Oscar Legends Presents: Famous Directors-Writers that had involvement with Academy Award films
by AlexHartsell | created - 18 Jun 2015 | updated - 5 days ago | PublicRows 1-184: Directors
Rows 185-212: Writers
Rows 213-242: Producers
Rows 243-324: Animation Creators
For that is not is on the list are companies that had involvement with Academy Award films while not doing the production.
* Broadway Video (Poetic Justice, On the Ropes, Lost in Translation, Julie & Julia and A Star Is Born)
* Funny or Die (Boyhood)
* Ralph Edwards Productions (Scrooged, Avalon and Hacksaw Ridge)
* Fred Rogers Productions (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
* Dr. Seuss Enterprises (Addams Family Values, The American President, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I Am Sam, The Lovely Bones and Salt)
* Worldwide Pants (One Fine Day, Jackie Brown, Bulworth, In the Bedroom, Amy and Steve Jobs)
* Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
* Nelvana (Ryan)
* Bardel Entertainment (Anastasia, The Prince of Egypt and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)
* House of Cool Studios (The Incredibles, Rio, Hugo and Ferdinand)
* Cuppa Coffee Studios (Eastern Promises)
* C.O.R.E. (Fly Away Home and The Time Machine)
* Rainmaker Studios (Titanic, Armageddon, A Simple Plan and I, Robot)
* DiC Entertainment (Short Cuts)
* FilmFair (The Periwig-Maker)
* Titmouse (Her, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
* Colossal Pictures/WildBrain (The Black Stallion, One from the Heart, The Right Stuff, The Cotton Club, Top Gun, Children of a Lesser God, Peggy Sue Got Married, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, Dracula and Ice Age)
* Cookie Jar Group/DHX Media (A Boy Named Charlie Brown and The Red Violin)
* Kurtz & Friends (City Slickers, Jurassic Park and Minority Report)
* Rick Reinert Production (Mrs. Doubtfire)
* Filmation (Footloose)
* Epoch Ink and Lanterna Magica (Treasure Planet)
* Curious Pictures (Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Black Swan)
* Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (The Lego Movie and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
* David Allen Productions (Young Sherlock Holmes and Willow)
* Wang Film Productions Company (TRON, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove and Lilo & Stitch)
* Hanho Heung-Up Company/Steve Hahn Productions (Technological Threat, Pocahontas and Hercules)
* Akom Production Company (The Longest Daycare)
* Sunwoo Entertainment (The Wild Thornberrys Movie and The Illusionist)
* Cactus Animation, Dargaud Media, Ellipse Animation and M6 (No Time to Die)
* Oh! Production (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, La Maison
en Petits Cubes, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, When Marine Was There and Mirai)
* Production I.G (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and The Boy and the Heron)
* Doga Kobo (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marine Was There)
* Studio Deen, Gainax, AIC and Studio Hibari (Spirited Away)
* Shaft (Spirited Away and Mirai)
* Gonzo (Howl's Moving Castle)
* Studio Khara (The Wind Rises, When Marnie Was There and The Boy and the Heron)
* Telecom Animation Film (Spirited Away and The Wind Rises)
* Toei Animation (War of the Worlds)
* Tatsunoko Production (The Lego Movie, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, When Marine Was There and Ready Player One)
* Vega Entertainment, David Production, C2C, Studio Comet, Nippon Animation, Studio Pierrot, Bones and Studio A.P.P.P. (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya)
* Studio 4°C (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and The Boy and the Heron)
* Liden Films and Magic Bus (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Mirai)
* Pacific Animation Corporation/Disney Animation Japan/The Answer Studio (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, When Marine Was There and Mirai)
* Asahi Production (When Marine Was There and Mirai)
* Studio Ponoc and CoMix Wave Films (Mirai and The Boy and the Heron)
* A-1 Pictures, MAPPA, Kinema Citrus, Shin-Ei Animation, White Fox and Satelight (Mirai)
* ufotable and Yostar Pictures (The Boy and the Heron)
* Kodansha (Ready Player One and Mirai)
* Shueisha and Gakken (Mirai)
* Takara Tomy (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Muppets)
* TV Asahi (Lost in Translation)
* MTV (Toys, The Bodyguard, Mr. Saturday Night, Being John Malkovich, American Splendor, Lost in Translation, Shark Tale, Sideways, Tropic Thunder, Straight Outta Compton and Amy)
* Nickelodeon (Big Fish, War of the Worlds, The Big Sick, Vice and Ready Player One)
* Spike TV (Tropic Thunder)
* FOX (Avalon, Independence Day, Tupac: Resurrection, Licorice Pizza and Blonde)
* The Carsey-Werner Company (Tupac: Resurrection)
* Stephen J. Cannell Productions (Bolt)
* Sony Pictures Television (Basic Instinct, Apollo 13, Wonder Boys, Tupac: Resurrection, Borat, Little Children, The Lovely Bones, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Straight Outta Compton, Incredibles 2, Ford v Ferrari, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Licorice Pizza and The Holdovers)
