Robot, And Frank, Very Good, Night Movies, and many more. Over the last five years, he turned his focus towards working with his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal and becoming a part of mainstream cinema.
A Career With Risk-Taking Roles
Peter Sarsgaard diversified his portfolio by accepting challenging roles in movies and television shows that earned him a lot of acclaims. In 2019, he starred in The Looming Tower's drama miniseries, which earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. During the 2020 pandemic, the actor teamed up with his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal to produce and star in the musical short film Best Summer Ever, which became one of the most praised movies in the 2021 SXSW Film Festival.
The stage artist teamed up with Maggie Gyllenhaal again to star in the 2021 psychological drama The Lost Daughter, her directorial debut and got nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 2022 Academy Awards. He later starred in the biographical drama The Survivor Man in 2021, starring Ben Foster. After Peter got announced as one of the supporting actors cast in the highly-anticipated DC movie The Batman, there was a lot of mystery around his character. According to Collider, in January 2020, they finally revealed that Sarsgaard would play the Gotham D.A Gill Colson.
Peter Sarsgaard has continued to take on challenging yet rewarding roles during his tenure as an actor and also participated in various projects managed by his wife, Maggie Gyllenhaal. His performances have earned him a hefty $25 million fortune, and he lives a low-key life with his family while making public appearances only on award show red carpets.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, The New York Times, IMDB, Collider