Roger Michell

Infobox Actor

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name = Roger Michell
birthdate = birth date and age|1956|6|5
location = South Africa
spouse = Kate Buffery (div. 2002)
baftaawards = Best Single Drama
1995 "Persuasion"

Roger Michell (June 5, 1956) is an English [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/11/10/roger_michell_the_mother_interview.shtml Michell Interview at "BBC Films"] ] theatre, television and film director.

Personal life

He was born in Pretoria but spent significant parts of his childhood in Beirut, Damascus and Prague as his father was a diplomat. He studied at Cambridge University and in 1977, he won the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company Buzz Goodbody Award, named after the acclaimed British female director Buzz Goodbody, who committed suicide at the age of 29. Michell graduated from Cambridge in 1977.

He was married to the actress Kate Buffery, but they are now divorced and he is currently dating Anna Maxwell MartinFact|date=September 2007. He has two children, daughter, actress Rosie Michell and son, actor and songwriter Harry Michell.

Career

After graduating from Cambridge in 1977, he moved to London and began an apprenticeship at the Royal Court Theatre and worked as assistant director to noted British playwright John Osborne and Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. During this period, he also worked with stage manager Danny Boyle, who would also go on to a successful directing career with his international hit, "Trainspotting".

In 1979 he left the Royal Court Theatre and began writing and directing projects on his own. The most successful of these ventures was 1982's Private Dick a comedy which won the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. The play later debuted in in London's West End and featured Robert Powell and Philip Marlowe.

In 1985, Michell joined the Royal Shakespeare Company where, over six years, he was an assistant director and then a resident director. At the RSC, Michell directed "Some Americans Abroad", which transferred to Broadway in 1990. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=15651 Internet Broadway Database] ]

As a film director, his first feature to be released to U.S. cinemas was "Persuasion" (1995), based on the Jane Austen novel. Although it became a cinema release in the U.S., the film had been produced for television and aired in the U.K. on BBC television, winning the 1995 BAFTA for Best Single Drama. [ [http://www.bafta.org/awards/television/nominations/?year=1995 BAFTA] ]

In 1999, Michell directed "Notting Hill", one of the highest grossing British movies of all time, and he directed the 2002 box office hit "Changing Lanes". In 2003, he directed "The Mother", scripted by Hanif Kureishi and starring Daniel Craig. Craig also featured in Michell's next film, "Enduring Love" (2004), an adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel.

Michell was in negotiations to direct the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace", but talks fell through due to "creative differences".

He will direct the upcoming film from Paramount Pictures, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The film is based on Mark Twain's novel dealing with racial issues.

It was announced in October, 2007, that he will direct "Morning Glory" for Paramount. It is a comedy set in the world of morning news that J.J. Abrams will produce [ [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0c86abe9c72f2e6e4e9147a1d1984d62 Michell rises for 'Morning' at Paramount ] ]

Other films directed by Michell include "My Night with Reg" (1996), "Titanic Town" (1998) and "Venus" (2006).

References

External links

*
* Interview [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/11/10/roger_michell_the_mother_interview.shtml BBC website]
* Biography [http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/artists/m/Roger-Michell/biography-136528.html Yahoo site]