* 20th Century Fox Television (Bulworth, Unfaithful, Minority Report, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Birdman, Steve Jobs and Avengers: Infinity War)
* Capcom (Wreck-It Ralph, Ready Player One, Ralph Breaks the Internet, No Time to Die and Tár)
* Konami (Lost in Translation, Wreck-It Ralph, Ready Player One and Ralph Breaks the Internet)
* Microsoft (Avatar, 13 Hours, Ready Player One, The Suicide Squad and No Time to Die)
* Disney Interactive (The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Emperor's New Groove, "Monsters, Inc.", Treasure Planet, Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL·E, Bolt, Up, The Princess and the Frog, Toy Story 3, Tangled, TRON: Legacy, Brave, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Inside Out and Zootopia)
* Atari (Superman, TRON, Terminator 2, The Pursuit of Happyness, WALL·E, TRON: Legacy, Wreck-It Ralph, The Boss Baby, Ready Player One and Ralph Breaks the Internet)
* Mojang AB (Wonder and Ready Player One)
* Square Enix (Ready Player One, The One and Only Ivan, No Time to Die and Godzilla Minus One)
* Value, Bethesda Softworks, Rare and Activision Blizzard (Ready Player One)
* Acclaim Entertainment (Total Recall and Terminator 2)
* Midway Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Terminator 2)
* THQ/THQ Nordic (Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL·E and Up)
* Eizo (Lost in Translation)
* Epic Games (Bridesmaids, Iron Man 3, Ralph Breaks the Internet and WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko)
* Insomniac Games (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
* McDonald's Corporation (Mickey's Christmas Carol, Coming to America and The Fifth Element)
* Playboy Enterprises (Beverly Hills Cop II, Forest Gump, Minority Report, Big Fish and The Muppets)
* National Lampoon (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
* Archie Comics (The Shawshank Redemption)
* Penguin Random House (Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, Tupac: Resurrection, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Reader and Rabbit Hole)
* Wizards of the Coast (Ready Player One and Onward)
* Crayola (The Boss Baby)
* National Public Radio (NPR) (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Savages, La La Land, Vice and RBG)
1. Joseph Sargent
Director | Jaws: The Revenge
Joseph Sargent was born on July 22, 1925 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Jaws: The Revenge (1987), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and Nightmares (1983). He was married to Carolyn Nelson and Mary Carver. He died on December 22, 2014 in Malibu, ...
From Here to Eternity Tobruk
2. Sergio Leone
Writer | Once Upon a Time in America
Sergio Leone was virtually born into the cinema - he was the son of Roberto Roberti (A.K.A. Vincenzo Leone), one of Italy's cinema pioneers, and actress Bice Valerian. Leone entered films in his late teens, working as an assistant director to both Italian directors and U.S. directors working in ...
Bicycle Thieves Quo Vadis The Nun's Story Ben-Hur Unforgiven
3. Tinto Brass
Writer | La vacanza
Giovanni Brass was born on 26 March 1933 into the family of a famous artist, Italico Brass, who was his grandfather. Italico gave his grandson a nickname "Tintoretto," which Giovanni later adapted into his cinematic name, Tinto Brass.
Tinto inherited his grandfather's artistic skills, but he applied...
General Della Rovere
4. Giuliano Montaldo
Writer | L'industriale
Born in 1930 in Genoa. Still a young student in 1950 when director Carlo Lizzani gave him a role in the film Achtung Banditi!. Following this experience he traveled to Rome where, after acting in film and theater, he became the assistant director to Lizzani, Gillo Pontecorvo, Sergio Leone, ...
Kapò The Battle of Algiers
5. Lucio Fulci
Writer | Lo squartatore di New York
Lucio Fulci, born in Rome in 1927, remains as controversial in death as he was in life. A gifted craftsman with a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of dark humor, Fulci achieved some measure of notoriety for his gore epics of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but respect was long in coming.
Abandoning ...
Nine Ida
6. Robert Downey Sr.
Actor | To Live and Die in L.A.
Robert Downey Sr. served in the army, played minor-league baseball, was a Golden Gloves champion and off-off Broadway playwright, all before he was 22 years old.
Downey was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elizabeth (McLoughlin), a model, and Robert Elias, who worked in hotel/restaurant ...
Boogie Nights Magnolia Licorice Pizza
7. Benny Safdie
Actor | Good Time
Born and raised in New York City: in both Queens & Manhattan. He attended the school of Communication at Boston University. He often collaborates with his brother Josh Safdie. He is a director, writer, editor and actor known for Daddy Longlegs(2009),Heaven Knows What(2014), Good Time (2017), Uncut ...
