Peter Sarsgaard Flying High

Peter Sarsgaard is one of Hollywood's busiest actors. He may not be a household name, but chances are you know his face.

In the last year, he has received critical acclaim for his roles in "Garden State", "Kinsey" and "The Skeleton Key."

Sarsgaard has three more films being released before year's end, the first of which is the thriller "Flightplan" with Jodie Foster.

About Peter Sarsgaard:

• Born on March 7, 1971, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
• Took up acting during his senior year at St Louis' Washington University, and went on to study at the Actors' Studio, in New York City.
• In the mid-1990s he acted onstage in such productions as the Signature Theatre's "Laura Dennis" and his own play, "The Greatest And Most Exciting Gratuitous Exhibition Ever Exploited." While lighting up the stage, Sarsgaard branched out with guest roles in TV productions filmed in the city, like "Law & Order" (1995) and "New York Undercover" (1997) as well as an appearance in the 1997 HBO special "Subway Stories."
• In 1995, he made his big-screen debut with a role as one of the murder victims in Tim Robbins' prison drama, "Dead Man Walking".
• In 1998, he was featured in "The Man in the Iron Mask" as the doomed Raoul, son of Athos (John Malkovich). Also this year, he appeared in "Another Day in Paradise" and "Desert Blue."
• In 1999, he played a quadriplegic housed in an institution in "Freak City." He also offered a co-starring role in Kimberly Peirce's "Boys Don't Cry." Subsequently, he co-starred with Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn in the thriller "The Cell" and with Rupert Everett and Kathy Bates in P. J. Hogan's "Unconditional Love."
• In 2001, Sarsgaard played a successful computer wiz whose technological immersion has left him devoid of human connection in Wayne Wang's drama, "The Center of the World."
• In 2002, he portrayed slacker Jimmy the Finn in the twisty indie crime drama, "The Salton Sea." He supported Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson as a cowardly nuclear reactor technician in the Soviet submarine thriller "K-19: The Widowmaker." And was the slick stock market investor who draws drug dealer John Leguizamo into a world of trouble in the urban crime drama, "Empire."
• In 2003, he had his breakthrough performance in writer-director Billy Ray's "Shattered Glass." He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
• In 2004, he teamed with Natalie Portman and writer/director/star Zach Braff for the indie dramedy "Garden State." Last fall, he costarred in Bill Condon's biopic, "Kinsey," starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney - for which Sarsgaard received an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
• In 2005, he appears in Iain Softley's thriller "The Skeleton Key" with Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands and John Hurt.
• He will be seen next in Sam Mendes' adaptation of Anthony Swofford's best-selling Gulf War memoir, "Jarhead," co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx. Later this fall, Sarsgaard stars opposite Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson in the psychological drama, "The Dying Gaul" for writer/director Craig Lucas.