movie and television producer and director

Steven Allen Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 18, 1946, the son of a computer engineer (father) and a restaurateur and concert pianist (mother). He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, but moved to Saratoga, California, with his father after his parents' divorce.

Spielberg had an interest in filmmaking from a very early age. His first "film," Battle Squad, was made when he was all of 15 years old; it combined World War II footage of an airplane on the ground which he was able to convince viewers was moving. His next film was Escape to Nowhere, which featured children (one of them being his sister, Anne Spielberg) as World War II soldiers. His first film to actually be shown in a theater (in Phoenix) was Firelight, about aliens invading a small town.

After high school Spielberg applied for admission to the School of Theater at the University of Southern California, but was turned down because of barely average grades. After three failed attempts for admission to USC he decided to attend California State University at Long Beach, but dropped out in 1968 in order to pursue an entertainment career.

In 1968 Spielberg released Amblin', a short film which featured the desert prominently. One of the people who saw the film was Sidney Sheinberg, then vice president of production for the television branch of Universal Studios; he was so impressed with the work that he signed Spielberg to a contract. In the early 1970's, Spielberg directed episodes for such television classics as "Night Gallery," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," and "Columbo." He was subsequently signed to direct three made-for-television movies -- Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971), Duel (1971), and Savage (1973).

The quality of Spielberg's television work led to his being signed to a motion picture contract by Universal. His first directorial effort for theatrical release was The Sugarland Express (1974). Spielberg's directorial debut didn't fare well at the box office, but his next film more than made up the difference. Released in 1975, Jaws would set a domestic record for box office gross, with $470,653,000, and would become the first in what has since become a very long string of summer blockbuster hits.

Jaws made Spielberg an international superstar, and he has remained one ever since. Although he has had his fair share of less-than-successful films, Spielberg's record of success is virtually unmatched. In addition to his film work, Spielberg has also been responsible for an interesting array of television work, including the animated series "Animaniacs," the science-fantasy series "Amazing Stories," and the World War II-based miniseries "Band of Brothers."

In 2002, Spielberg finally received the bachelor's degree in film and electronic arts he had pursued many years before. Although he was by then one of the richest men in Hollywood (if not the richest), Spielberg still did all of the coursework required of him in order to earn the degree. The only exception was the requirement that all senior film majors submit a completed 12-minute short film -- CalState Long Beach allowed him to submit Schindler's List instead. Spielberg even donned the traditional cap and gown and participated in the commencement ceremony with his fellow graduates.

Marriages and Children

Amy Irving -- November 27, 1985-February 2, 1989 (divorced) -- Max
Kate Capshaw -- October 12, 1991-present -- Theo (adopted by Kate prior to marriage, and by Steven after), Sasha, Sawyer, Mikaela George (adopted), Destry Allen

