Director, producer, and screenwriter, born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He gained recognition with his directorial debut, sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Later films include Kafka (1991), The Limey (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), Traffic (2000, Oscar, Best Director), Ocean's Eleven (2001, sequels 2004, 2007), and Solaris (2002).
Steven Soderbergh|
Steven Soderbergh on the set of Solaris. |
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| Born: |
January 14, 1963 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Occupation: | film director |
Steven Andrew Soderbergh (born January 14, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and Oscar-winning director. he worked as a game show scorer and cue card holder to make ends meet, and eventually found work as a freelance film editor.
Breakthrough: sex, lies, and videotape
It wasn't until Soderbergh came back to Baton Rouge that he conceived the idea for sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which he wrote in eight days. The independent film won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, became a worldwide commercial success and — along with Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction — greatly contributed to the 1990s independent film revolution. It reaffirmed Soderbergh's potential, sparking the beginnings of a lucrative artistic partnership between Clooney and Soderbergh.
More success: 1999 and 2000
Soderbergh followed up on the success of Out of Sight by making another crime caper, The Limey (1999), starring veteran actors Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda. The film was well-received, but not as much as Erin Brockovich (2000), a "Rocky movie" he directed, starring Julia Roberts in her Oscar-winning role as a single mother taking on industry in a civil action. Later that year, Soderbergh released his most ambitious project yet (with a running time of 147 minutes, the film had 135 speaking parts set in eight different cities), Traffic, a social drama which featured an ensemble cast.
Work in years 2001 to 2004
Ocean's Eleven (2001), featuring an all-star cast and flashy aesthetics, is Soderbergh's highest grossing movie to date, grossing more than $183 million. The film's star, George Clooney, subsequently appeared in Solaris (2002), marking the third time the two have headlined a film.
Latest work
In 2006, Soderbergh raised eyebrows with Bubble, a $1.6 million film featuring a cast of nonprofessional actors. Industry heads are reportedly watching how the film performs, as its unusual release schedule could have implications for future feature films.
Directorial style and collaborations with actors
"I've always gotten along with them," says Soderbergh of actors, "I try and make sure they're OK, and when they're in the zone, I leave them alone. Benicio Del Toro, who also won an Academy Award for his work in a Soderbergh film (Traffic), is starring in the upcoming Guerrilla. Other frequent sightings in Soderbergh's filmography include character actors Luis Guzmán (Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic) and Don Cheadle (Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, and Ocean's Twelve). But the actor who played the leading role in no less than four of his films is George Clooney, with whom he co-owns the film production company, Section Eight Productions. Section Eight produced the critical hits Far From Heaven, Insomnia, and Syriana as well as the Clooney-directed films Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck. Soderbergh and Clooney are reportedly planning to shut down Section Eight by the end of 2006.
Soderbergh often acts as his own director of photography under the alias of Peter Andrews and occasionally as his own editor under Mary Ann Bernard. He has made big-budget Hollywood films as well as art-house independent films; Traffic screenwriter and Syriana director Stephen Gaghan named Soderbergh "the Michael Jordan of filmaking" for his ability to assume so many distinct roles in film production. Both his films in 2000, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Directing. Soderbergh was the first director to be nominated for two films in the same year since Michael Curtiz in 1938. Known for his work ethic, Soderbergh has thus far released two feature films in the same year on three occasions. Pollard's song "Do Something Real" played over the Full Frontal credits and contributed six songs for his film Bubble. He often utilizes Cliff Martinez to construct/compose the soundtracks to his movies, and when not cutting his own films, he relies on editor Stephen Mirrione.
Filmography
Director
sex, lies, and videotape (1989) (also sound editor) Kafka (1991) King of the Hill (1993) Underneath (1995) Gray's Anatomy (1996) Schizopolis (1996) (also actor and composer) Out of Sight (1998) The Limey (1999) Erin Brockovich (2000) Traffic (2000) Ocean's Eleven (2001) Full Frontal (2002) Solaris (2002) Eros - the segment Equilibrium (2004) Ocean's Twelve (2004) Bubble (2006) The Good German (2006) Ocean's Thirteen (2007) Guerrilla (2007) Life Interrupted (2007)Screenwriter
sex, lies, and videotape (1989) King of the Hill (1993) Underneath (1995) Schizopolis (1996) Nightwatch (1997) Solaris (2002) Eros - the segment Equilibrium (2004) Bubble (2006)Cinematographer
Schizopolis (1996) Traffic (2000) Ocean's Eleven (2001) Full Frontal (2002) Solaris (2002) Ocean's Twelve (2004) Eros - the segment Equilibrium (2004) Bubble (2006)Editor
sex, lies, and videotape (1989) Kafka (1991) King of the Hill (1993) Full Frontal (2002) Solaris (2002) Eros - the segment Equilibrium (2004) Bubble (2006)Producer
Suture (1994) The Daytrippers (1996) Pleasantville (1998) Far from Heaven (2002) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) Welcome to Collinwood (2002) Naqoyqatsi (2002) Keane (2004) Criminal (2004) Syriana (2005) Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) The Jacket (2005)Major Awards
Palme d'Or (1989) (sex, lies, and videotape) Academy Award for Directing (2000) (Traffic)|
Preceded by: Sam Mendes for American Beauty |
Academy Award for Best Director 2000 for Traffic |
Succeeded by: Ron Howard for A Beautiful Mind |
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