Pieces of a Woman Licorice Pizza Oppenheimer
8. John Flynn
Director | Lock Up
John Flynn was a very fine, efficient and sadly underrated director who excelled at making mean'n'lean crime pictures. His movies are distinguished by tight plots, a hard, no-nonsense tone, and a taut, streamlined and fiercely economical directorial style. John was born on March 14, 1932 in Chicago...
West Side Story Two for Seesaw The Great Escape What a Way to Go!
9. David Winters
Actor | West Side Story
Born David Weizer in London, England, as a child and teenager David Winters acted in many television shows and Broadway productions, including the initial line-up of the stage production of the musical "West Side Story," playing the role of Baby John.
In 1961, he appeared as A-Rab in the movie ...
The Last Angry Man West Side Story Captain Newman, M.D. A Star is Born (1976 film)
10. Clement Virgo
Producer | Greenleaf
Clement Virgo is one of Canada's foremost film directors. In 2015 he directed and co-wrote a six part miniseries adaptation of the Lawrence Hill novel The Book of Negroes (2015) which debuted to record-breaking numbers on the CBC in Canada and on BET in the U.S. and won twelve Canadian Screen ...
Away from Her
11. Melvin Van Peebles
Actor | The Shining
Melvin Van Peebles was born on August 21, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Shining (1997), Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) and Don't Play Us Cheap (1972). He was married to Maria Marx. He died on September 21, 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New ...
Bulworth
12. Mario Van Peebles
Actor | How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass
Mario Van Peebles is a highly regarded director, actor, producer and writer. His directorial skills can be seen in the retelling of the epic mini-series "Roots" starring Forest Whitaker and Matthew Goode. Van Peebles has directed award-winning shows such as the recent hit "Empire" and "The Last ...
The Cotton Club Heartbreak Ridge Ali
13. Darnell Martin
Director | I Like It Like That
Darnell Martin was born on January 7, 1964 in Bronx, New York, USA. She is a director and writer, known for I Like It Like That (1994), Cadillac Records (2008) and Do the Right Thing (1989). She is married to Giuseppe Ducrot.
Do the Right Thing
14. Malcolm D. Lee
Director | Girls Trip
Malcolm D. Lee was born on January 11, 1970 in the USA. He is a writer and director, known for Girls Trip (2017), The Best Man (1999) and The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022). He has been married to Camilla Banks since 2000. They have three children.
Malcolm X (1992 film)
15. Kevin Hooks
Actor | Innerspace
Kevin Hooks was born on September 19, 1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Innerspace (1987), Last Resort (2012) and Passenger 57 (1992). He is married to Cheryl. They have two children. He was previously married to Regina Hooks.
Sounder Innerspace
16. Allen Hughes
Director | The Book of Eli
Albert and Allen Hughes began making movies at age 12, but their formal film education began their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled How To Be A Burglar and people began to take notice. Their next work, Uncensored videos, was ...
Tupac: Resurrection
17. Albert Hughes
Director | The Book of Eli
Albert and Allen Hughes began making movies at age 12, but their formal film education began their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled How To Be A Burglar and people began to take notice. Their next work, Uncensored videos, was ...
Tupac: Resurrection
18. Tim Story
Director | Fantastic Four
Timothy Kevin Story was born on March 13, 1970 in Los Angeles, California. Attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California with jazz pianist Eric Reed and actresses Regina King and Nia Long. Graduated from USC film school.
Away from Her
19. Chris Rock
Actor | Top Five
Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Rosalie (Tingman), a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped, and Julius Rock, a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman, whose own father was a preacher.
...
Beverly Hills Cop II A.I. Artificial Intelligence Bowling for Columbine Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Rustin
20. Vondie Curtis-Hall
Actor | Romeo + Juliet
Vondie Curtis-Hall was born on September 30, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Romeo + Juliet (1996), Falling Down (1993) and Waist Deep (2006). He has been married to Kasi Lemmons since August 19, 1995. They have two children.
Coming to America Black Rain The Mambo Kings Passion Fish Clear and Present Danger Tuesday Morning Ride Romeo + Juliet Harriet
21. Robert Townsend
Producer | Hollywood Shuffle
Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up, acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30 years in the business, ...
Mahogany A Solider's Story
22. Ossie Davis
Actor | Do the Right Thing
Ossie Davis was born on December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Do the Right Thing (1989), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). He was married to Ruby Dee. He died on February 4, 2005 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.
The Cardinal Malcolm X (1972 film) Do the Right Thing Malcolm X (1992 film) The Client 4 Little Girls Why Can't We Be A Family Again?
23. Bill Duke
Actor | Predator
Duke Media Entertainment, led by actor, director, producer, writer and humanitarian, Bill Duke, is dedicated to bringing quality Edutainment to audiences around the globe. Formerly Yagya Productions, Duke Media has successfully produced critically acclaimed film and television content for more than...
