They have acting in common, and a double-a in both of their last names.  They may also both have Acting Category, Oscar nominations, this year.

They are married, in real life.  The first married couple of this year’s Academy Awards, that I wrote about,  are directors.  (…Not married any longer, but they were…Bigelow and Cameron, click for Oscar Prep link.)

Although Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal won’t be competing against each other, due to the stratification by gender in the acting categories…

They both are being discussed as actors who may be Oscar nominees, by the critics.

Here’s what Pete Hammond wrote about them, in the LA Times:

They have both delivered critically acclaimed performances this year that are being touted for Oscars in the supporting categories even though they could arguably be called leads. In fact, until last week Searchlight was actively promoting Gyllenhaal for Best Actress even though her role is nowhere near as big as the film’s real star, Jeff Bridges. The studio, which got no traction for Maggie in precursor awards including SAG, has now decided to promote her for support in the hope that the Academy’s actors branch has room for her in that category. There was talk earlier in the season that Sarsgaard wanted to be pitched in the lead acting categories as well but Sony Classics finally decided instead to go for supporting along with co-star Alfred Molina. Sadly neither has gotten many mentions so far although Molina did pick up a Critics’ Choice nomination and both are part of the nominated overall cast in the SAG awards.