Famous director Birthdays, Today, Celebrity Birthdays

From being born in a middle-class family of workers to being the reigning actor-director-producer of Hollywood, Clinton ˜Clint' Eastwood has had a dreamy uphill career, but not without his share of failures. It is hard to believe that this prolific actor-director-producer has had an extremely humble start. He struggled with various odd jobs, before being recommended to try his luck at acting. Clint's first shot to fame was for his role as Rowdy Yates for the TV series, ˜Rawhide'. The series gave him the breakthrough and opened doors for him to journey further in the world of showbiz. After a couple of films, Clint made his debut as a director in 1971 and in no time, made a mark as his films received both commercial and critical success. He turned producer with the launch of his own production house, Malpaso Productions. In his five decades long career, he has starred, directed and produced films of various genres, right from soulful romantics to violent action and slapstick comedies to biopics.

Marine biologist, writer, and director who created the Nickelodeon animated series Spongebob SquarePants.

Steven Spielberg is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer known for some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century. Notorious as one of the biggest names in Hollywood, he is regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of movie making. Having worked in the movie industry for more than four decades, Spielberg has contributed to films of many different themes and genres, including science-fiction and adventure as well historical features. This versatility has allowed him to continue steady work on successful films throughout his life. He has been nominated and awarded with a great deal of achievements throughout his career, as his work has been able to reach individuals of many different backgrounds and interests. His films have set box office records, setting the standards for what it means to be a blockbuster movie. The film maker revolutionized the genre of sci-fi with the special effects included in movies such as the Jurassic Park and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Over the years the director has become a champion of humanistic causes and his projects focus on issues such as the holocaust. To know more about the life and works of this eminent director read on the following biography

With an estimated net worth of 7.3 billion, George Lucas is widely regarded as one of the most commercially successful filmmakers in the American film industry. However, filmmaking was not his ambition when he was young. Interestingly, this ace director was in love with speed and cars and aimed to be a car racer. Nevertheless, a near death accident forced him to change his mind and with this changed his destiny as well. He later attended the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts, where he studied motion picture and its essence and went on to make a number of student films. His short film, ˜Electronic Labyrinth: THX-1138 4EB', won the first prize at the National Student Film Festival. He later went on to make some of the most successful films in Hollywood. He created the famous ˜Star Wars' franchise, a series of six films that earned over 5 billion. He also conceived the legendary character of ˜Indiana Jones', seen in all the ˜Indiana Jones' series of films. He is also the founder of the film and television production company, ˜Lucasfilm', which he later sold to The Walt Disney Company. Apart from being a filmmaker, he is a philanthropist and founder of ˜The George Lucas Educational Foundation'.

It is true that talent and innovativeness can set any man's career soaring high and Tim Burton is no less. Blessed with a great acumen for imaginativeness coupled with excellent drawing skills, Burton soon converted his passion and hobby into his career and had no looking back since then. A graduate of California Institute of Arts, he started his career by taking up the position of an apprentice animator at the Walt Disney studios. However, this was just the beginning of his super illustrious career as he set forth to make a mark as a director, producer, writer, poet and stop motion artist in the American film industry. In his four decades of career, he came up with dark, gothic, macabre and quirky horror and fantasy films. Adding to the dark gothic setup is the effective use of musical interludes which is prominently seen in almost all his films. Most of his films focuses around a misunderstood outcast and include characters who distrust the protagonist. As of 2012, he has directed 16 films and produced 12 films. Some of his super successful films include ˜Pee-wee's Big Adventure', ˜Batman', ˜Batman Returns', ˜Planet of the Apes', ˜Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and ˜Alice in Wonderland'.