Predator
24. RZA
Soundtrack | The Man with the Iron Fists
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs better known by his stage name the RZA, is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the DE factor leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums for the group and its respective members. He is a cousin of two other original ...
Bulworth 8 Mile American Gangster Django Unchained Straight Outta Compton Don't Look Up
25. Charles S. Dutton
Actor | Gothika
Charles S. Dutton was born on January 30, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Gothika (2003), Alien³ (1992) and A Time to Kill (1996). He was previously married to Debbi Morgan.
Alien³ Se7en
26. Neil LaBute
Writer | In the Company of Men
Acclaimed and highly discussed filmmaker Neil LaBute has made himself a force to be reckoned with and a name to watch. With his true-to-life cynical and self-absorbed characters and all-too-true social themes, he has firmly established himself as an unforgiving judge of the ugliest side of human ...
The Danish Girl
27. Jim Jarmusch
Director | Paterson
Moved to New York City at the age of seventeen from Akron, Ohio. Graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in English, class of '75. Without any prior film experience, he was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts, New York.
American Dream Sling Blade Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
28. Lionel Jeffries
Actor | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
With his bald head, firm jawline and bristling moustache, Lionel Jeffries played a nice line of English eccentrics. This belied his RADA training. Following military service in WWII, he played his major roles - everything from Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) to the Marquis of ...
Lust for Life The Nun's Story Fanny Camelot Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Canterbury Tales
29. Ari Aster
Director | Hereditary
Ari Aster is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for writing and directing the A24 horror films Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019). Aster was born into a Jewish family in New York City on July 15, 1986, the son of a poet mother and musician father. He has a ...
The Lighthouse
30. Tim Sullivan
Writer | 2001 Maniacs
Tim Sullivan moved to Los Angeles where he worked in development at New Line Cinema, co-producing Detroit Rock City (1999) (1999) with Gene Simmons of KISS and current Warner Brothers Chairperson and former classmate Michael De Luca. Sullivan's mainstream directorial debut was the well-received ...
Coming to America Scrooged The Godfather: Part III
31. Robert Kurtzman
Make_up_department | From Dusk Till Dawn
For more than three decades Robert Kurtzman has been an icon in the world of special make-up, creature effects, and genre filmmaking. His award-winning, photo-realistic effects work can be seen in hundreds of movies including Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, franchises and television series-most ...
Predator Misery City Slickers Pulp Fiction Men in Black Boogie Nights A Simple Plan The Green Mile Vanilla Sky
32. Eli Roth
Producer | Thanksgiving
Eli Raphael Roth was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Cora (Bialis), a painter, and Sheldon H. Roth, a psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and clinical professor. His family is Jewish (from Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Poland). He began shooting Super 8 films at the age of eight; after watching Ridley ...
Quiz Show The Mirror Has Two Faces The Lost World: Jurassic Park Inglourious Basterds
33. Robert Rodriguez
Producer | El mariachi
Robert Anthony Rodriguez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, USA, to Rebecca (Villegas), a nurse, and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, a salesman. His family is of Mexican descent.
Of all the people to be amazed by the images of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none ...
Pulp Fiction Baby Driver tick, tick...BOOM!
34. Luis Valdez
Director | La Bamba
Acknowledged as the founder of modern Chicano theatre and film, Luis Valdez was born to migrant farm workers Francisco and Armida Valdez and spent his early life traveling with the family, working in the fields himself. He eventually found himself at San Jose State College, where his play "The ...
Coco
35. Ishirô Honda
Director | Gojira
Influential Japanese film director born May 7th, 1911, often credited as being the father of Godzilla. His name is a combination of "I" (or Ino), meaning "boar", and "shirô," meaning fourth son in the family. Originally, the young Honda had aspirations of becoming an artist; however, as he entered ...
Kagemusha Ran Godzilla Minus One
36. Woo-Ping Yuen
Stunts | Wo hu cang long
Woo-Ping Yuen was born on January 1, 1945 in Guangzhou, China. He is a director and actor, known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Fearless (2006) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004).
The Matrix Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon The Grandmaster
37. Siu-Tung Ching
Stunts | Ying xiong
Siu-Tung Ching was born in 1953. He is an actor, known for Hero (2002), A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) and The Warlords (2007).
Spider-Man Hero House of Flying Daggers Curse of the Golden Flower
38. Felix Chong
Writer | Mou gaan dou
Felix Chong was born on January 1, 1968 in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. He is a writer and director, known for Infernal Affairs (2002), Project Gutenberg (2018) and Overheard (2009).
The Departed
39. Alan Mak
Director | Mou gaan dou
Alan Mak Siu Fai was born in Hong Kong in 1965. In 1986, he studied in the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts. Upon graduation in 1990, he started his movie career.
Mak made his directorial debut in 1997, with his first film being Nude Fear, which was written and produced ...
