Jim Sheridan

This article is about the film director. For the Scottish Labour politician, see Jim Sheridan (politician).
Jim Sheridan
Born (1949-02-06) 6 February 1949
Wicklow, Ireland
Other names Shay
Occupation Film director, screenwriter and producer
Years active 1989–present

Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee,[1] Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Field and In America.

Life and career

Sheridan was born in Wicklow, the son of Anne and Pete Sheridan, an actor and railway worker.[2] Sheridan was initially educated by the Irish Christian Brothers and later graduated from University College Dublin. He emigrated to Canada and then New York City in 1981.[2]

In 1989 Sheridan wrote five plays. The first, an Irish beggar's opera called "The Ha'penny Place", was staged in the Project Arts Centre, and the second, a piece of agitprop theatre called "The Last Post", was staged nearby in Connolly Hall. In 1989, he directed My Left Foot, which became a critical and commercial success and won Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker Academy Awards. He followed that with The Field (with Richard Harris) in 1990; then with In the Name of the Father in 1993, a fictionalized re-telling of the case of the Guildford Four. The film won the Golden Bear at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.[3]

In 1996 he co-wrote Some Mother's Son with Terry George. The Boxer (with Daniel Day-Lewis) was nominated for a Golden Globe for best film drama in 1997. In 2003, he released the semi-autobiographical In America, which tells the story of a family of Irish immigrants trying to succeed in New York. The film received positive reviews and earned Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou Academy Award nominations. In 2005 he released Get Rich or Die Tryin', a film starring rap star 50 Cent. He is connected with the upcoming film adaptation of Artemis Fowl and is rumoured to have written the screenplay and been asked to direct it.

Sheridan helmed the 2009 film Brothers, starring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, which was shot in New Mexico. He also directed the thriller Dream House,[4] which starred Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, and Rachel Weisz.[5]

Sheridan has three daughters, Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan and Tess Sheridan, with whom he has collaborated, most notably with Naomi and Kirsten on the screenplay for In America.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Berlin Film Festival

British Academy Film Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Independent Spirit Awards

National Board of Review

Writers Guild of America

References

  1. Ebert, Roger. "Coach Carter", RogerEbert.com, 14 January 2005. Retrieved on 20 August 2006.
  2. 1 2 "Jim Sheridan Biography (1949-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  3. 1 2 "Berlinale: 1994 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  4. "Naomi Watts Takes Residence in Murdered Family's 'Dream House'". Bloody Disgusting. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  5. "Rachel Weisz Fills Uni's 'Dream House' Cast". Bloody Disgusting. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  6. "Berlinale: 1998 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2012-01-15.

External links

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