Kenny Ortega is an American film and television producer, director, and choreographer. He began his career working with the dancer and choreographer Gene Kelly in the film ˜Xanadu.' He went on to choreograph several music videos and in time, established himself as a reputed professional in this field. He made his directorial debut with the musical comedy drama film ˜Newsies'. The film, however, was a flop commercially and was met with mixed to negative reviews. Even though disappointed, he did not let his initial failure affect his future works. In the coming years he directed many other films, including the super-hit ˜High School Musical 3: Senior Year', which made more than $250 million on a $11 million budget. The film was the third installment of the ˜High School Musical' trilogy. The previous two installments were TV films which were also directed by Ortega. He has also directed many episodes of TV shows, such as the medical drama series ˜Chicago Hope' and the comedy drama series ˜Gilmore Girls'. Ortega has won several awards in his career, including two Emmy Awards out of five nominations.

Filthy Frank is a Japanese-born artiste who has grown popular by posting unconventional content on his social media channels. Filthy Frank started his career in June 2008 by becoming part of a YouTube group called 'Tempura Boyz.' Most of the content he created was based on rants, abuses, and raps on others. The story behind the birth of his ˜DizastaMusic' channel is quite interesting. When he was in his college, Filthy Frank placed a bet with his friends that he could post a video based on offensive content and still get a lot of viewership. In his video, he talks about explosive diarrhea. The video got more than 10,000 views quickly encouraging him to start a new channel. His friends obviously lost the bet to him! As the first video was based on a filthy concept like diarrhea, he got the nickname of Filthy Frank from his fans which he continues to use to this day. Other than using abusive words in his videos, Filthy Frank also differentiates himself through the weird clothes he wears during the filming of his videos.

Either an individual grasps Quentin Tarantino's films, or doesn't. Those who do understand his movies, relate to his craft of making a daring fusion of thrillers, neo-noir, and non-linear films. Those who do not apprehend his films, pass them off as mere art-house cinema material. Nonetheless, Quentin Tarantino has grown to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Not only has he managed to gather a cult following for his films, he, unlike his previous generation of filmmakers, has understood in entirety, what ˜kind' of films get the audiences flocking to cinema halls. From the famous ˜Pulp Fiction' to ˜Inglorious Basterds' and ˜Reservoir Dogs' to ˜Natural Born Killers', he has come a long way from working in a video rental store to one of the most legendary director-screenwriters of all time. Through most part of his life, he juggled as the multifaceted actor, director, screenwriter and producer and in the latter part of his life, decided to stick to doing what he knew best - direction and production. One would be able to spot a Quentin Tarantino classic from a mile away. His films are pregnant with dissimilar traditions, gangster violence, Blaxploitation themes and accented language.

Taiwanese director who first received attention for his 2000 fantastical action film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He then went on to win Academy Awards for Best Director for his work on the American films Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi.

Film, commercial and music video director who has worked with Disney, Marvel, DreamWorksTV, Universal Music and other music production companies. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in a 2011 series called Apartment 157. 

Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is the adopted son of Harriet and Jim Bay. He attended Crossroads School, in Santa Monica, California. At fifteen, he interned with George Lucas during the production of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Impressed by the movie, he decided to become a film director. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1986, majoring in English and Film. He began his career by working in the music video business, and created music videos for popular singers like Tina Turner, Meat Loaf and Lionel Richie, and won MTV award nominations. His first movie venture was Bad Boys. He followed it up with The Rock. His Armageddon grossed over $553 million worldwide. However, Pearl Harbor failed to impress audiences. Bay along with Scott Gardenhour formed The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness. He also founded the production house Platinum Dunes with Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and rolled out re-makes of classic horror movies including The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. He teamed with Steven Spielberg to produce Transformers. He was director and executive producer for the sequels, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Bay has received five MTV Movie Awards for Transformers, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II and The Rock.

