Cassian Elwes Biography

Fast Facts

• He became the head of William Morris Independent in 1995, and the first film he completed for them was "The English Patient," which won the Best Picture Oscar that year
• Graduated from the Harrow School in England and attended the University of London
• Quote: "(On taking a break from producing films) "I wanted to rethink, reenergize, take some time out․ I made 283 films for William Morris [International]․""
• Quote: "Every movie you work on, you have to be thinking, who am I going to get for that picture and how am I going to get them in it?"
• Quote: "(On the rules of talking to potential film investors) "Don't bring in a screenplay and say it's not quite right yet․ You've got to believe your script is perfect․""
• Quote: "(On the Oscar nominations his independent films such as "Half Nelson" and "Frozen River" receive) "What people lose sight of is that these films cost a tenth of the films that they competed against at the Academy Awards․""
• When a passenger on a commercial airline flight became unruly in 2012 and had to be restrained, Elwes volunteered to sit next to him and keep him talking calmly until the pilot could land the plane so the passenger could be removed