Filmography
as either director, producer, or executive producer

Escape to Nowhere (1961)
Firelight (1964)
Amblin' (1968)
"Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969) TV series
"Night Gallery" (1970) TV series
Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971) TV
Duel (1971)
Something Evil (1972)
Savage (1973) TV
Ace Eli and the Rodger of the Skies (1973)
The Sugarland Express (1974)
Jaws (1975)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)
1941 (1979)
Used Cars (1980)
Continental Divide (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
E.T.: TheExtra-Terrestrial (1982)
Poltergeist (1982)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Gremlins (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
"Amazing Stories" (1985-1987) TV series
Fandango (1985)
The Goonies (1985)
Back to the Future (1985)
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
The Color Purple (1985)
The Money Pit (1986)
An American Tail (1986)
Innerspace (1987)
Three O'Clock High (1987)
Empire of the Sun (1987)
*batteries not included (1987)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
The Land Before Time (1988)
Tummy Trouble (1989)
Dad (1989)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Always (1989)
"Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990-1992) TV series
Warner Bros. Celebration of Tradition, June 2, 1990 (1990) TV
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Dreams (1990)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990)
Arachnophobia (1990)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
Hook (1991)
"The Plucky Duck Show" (1992) TV series
It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special (1992) TV
"SeaQuest DSV" (1993-1995) TV series
"Animaniacs" (1993-1995) TV series
"Family Dog" (1993) TV
"Toonsylvania" (1993) TV
Trail Mix-Up (1993)
Class of '61 (1993) TV
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Schindler's List (1993)
Tiny Toons Spring Break (1994) TV
Tiny Toon Adventures: Spring Break Special (1994) TV
I'm Mad (1994)
The Flintstones (1994)
"Pinky and the Brain" (1995-1997) TV series
A Pinky & the Brain Christmas Special (1995) TV
Casper (1995)
Tiny Toon Adventures: Night Ghoulery (1995) TV
"Freakazoid!" (1995) TV series
Balto (1995)
"High Incident" (1996-1997) TV series
Survivors of the Holocaust (1996) TV
Twister (1996)
The Best of Roger Rabbit (1996) video
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
The Lost Children of Berlin (1997)
Men in Black (1997)
Amistad (1997)
"Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain" (1998-1999) TV series
"Toonsylvania" (1998) TV series
Deep Impact (1998)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The Last Days (1998)
The Unfinished Journey (1999)
A Holocaust Szemei (2000)
Shooting War (2000) TV
Semper Fi (2001) TV
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
"Band of Brothers" (2002) TV mini-series
We Stand Alone Together (2001) TV
"Broken Silence" (2002) TV mini-series
Minority Report (2002)
Price for Peace (2002)
Men in Black II (2002)
"Steven Spielberg Presents" (2002) TV series
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
"Taken" (2002) TV mini-series
Burma Bridge Busters (2003) TV
Voices from the List (2004) video
The Terminal (2004)
Vengeance (2004)
Dan Finnerty & the Dan Band: I Am Woman (2005)
"Into the West" (2005) TV mini-series
The Legend of Zorro (2005)
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Munich (2005)
Monster House (2006)
Spell Your Name (2006)
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Transformers (2007)
Eagle Eye (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
A Timeless Call (2008) documentary short
"United States of Tara" (2009-2011) TV series
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
The Lovely Bones (2009)
The Pacific" (2010) TV mini-series
Hereafter (2010)
True Grit (2010)
"Falling Skies" (2011-2012) TV series
"Terra Nova" (2011) TV series
Locke & Key (2011) TV movie
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Real Steel (2011)
Transformers: The Ride 3D (2011)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
War Horse (2011)
"Smash" (2012) TV series
"The River" (2012) TV series
Men in Black 3 (2012)
Lincoln (2012)

