Curated playlist
Film directors from New York (state)
- MadonnaMadonna arrived in New York in 1978 with thirty-five dollars. It was her first plane ride and first taxi.
- Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg walked into Universal Studios without a pass, and the guard waved him in.
- Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas insisted on giving blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo an on-screen credit for Spartacus.
- Andy WarholAndy Warhol was shot at his Factory studio in June 1968 by a writer who had appeared in his film.
- Elia KazanIn 1952, Elia Kazan gave a congressional committee the names of eight former colleagues.
- Denzel WashingtonIn 2025, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor Denzel Washington said that the emphasis in his first name belongs on the first syllable. His mother had moved it to the second syllable so that young Denzel would answer to her call and not his…
- Jason BatemanJason Bateman, an American actor born on the 14th of January 1969, was only 18 when he became the youngest director in the history of the Directors Guild of America. He earned that record by directing three episodes of The Hogan Family,…
- Mel GibsonMel Gibson was paid $400 for his first film role, in Summer City, while he was still a drama student. A short time later, the title role in Mad Max paid him $9000. In the year 2000, Hollywood handed him a record $25 million to star in The…
- Richard GereRichard Gere had one narrow job at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993, which was to announce the nominees for best art direction. He used the moment to denounce human rights abuses by the Chinese government. The Academy responded by banning…
- Olivia WildeOlivia Wilde was 19 years old in 2003 when she married in secret on a school bus, with only a pair of witnesses present. The ceremony took place in Washington, Virginia. She said later that the bus was the one place where the couple could…