The Departed
40. Paul Michael Glaser
Actor | Starsky and Hutch
Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser March 25, 1943) is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Dave Starsky on the 1970s television series, Starsky & Hutch. In between his work writing and directing, Glaser also played Captain Jack Steeper on the NBC series ...
Fiddler on the Roof Butterflies Are Free Special Effects: Anything Can Happen Something's Gotta Give
41. L.Q. Jones
Actor | The Edge
This tall, sandy-haired, mustachioed actor from Texas, born Justus McQueen, adopted the name of the character he portrayed in his first film, Battle Cry (1955). Jones, with his craggy, gaunt looks, first appeared in minor character roles in plenty of WWII films including The Young Lions (1958), The...
Battle City Between Heaven and Hell Torpedo Run Cimarron The Wild Bunch Casino The Mask of Zorro
42. George A. Romero
Writer | Land of the Dead
George A. Romero never set out to become a Hollywood figure; by all indications, though, he was very successful. The director of the groundbreaking "Living Dead" films was born February 4, 1940 ,in New York City to Ann (Dvorsky) and Jorge Romero. His father was born in Spain and raised in Cuba, and...
North by Northwest The Silence of the Lambs
43. Paul Bartel
Actor | Eating Raoul
Paul Bartel was born in Brooklyn in 1938. He decided he wanted to direct animated movies when he was 11 and by 13 had spent a summer working at New York's UPA animation studio. He majored in theater arts at UCLA, and received a Fulbright scholarship to study film direction in Rome, producing a ...
Heartbeeps Heart Like a Wheel The Usual Suspects
44. Kevin Smith
Producer | Clerks
Kevin Patrick Smith was born in Red Bank but grew up in Highlands, New Jersey, the son of Grace (Schultz) and Donald E. Smith, a postal worker. He is very proud of his native state; this fact can be seen in all of his movies. Kevin is of mostly German, with some Irish and English, ancestry.
His ...
Good Will Hunting Gone Baby Gone Star Wars: The Force Awakens The Disaster Artist Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
45. Todd Solondz
Director | Welcome to the Dollhouse
Todd Solondz was born in Newark, New Jersey. One of his earliest jobs in the film industry was when, as a young man, he worked as a messenger for the Writers' Guild of America. During this time, he wrote several screenplays.
Solondz's first color film with sync sound was the short "Schatt's Last ...
Married to the Mob As Good as It Gets Aftersun
46. Alex Cox
Director | Repo Man
Throughout his years in the industry, Alex Cox, an English writer-director, has not only proven his loyalty and integrity to cult cinema, but also his love for it. This all began in 1977, when Cox dropped out of Oxford University to study Radio, Film & TV at Bristol until graduating in 1977. Seeing...
Lost in Translation
47. Tom Tykwer
Writer | Lola rennt
Director, writer, producer and composer Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 in Wuppertal, Germany. He showed an interest in film-making from childhood, making super 8 films from the age of 11. Among his first jobs was working at a local art-house cinema. Tykwer eventually relocated to Berlin, first working...
Downfall Inglourious Basterds Pina Citizenfour
48. Gareth Evans
Writer | Serbuan maut
Welsh born writer/director, in 2003 directed a short film "Samurai Monogatari" telling the tale of a Samurai waiting to be executed. The short was in Japanese language and starred students from Tokyo who were studying at Cardiff University at the time.
In 2003 he also graduated with an MA in ...
The Act of Killing The Look of Silence
49. Jack Starrett
Actor | First Blood
Jack Starrett was a superbly talented and versatile actor and director who specialized in making hugely enjoyable down-'n'-dirty low-budget drive-in exploitation pictures. Starrett was born on November 2, 1936, in Refugio, TX. He attended San Marcos Academy in the 1940s and the 1950s. He made his ...
Blazing Saddles The Rose The River
50. Donald Petrie
Director | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Donald Petrie was born on April 2, 1954 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and actor, known for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Miss Congeniality (2000) and Grumpy Old Men (1993).
The Turning Point
51. David Price
Director | Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
You could almost say David Price's career began at birth. Price is the son of former Columbia and Universal studio President and Producer, Frank Price. (Ghostbusters, Gandhi, Tootsie, Out of Africa) and grandson to television pioneer Roy Huggins (Maverick, The Fugitive, 77 Sunset Strip)
In 2007 ...
9 to 5 Ladyhawke
52. Alan Myerson
Director | The Larry Sanders Show
Alan Myerson was born on August 8, 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is a director and actor, known for The Larry Sanders Show (1992), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988) and A Session with the Committee (1969).
The Prince of Egypt Shrek
53. Brian G. Hutton
Director | Where Eagles Dare
Brian G. Hutton was born on May 2, 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Where Eagles Dare (1968), Kelly's Heroes (1970) and Sol Madrid (1968). He was married to Victoria Palacio Sierra. He died on August 19, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The Big Fisherman
54. Luis Llosa
Director | Anaconda
Luis Llosa was born in 1951 in Lima, Peru. He is a producer and director, known for Anaconda (1997), The Specialist (1994) and Crime Zone (1988). He is married to Roxana Valdivieso. They have two children. He was previously married to Patricia Pinilla Cisneros.