Having a penchant for humor and wit, Woody Allen still stands strong for his age in the entertainment industry and is respected by the world for his ability to express his feelings and emotions using slapstick humor. Magnificently endowed in the field of creativity, Allen has made a mark not only as a comedian but as an actor, director, playwright and jazz musician. In his five decade long career, Allen has given the world numerous movies and theatrical works which are going to be influential and inspirational for the sheer sense of novelty and ingenuity that they carry. His long list of work has touched the various genres of humor, right from slapstick to satirical and even dark comedy. Interestingly, the actual personality of Allen is arch different from what he puts up on stage, as a neurotic, nervous and intellectual person. He carries the same persona for the big screen as well. For most of his movies, Allen has drawn inspiration from literature, philosophy, psychology, Judaism, European cinema and New York City. It is due to his sheer aptitude in filmmaking that he has been known the world over as one of the most prolific and gifted filmmakers of the modern era.

Tommy Wiseau is a Polish-American actor, director, filmmaker, and writer. He is best known for writing, producing, directing, and starring in the cult film ˜The Room' that won the Audience Award at New York International Film Festival in 2004. He is also known for creating the documentary ˜Homeless in America' as well as the sitcom ˜The Neighbors'. Wiseau is a controversial artist who has gained both appreciation as well as criticism for his projects. However, he doesn't let the criticism dampen his spirit and continues to create unconventional films and TV shows. Known for his signature curly black hair and eccentric personality, Wiseau is in a serious mood most of the time, irrespective of whether he is filming or posing in front of the media for pictures. The actor is also always seen wearing a pair of sunglasses, even in daylight. Wiseau, who is a highly secretive person, hasn't disclosed anything regarding his personal life to the media. In 2017, he told ˜Entertainment Weekly' that he believed that a person's private life should be private and that he has all the rights to maintain his privacy from the prying eyes of the media!

Born as Shelton Jackson Lee, Spike Lee is a renowned film director and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues like racism, politics and urban violence in his films. Known for his candid portrayal of taboo topics, he is a fearless and independent minded man who lets his films do the talking. He has made many movies such as ˜School Daze', ˜Do the Right Thing', and ˜Malcolm X' which not only delivered powerful messages to the audiences, but also established him as one of the most respected directors in Hollywood. The son of a teacher and a jazz musician, he was brought up in a culturally and artistically rich atmosphere. His mother played an important role in kindling his imagination”she often took him to museums, galleries and plays and instilled in the boy a love for African American literature. As a young man he realized that he wanted to make films that celebrated the African culture. He made his debut as a director and actor with ˜She's Gotta Have It' which was a huge success. Since then he has made numerous other movies that explore the greatness of African American culture. He is also the founder of the production house ˜40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks' which has produced more than 35 films till date.

With record-breaking hits like 'Avatar', 'Titanic', and 'Terminator', James Cameron, a famous Canadian filmmaker, has carved a niche for himself in the science fiction genre. As a college dropout, he was self-taught in the nitty-gritties of special effects, and began his career with a short film of 10 minutes, titled 'Xenogenesis'. After a few projects as a special effect manager and assistant director, he got his big break with the movie, 'Terminator'. He faced initial hurdles when no one would give a new director a chance, but with determination, and a strong innovative screenplay, he found a producer, and made the movie. The movie, starring action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger, as a robot-killer, became an instant hit. From then on, there was no looking back for this talented filmmaker. He has made path-breaking films like 'Aliens', 'The Abyss', 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', 'True Lies', 'Titanic', and more recently, 'Avatar'. With the success of ˜Avatar', he plans to release sequels of the movie in the recent future. This director, is not only interested in movies, but also shows a deep concern for environmental issues like the pollution of oceans due to oil spills. Apart from that, he harbours a passion for science, as is visible in his movies, and serves on the 'NASA Advisory Council'

