From his youth making amateur 8mm films to an adulthood that saw him become the world’s richest and most renowned motion picture producer and director, Steven Spielberg changed the face of both a medium and an industry.
After an early career directing television and one feature (“The Sugarland Express”), a 28-year-old Spielberg was hired to helm what would become the highest-grossing film of its time, “Jaws.”
This was followed by an unprecedented series of blockbusters including “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (also wrote), “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” During this time, he also co-wrote and produced the horror hit “Poltergeist.”
“The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” rounded out the 1980s for the hugely successful filmmaker.
The 1990s proved yet another extraordinary decade for the director as he alternated between adventure fare and weightier historical dramas. During this period, he helmed such ambitious films as “Hook,” “Jurassic Park” (and its first sequel), “Schindler’s List,” “Amistad” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
During the 2000s, he directed the sci-fi successes “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (also wrote), “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds"; the dramedies “Catch Me If You Can” and “The Terminal"; the politically charged “Munich”; and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
Spielberg has won countless directing honors, including two Academy Awards (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”) out of six total nominations in the category (he was also given the Academy’s Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1986); 10 Golden Globe award nominations (including two wins plus an honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award); and 10 Directors Guild award nominations (including three wins plus a Lifetime Achievement Award).
He was also honored with AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Through his first production company, Amblin, and later, through Dreamworks, the studio he created with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, Spielberg has produced or executive produced well over 100 features including the “Gremlins,” “Back to the Future” and “Men in Black” series and “Flags of Our Fathers” and the “Transformers” films.
Spielberg has been heavily involved in many philanthropic activities as well as in various political and social causes.
|
Year | Category | Work | |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Best Director | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Nomination |
1981 | Best Director | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Nomination |
1982 | Best Director | E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial | Nomination |
1982 | Best Picture | E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial | Nomination* |
1985 | Best Picture | The Color Purple | Nomination* |
1986 | Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award | Win | |
1993 | Best Director | Schindler's List | Win |
1993 | Best Picture | Schindler's List | Win* |
1998 | Best Director | Saving Private Ryan | Win |
1998 | Best Picture | Saving Private Ryan | Nomination* |
2005 | Best Picture | Munich | Nomination* |
2005 | Best Director | Munich | Nomination |
2006 | Best Picture | Letters from Iwo Jima | Nomination* |
2011 | Best Picture | War Horse | Nomination* |
2012 | Best Director | Lincoln | Nomination |
2012 | Best Picture | Lincoln | Nomination |
2015 | Best Picture | Bridge of Spies | Nomination* |
Share a thought about Steven Spielberg