Sorcerer
55. Andy Muschietti
Director | Mama
Andy Muschietti was born on August 26, 1973 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He is a producer and director, known for Mama (2013), It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).
Evita
56. Bill Holderman
Producer | Book Club
Bill Holderman is known for Book Club (2018), The Old Man & the Gun (2018) and A Walk in the Woods (2015).
The Motorcycle Diaries All Is Lost
57. John Stockwell
Actor | Top Gun
John Stockwell is an American actor, director, producer and writer who is probably best known - as an actor - for his roles in the Tom Cruise vehicles Losin' It (1982) and Top Gun (1986), and the Stephen King - John Carpenter film Christine (1983).
John has since moved from acting into the ...
Top Gun Nixon
58. Bruce Paltrow
Producer | St. Elsewhere
Bruce Paltrow was born on November 26, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for St. Elsewhere (1982), The White Shadow (1978) and Nick & Hillary (1988). He was married to Blythe Danner. He died on October 3, 2002 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
Catch Me If You Can
59. Nick Cassavetes
Actor | Face/Off
Nick Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes. As a child, he appeared in two of his father's films: Husbands (1970) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the...
A Woman Under the Influence Mask Face/Off Life
60. Jeff Pollack
Writer | Above the Rim
Jeff Pollack was born on November 15, 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Above the Rim (1994), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) and Monster (2003). He was married to Solange White Pollack. He died on December 23, 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California, USA.
Monster
61. Paul Morrissey
Director | Mixed Blood
Born in New York City in 1938, Paul Morrissey studied literature at Fordham University. In the early 1960s, following a stint in the Army and jobs in insurance and as a social worker, he began directing short independent films.
In 1965, he was introduced to Andy Warhol, who asked him to contribute ...
Midnight Cowboy
62. Alan Spencer
Writer | Sledge Hammer!
Alan Spencer is an American writer, producer and director who is best known as the creator of the 1980s satirical TV series ''Sledge Hammer!'' as well as a script doctor for feature films.
While still in high school, Spencer sneaked onto Twentieth Century Fox Studios to observe Mel Brooks directing ...
The Affair of the Necklace
63. Dennis Dugan
Actor | Happy Gilmore
Dennis Barton Dugan is an American film director, actor, comedian and screenwriter from Wheaton, Illinois who directed several films featuring Adam Sandler including Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, Jack & Jill, Grown Ups, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and You Don't Mess With the Zohan. He also ...
The Hospital The Day of the Locust Parenthood
64. David Zucker
Writer | Airplane!
Born on October 16, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, director/writer/producer David Zucker, along with brother Jerry (Ghost, 1990) Zucker and longtime friend, Jim (Hot Shots, 1991) Abrahams, has established himself among Hollywood's (or at least Wisconsin's) most successful filmmakers.
Starting ...
An Inconvenient Truth O.J.: Made in America
65. Jim Abrahams
Writer | Airplane!
Jim Abrahams was born on May 10, 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Airplane! (1980), Top Secret! (1984) and Hot Shots! (1991). He is married to Nancy Cocuzzo.
Coming to America
66. Jack Hill
Writer | Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told
Jack Hill, sometimes referred to as a legendary cult-film director, grew up around movies--his father was a set designer for Warner Brothers since 1925, and later for Walt Disney Studios, where he eventually designed the Disneyland Castle. Jack went to the University of California to study film, ...
Jackie Brown
67. Enzo G. Castellari
Director | Colpi di luce
Enzo G. Castellari was born on July 29, 1938 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is a director and actor, known for Light Blast (1985), Warriors of the Wasteland (1983) and The Big Racket (1976). He has been married to Mirella since December 17, 1961. They have two children.
Inglourious Basterds
68. Monte Hellman
Director | Iguana
Monte Hellman was born on July 12, 1929, in New York City, where his parents were visiting, but he grew up in Los Angeles. He studied drama at Stanford University--on an NBC scholarship--and film at UCLA. After a few years directing in summer theater, Hellman hooked up with legendary "B" movie ...
Inglourious Basterds
69. Sergio Sollima
Writer | Requiem per un agente segreto
Sergio Sollima was born on April 27, 1921 in Rome, Italy. Like many of his colleagues, he began his career as a film critic before gaining entry into the movie industry as a screenwriter. After authorizing a number of book volumes on film history, Sollima used his contacts to began his career as a ...
Inglourious Basterds
70. Sergio Corbucci
Writer | Django
Sergio Corbucci was born on December 6, 1926, in Rome, Italy. He entered grade school with thoughts of becoming a businessman, but after earning a college degree in economics he took an abrupt detour into the world of cinema. Corbucci began his career as a film critic, first for the Italian film ...