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, better known to his fans as J.J. Abrams, is an American film and television producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He specializes in the science fiction and action genres and is most famous for his work in films like ˜Star Trek, and ˜Mission Impossible III', and television shows like ˜Alias' and ˜Felicity.' He developed an early interest in film making which was only natural as his father is also a television producer. As a college student he co-wrote a film treatment with Jill Mazursky which was purchased by Touchstone Pictures and eventually made into a film titled, ˜Taking Care of Business.' The film did not do well and it took Abrams some more years to find a firm footing in the industry. He ultimately found his big breakthrough with the television drama series ˜Felicity' which he co-created with Matt Reeves. The show became extremely popular and earned several nominations and awards, and also established Abrams's reputation as a screenwriter. The show's success led him to create an action series for the television titled ˜Alias' which ran for five seasons on ABC. The show was ranked among the "the 50 greatest TV shows of all time." He started writing, directing and producing movies along with television shows and proved his versatility and talents to the world with his ˜Mission: Impossible III.'

Melvin James Kaminsky, popularly known as ˜Mel Brooks', is a famous American comedian, director, producer, screenwriter, actor, composer and lyricist. He was born in a Jewish household in New York. He served in the US military as a corporal for sometime but later started to play piano and perform stand-up comedy acts in Borscht Belt resorts. From there on his talent for comedy was recognized and he was hired to write for the comedy series ˜Your Show of the Shows'. Brooks did writing for many sitcoms during the early creative period of his life and once he was quite settled with Hollywood and fame, he ventured into directing movies, like: ˜The Producers', ˜Young Frankenstein', ˜The Twelve Chairs', etc. He started his own production company under the name of ˜Brooksfilms' and produced a number of non comedy films. He also produced, wrote and directed many Broadway musicals. He is one of the few artists in Hollywood who has received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. He recently received AFI Life Achievement Award and three of his films are ranked in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of all-time.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock was an English movie director, famously dubbed as the ˜The Master of Suspense'. He was an extraordinary director who entertained his audience with his engaging and captivating suspense thrillers. His fascination with crime and its consequences began at an early age, when he was punished by his father and he spent several minutes inside a prison for his mischief. Hence his movies are symbolic of the guilt and innocence of a victim. He possessed a knack for creating stories that consisted of deceit, fraud, murder, blackmail and other criminal offences with incredible plot twists in the storyline. The protagonists in his movies were the common people most of the time, caught in unwanted and unavoidable critical situations. He had the sense of spellbinding the people and engaging them as a part of his suspense thrillers. He was a prolific story-teller with a fine sense of judgment about his body of work which is considered to be engrossing and enthralling by the critics. Most of his movies have stood the test of time and are considered to be masterpieces. He is remembered by other filmmakers for he inspired them to be passionate about their work, and by the people around the world for his entertaining and thrilling stories.

Academy award winning director, Ronald William Howard is a venerated American television and film actor. He is known worldwide for his early performances in the hit American sitcoms, ˜The <a title='Andy Griffith' href='/famous/andy-griffith.htm'>Andy Griffith</a> Show' and ˜Happy Days'. When he was eighteen months old he made his first appearance in a movie, since then he has never failed to impress his audience over more than five decades. Coming from a theatrical family, he didn't require much training to hone his acting skills since both his parents were actors. He made several appearances in hit movies such as ˜The Courtship of Eddie's Father', ˜American Graffiti' and ˜The Shootist'. Following his father's footsteps, Ron soon sought a more prominent role behind the camera as a director and producer. Some of his most astute skills as a director were seen in the Hollywood films ˜Apollo 13', ˜Cocoon', ˜A Beautiful Mind' and the controversial blockbuster ˜The Da Vinci Code'. In 2013, he was inducted into the prestigious ˜Television Hall of Fame' and is also placed on the legendary ˜Hollywood Walk of Fame'.