Awards, by Year

1973
Grand Prize (Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival)--Duel
1974
Best Screenplay (Cannes Film Festival)--The Sugarland Express
1978
Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films)--Best Director--Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Saturn Award--Best Writing--Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1982
Boston Society of Film Critics Award--Best Director--Raiders of the Lost Ark
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Marquee (American Movie Awards)--Best Director--Raiders of the Lost Ark
Readers' Choice Award (Kinema Junpo Awards)--Best Foreign Language Film--Raiders of the Lost Ark
Saturn Award--Best Director--Raiders of the Lost Ark
ShoWest Award--Director of the Year
1983
Blue Ribbon Award--Best Foreign Language Film--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Boston Society of Film Critics Award--Best Director--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
David di Donatello Award--Best Director, Foreign Film--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Fotogramas de Plata--Best Foreign Film--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Kinema Junpo Award--Best Foreign Language Film--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Man of the Year (Hasty Pudding Theatricals)
National Society of Film Critics Award--Best Director--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Readers' Choice Award (Kinema Junpo Awards)--Best Foreign Language Film--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Sant Jordi Award--Mejor Película Infantil--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
1984
Nocciola d'Oro Award (Giffoni Film Festival)
1986
David di Donatello Award--Best Producer, Foreign Film--Back to the Future
Directors Guild of America Award--Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures--The Color Purple
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--The Color Purple
1987
Blue Ribbon Award--Best Foreign Language Film--The Color Purple
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
National Board of Review Award--Best Director--Empire of the Sun
1988
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--Empire of the Sun
1989
American Cinematheque Award (American Cinematheque Gala Tribute)
1990
Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award (American Cinema Editors)
Wise Owl Award (Retirement Research Foundation)--Television and Theatrical Film Fiction--Dad
1991
Daytime Emmy--Oustanding Animated Program--"Tiny Toon Adventures"
1993
Boston Society of Film Critics Award--Best Director--Schindler's List
Career Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival)
Daytime Emmy--Outstanding Animated Program--"Tiny Toon Adventures"
1994
Amanda Award--Best Foreign Feature Film--Schindler's List
BAFTA Film Award--Best Film--Schindler's List
Blue Ribbon Award--Best Foreign Language Film--Jurassic Park
Board of the Governors Award (American Society of Cinematographers)
Chicago Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Schindler's List
Czech Lion--Best Foreign Language Film--Jurassic Park
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Schindler's List
David Lean Award for Direction (BAFTA)--Schindler's List
Directors Guild of America Award--Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures--Schindler's List
Golden Globe--Best Director, Motion Picture--Schindler's List
Governors' Award (Society of Camera Operators)
Hochi Film Award--Best Foreign Language Film--Schindler's List
Jackie Coogan Award (Young Artist Awards)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--Schindler's List
Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award (PGA Awards)--Schindler's List
National Society of Film Critics Award--Best Director--Schindler's List
Oscar (Academy Awards, USA)--Best Director--Schindler's List
Oscar--Best Picture--Schindler's List
President's Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films)
Readers' Choice Award (Mainichi Film Concours)--Best Foreign Language Film--Jurassic Park
Saturn Award--Best Director--Jurassic Park
ShoWest Award--Director of the Year
1995
Honorary César (César Awards, France)
Life Achievement Award (American Film Institute)
ALFS Award (London Critics Circle Film Awards)--Director of the Year--Schindler's List
Readers' Choice Award (Kinema Junpo Awards)--Best Foreign Language Film--Schindler's List
Readers' Choice Award (Mainichi Film Concours)--Best Foreign Language Film--Schindler's List
1996
Emmy--Outstanding Animated Program, For Programming One Hour or Less--A Pinky & the Brain Christmas Special
1997
Daytime Emmy--Outstanding Special Class Animated Program--"Freakazoid!"
1998
Audience Award (Rembrandt Awards)--Best Director--The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Sierra Award (Las Vegas Film Critics Society)--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Toronto Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Vision Award (PGA Awards)--Theatrical Motion Pictures--Amistad
1999
Critics Choice Award (Broadcast Film Critics Association)--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Czech Lion--Best Foreign Language Film--Saving Private Ryan
Daytime Emmy--Outstanding Special Class Animated Program--"Pinky and the Brain"
Directors Guild of America Award--Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures--Saving Private Ryan
Empire Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Golden Globe--Best Director, Motion Picture--Saving Private Ryan
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Milestone Award (PGA Awards)
Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award (PGA Awards)--Saving Private Ryan
Online Film Critics Society Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
Oscar--Best Picture--Saving Private Ryan
Silver Ribbon (Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists)--Best Director, Foreign Film--Saving Private Ryan
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Saving Private Ryan
2000
Daytime Emmy--Oustanding Children's Animated Program--"Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain"
Lifetime Achievement Award (Directors Guild of America)
PGA Hall of Fame--Motion Pictures--E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Vanguard Award (Image Awards)
2001
Billy Wilder Award (National Board of Review)
Britannia Award (BAFTA/LA)--Excellence in Film
Future Film Festival Digital Award (Venice Film Festival)--Artificial Intelligence: AI
2002
Christopher Award--Television and Cable--"Band of Brothers"
Emmy--Outstanding Miniseries--"Band of Brothers"
Hollywood Movie of the Year (Hollywood Film Festival)--Minority Report
Lifetime Achievement Award (ShoWest Convention)
Readers' Choice Award (Mainichi Film Concours)--Best Foreign Language Film--Artificial Intelligence: AI
Saturn Award--Best Writing--Artificial Intelligence: AI
Television Producer of the Year Award in Longform (PGA Awards)--"Band of Brothers"
2003
Critics Choice Award--Best Director--Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report
Emmy--Outstanding Miniseries--"Taken"
Empire Award--Best Director--Minority Report
Hollywood Walk of Fame Star--Motion Picture (6801 Hollywood Blvd.)
Saturn Award--Best Director--Minority Report
2004
Akira Kurosawa Award (Tokyo International Film Festival)
Special David (David di Donatello Awards)
2005
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award--Best Director--Munich
2006
Bronze Wrangler (Western Heritage Awards)--Outstanding Television Feature Film--Into the West
Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award (Art Directors Guild)
Founder Award (International Emmy Awards)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award--Best Director--Munich
Kennedy Center Honors
Lifetime Achievement Award (Chicago International Film Festival)
2008
Cecil B. DeMille Award (Golden Globes, USA)
Lifetime Achievement Award (Visual Effects Society)

In addition to the above, Spielberg has also been honored with:
the second annual John Huston Award for Artists Rights by the Artists Rights Foundation (1995);
Germany's Cross of Merit with Star for his sensible representation of Germany's history in Schindler's List (1998);
the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U.S. Navy's highest civilian honor, for his work on Saving Private Ryan (Veterans Day 1999);
the "title" Knight of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the British film industry (New Year's Eve 2000); and,
an honorary doctor of humane letters from Yale University (2002)

See Also

World War II
Queen Elizabeth II
Yale University

Questions or comments about this page?

This page was last updated on 12/18/2018.