Django Unchained Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
71. Joseph Vilsmaier
Director | Stalingrad
Joseph Vilsmaier was born on January 24, 1939 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Stalingrad (1993), The Harmonists (1997) and Brother of Sleep (1995). He was married to Dana Vávrová and Hanna Vilsmaier. He died on February 11, 2020 in Munich, Bavaria, ...
The Periwig-Maker
72. Lloyd Kaufman
Producer | The Toxic Avenger
Stanley Lloyd Kaufman never really wanted to make movies, he wanted to work in Broadway musicals. During his years in Yale he was introduced to "B" pictures and the works of Roger Corman. Lloyd later got the opportunity to executive-produce a short movie made by a fellow student. The film, called "...
Joe Rocky Saturday Night Fever Guardians of the Galaxy The Suicide Squad Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
73. Rob Zombie
Writer | Grindhouse
Robert Bartleh Cummings, more famously known as Rob Zombie, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January 12, 1965. He is the oldest son of Louise and Robert Cummings, and has a younger brother, Michael David (aka Spider One; b. 1968), who is the lead singer of Powerman 5000. Growing up, Zombie ...
The Matrix Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
74. Sam Macaroni
Director | Blackout
He recently directed the action film Blackout which stars Josh Duhamel, Nick Nolte and Abbie Cornish. In 2019 he wrote and directed the feature film Guest House. In 2018 he directed the VR action sequences with Keanu Reeves for John Wick 3. From 2014 to 2016 he worked for The Walt Disney Company. ...
The Jungle Book (2016 film)
75. Mark Waters
Producer | (500) Days of Summer
Mark Waters grew up in South Bend, Indiana, USA. His first film, The House of Yes, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. He is a director and producer, known for Mean Girls (2004), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and He's All That (2021). He has been married to Dina Spybey-Waters since November ...
Requiem for a Dream
76. Alejandro Jodorowsky
Writer | El Topo
Alejandro Jodorowsky was born in Tocopilla, Chile on February 17, 1929. In 1939 he moved to Santiago where he attended university, was a circus clown and a puppeteer. In 1953 he went to Paris and studied mime with Marcel Marceau. He worked with Maurice Chevalier there and made a short film, La ...
Drive
77. John Waters
Writer | Pecker
Growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s, John Waters was not like other children; he was obsessed by violence and gore, both real and on the screen. With his weird counter-culture friends as his cast, he began making silent 8mm and 16mm films in the mid-'60s; he screened these in rented Baltimore ...
Sweet and Lowdown All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
78. Chris Smith
Producer | Tiger King
Chris Smith was born in 1970. He is known for Tiger King (2020), Fyre (2019) and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017).
Finding Vivian Maier
79. Leni Riefenstahl
Producer | Das blaue Licht - Eine Berglegende aus den Dolomiten
Leni Riefenstahl's show-biz experience began with an experiment: she wanted to know what it felt like to dance on the stage. Success as a dancer gave way to film acting when she attracted the attention of film director Arnold Fanck, subsequently starring in some of his mountaineering pictures. With...
The Last Days
80. Patricia Riggen
Director | The 33
Patricia Riggen was born on June 2, 1970 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She is a director and producer, known for The 33 (2015), La milpa (2002) and Under the Same Moon (2007). She is married to Checco Varese. They have one child.
Four Good Days
81. David R. Ellis
Assistant_director | The Matrix Reloaded
Began as an actor in Kurt Russell-Disney Films in 1974. Made the switch to the Stunt world following a successful career as a junior pro surfer. Born, bred, and resided in Malibu. Many, many stunts later, David made the promotion to Stunt Coordinator in 1978 on Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)....
Rocky III Lethal Weapon Fatal Attraction Anna Days of Thunder Misery The Addams Family Beethoven's 2nd Waterworld The Perfect Storm Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
82. J.D. Dillard
Director | Devotion
J.D. Dillard is known for Devotion (2022), Sweetheart (2019) and Sleight (2016).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
83. Ron Fricke
Cinematographer | Samsara
Ron Fricke is known for Samsara (2011), Baraka (1992) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
The Living Sea Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
84. Len Wiseman
Writer | Underworld
Filmmaker Len Wiseman's career began through his work in the art department on the blockbuster hits like Godzilla (1998), Men in Black (1997), and Independence Day (1996). His design talents soon got him behind the camera directing commercials for PlayStation, Time Warner, Oracle, Intel, and ...
Independence Day Men in Black
85. Steve Barron
Director | The Durrells
Steve Barron started in films as a camera assistant on epic productions such as Richard Donner's 'Superman', Richard Attenborough's 'A Bridge Too Far' and Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1977). He began directing music videos in the early eighties for The Jam, Human League, and Adam & the Ants, his ...
Superman
86. David Hogan
Director | Barb Wire
David Hogan was born on August 14, 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Barb Wire (1996), Batman Forever (1995) and Life in a Basket (2003).