Baz Luhrmann is an Australian writer, filmmaker, and producer. Over the course of his nearly four-decade long career, he has been involved in projects spanning the film, television, opera, theatre, music, and recording industries. He is considered to be a modern example of an auteur as he maintains a distinctive style in all his works. A native of Sydney, Luhrmann started acting while he was still in high school, in a production of Shakespeare's ˜Henry IV, Part 1'. In 1981, he made his screen debut in the romance drama ˜Winter of Our Dreams'. As an actor, he is predominantly known for the 1982 film ˜The Highest Honor', in which he worked with Steve Bisley and Stuart Wilson. He is also a prominent figure in the Australian theatre scene, having performed in plays, such as ˜All's Well That Ends Well', ˜Funeral Games', and ˜Holiday Makers'. However, he has been far more successful behind the camera with his Red Curtain Trilogy, which consists of his romantic comedy film ˜Strictly Ballroom', the romantic tragedy ˜William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet', and ˜Moulin Rouge!'. Luhrmann has also been credited for creating stage productions of Giacomo Puccini's ˜La bohème' for both the Australian Opera and Broadway and ˜Strictly Ballroom the Musical'. He set up his own record label, House of Iona, in collaboration with RCA Records sometime in the late 1990s.

Christopher Edward Nolan is an English film director, considered one of the most acclaimed and successful filmmakers of the 21st century. His films have earned a total of 26 nominations for the Oscars, with seven wins. His films have also grossed a total of nearly $5 billion worldwide. Nolan began making short films while he was in college. He gained international recognition after he directed the film 'Memento', which is still known to be one of the best psychological thrillers in Hollywood. He is also popular for directing ˜The Dark Knight' film trilogy. The films, which revolved around the fictional superhero Batman, were critically and commercially successful. Nolan received tremendous popularity for the film 'Inception' which is known to be one of the best sci-fi psychological thrillers in Hollywood. Nolan's films are popular because of his unconventional style and nonlinear storytelling. They are also known for their intellectualism and psychological depth. His most recent work is 'Dunkirk' which is known to be one of the greatest war films ever made. In 2015, Time magazine named Nolan as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Stanley Kubrick, considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers in American history, was a director cum producer known for his innovation in cinematography. A highly creative personality, he worked in a number of genres ranging from romance and crime to horror and science fiction. His interest in films stems from his childhood when he used to bunk classes to watch movies. He was an intelligent boy but had no passion for academic pursuits; in fact his high school grades were so low that he could not get into a decent college! He began his career as a photographer and learnt the aspects of cinematography and film production. He directed his first film at the age of 23”it was a short documentary about the boxer Walter Cartier. Film making intrigued the young Stanley and he tried to learn all he could about the art. He made his initial films on a shoestring budget, but his fate took a turn for the better with the release of ˜Spartacus'. The film became a smash hit and established Kubrick as a major director. He was fond of innovation; many of his films are credited to have introduced new elements in cinematography. He was not someone who shied away from controversy”artistic expression was all he cared about, as is evident from the range of topics he chose to film.

For movie buffs and film aficionados, Peter Jackson is the real ˜King Kong' of filmmaking. He is the director of the world renowned films such as ˜The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, ˜The Hobbit' trilogy and ˜King Kong'. The bug of filmmaking bit Jackson when he was very young. Inspired by the classic cinema, he aspired to become a filmmaker and at the age of 12, made his first attempt at the same by making a remake of ˜King Kong'. He turned professional in 1987 with the release of his debut venture, ˜Bad Taste'. No sooner, he gained a cult status among his fans for his low budget splatter movies. Impregnated with novel ideas and futuristic thinking, he achieved much fame and appreciation for ˜Heavenly Creatures'. However, this was just the beginning of a long-lasting legacy! He then worked to come up with the film adaptation of JRR Tolkien's ˜The Lord of the Rings' which created history. His childhood dream of making a remake of ˜King Kong' realized in 2005. Other than being a director, he has also donned the hat of a screenwriter and producer for his flicks. He has been involved in a number of charitable works as well.

Actor and director known for his movies What We Do in the Shadows and Boy, the latter of which became New Zealand's highest-grossing film. He was chosen to direct 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, the third movie in the franchise.