Batman Forever
87. Doug Liman
Producer | Edge of Tomorrow
Douglas Eric Liman is a Jewish-American filmmaker and producer who directed Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Chaos Walking, Jumper, Go, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Fair Game, Locked Down, Edge of Tomorrow, The Wall and American Made. He executive produced the Bourne sequels except The Bourne Legacy, The ...
Away from Her The Bourne Ultimatum
88. Stephen Norrington
Director | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Stephen Norrington is a British filmmaker from London who is known for directing the Marvel vampire film Blade starring Wesley Snipes and the 20th Century Fox action fantasy film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen starring Sean Connery. He provided visual effects for several films. After League ...
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Return to Oz Young Sherlock Holmes Aliens Alien³
89. Bill Norton
Director | Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bill Norton was born on August 13, 1943 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Tour of Duty (1987) and Cisco Pike (1971). He was previously married to Rosanna Norton.
The Fortune Cookie
90. Kenny Ortega
Director | High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Kenny Ortega was born on April 18, 1950 in Palo Alto, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': Auditions - Searching for the World's Best Dancers (2010) and Descendants 3 (2019).
One from the Heart Dirty Dancing Quest for Camelot
91. Buddy Van Horn
Stunts | High Plains Drifter
Prolific American stunt man and occasional small part actor, formerly billed as Wayne Van Horn. The son of a veterinarian who ministered to animals at Universal studios, he first worked as a horse wrangler following a stint in the U.S. Army. This earlier expertise as a rider served him well after ...
Around the World in 80 Days Spartacus It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World Marooned Thunderbolt and Lightfoot The Deer Hunter Heaven's Gate Heartbreak Ridge Unforgiven In the Line of Fire Space Cowboys Mystic River Million Dollar Baby Flags of Our Fathers Letters from Iwo Jima Changeling
92. Ruben Fleischer
Director | Zombieland
Ruben Fleischer was born on October 31, 1974 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Zombieland (2009), Gangster Squad (2013) and Venom (2018). He has been married to Holly Shakoor Fleischer since November 10, 2012.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Making Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
93. Michael Lehmann
Director | Heathers
Michael Lehmann was born on March 30, 1957 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Heathers (1988), Hudson Hawk (1991) and American Horror Story (2011). He is married to Holland Sutton.
One from the Heart Ed Wood
94. John Turturro
Actor | Fading Gigolo
Highly talented, lightly built American actor who always looks unsettled and jumpy has become a favourite of cult/arthouse film aficionados with his compelling performances in a broad range of cinematic vehicles.
Turturro was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian-American parents, Katherine (...
Raging Bull Hannah and Her Sisters The Color of Money Do the Right Thing Barton Fink Fearless Quiz Show Unstrung Heroes O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation The Good Shepherd Transformers Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Batman Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
95. Tim Blake Nelson
Actor | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Tim Blake Nelson was born on May 11, 1964 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Leaves of Grass (2009). He has been married to Lisa Benavides-Nelson since June 12, 1994. They have three children.
Donnie Brasco The Thin Red Line O Brother, Where Art Thou? Minority Report Syriana Lincoln The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Nightmare Alley Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Ninety-Five Senses
96. Ryan Murphy
Producer | Glee
Born November 9, 1965 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US as Ryan Patrick Murphy, he is an American writer, director, and producer, responsible for creating such hits as Nip/Tuck (2003), Glee (2009) and American Horror Story (2011). His mother, J. Andy Murphy, was a writer and communications worker and ...
Gods and Monsters
97. Steven Brill
Producer | Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
A native of Utica, New York, Steven Brill studied film, theater and acting at Boston University. It was there that he became a student of acclaimed, Nobel Prize winning poet and playwright, Derek Walcott. Brill became a part of Mr. Walcott's first theater group in Boston, Playwright's Theater, ...
Sex, Lies, and Videotape Postcards from the Edge Edward Scissorhands Batman Returns
98. Mel Smith
Actor | The Princess Bride
His father Ken was born in Co Durham, he married Vera and together took over her family's greengrocers shop in Quick Road, Chiswick, London. He convinced her that the way forward was to convert the shop into a bookmakers and before long they'd moved to a semi-detached house. Mel was born in 1952 ...
The Snowman The Princess Bride
99. Mary Harron
Director | American Psycho
Mary Harron (born January 12, 1953) is a Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter. She gained recognition for her role in writing and directing several independent films, including I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), American Psycho (2000), and The Notorious Bettie Page (2005). She co-wrote American Psycho and ...
Rabbit Hole
100. Miguel Arteta
Director | Beatriz at Dinner
Miguel Arteta was born in 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is a director and producer, known for Beatriz at Dinner (2017), Succession (2018) and Enlightened (2011). He is married to Justine Arteta.
The Visitor Rabbit Hole A Better Life
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