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Robert Altman Biography

Birth Name:Robert Bernard Altman

Birth Place:Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Profession Director, Producer, Writer, Soundtrack, Actor, Editor, Assistant director, Production manager

Fast Facts

The University of Michigan made the winning bid for Altman's archival documents, which contained more than 900 boxes personal effects, papers and photos
Is the first director to win first prize at all three major European film festivals over the course of his life
During his 2006 acceptance speech for the AMPAS Academy Honorary Award, he revealed that he had secretly received a heart transplant about a decade earlier
When he tried to make it in Hollywood the first time, he tried acting, songwriting, screenwriting and working as a publicity director for a company that tattooed identification numbers on dogs, all to no avail
Often directs large ensemble pieces and films that comment on social issues
His films often feature scenes of dialogue in which several characters are speaking at once or in which the characters are viewed from outside a window or from a distance
Robert Downey Jr․, who worked with Altman in the '90s, has stated that he was very influential on him
Was often called an "actor's director" due to his purposeful focus on character interaction and often encouraging actors to improvise scenes in his films
Disliked the TV series that followed his 1970 film "MASH," as he believed that it didn't have the same anti-war message
Though the movie studios he worked with wanted his films to be accessible to the largest possible audience for revenue purposes, he always wanted his films to receive an R rating so that impatient children would not go to see them

Awards

1970Palme d'Or-: winner
1970KCFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1970NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1971Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1971BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1971DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1971Golden Globe-Best Director: nominated
1971NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
1972Palme d'Or-: nominated
1972WGA Award (Screen)-Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium: nominated
1973Golden Seashell-Best Film: nominated
1973WGA Award (Screen)-Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen: nominated
1975KCFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1975NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1975NSFC Award-Best Director: winner
1975NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1976Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1976Oscar-Best Picture: nominated
1976Golden Berlin Bear-: winner
1976Golden India Catalina-Best Director (Mejor Director): winner
1976Golden India Catalina-Best Film (Mejor Película): nominated
1976César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
1976David-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1976DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1976Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1976Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
1977Bodil-Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film): winner
1977Palme d'Or-: nominated
1979BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1979BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1979César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
1979WGA Award (Screen)-Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen: nominated
1980Stinker Award-Worst Sense of Direction (Stop them before they direct again!): nominated
1982Gold Hugo-Best Feature: winner
1983Gold Hugo-Best Feature: nominated
1983Golden Lion-: nominated
1984ACE-Directing a Dramatic or Theatrical Program: nominated
1985FIPRESCI Prize-Forum of New Cinema: winner
1985ACE-Directing a Theatrical or Dramatic Special: winner
1986Palme d'Or-: nominated
1986Golden Dolphin-: winner
1987Palme d'Or-: nominated
1989ACE-Directing a Dramatic Series: nominated
1989ACE-Dramatic Series: nominated
1989Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: winner
1992ACCA-Best Director: nominated
1992BSFC Award-Best Director: winner
1992Palme d'Or-: nominated
1992Best Director-: winner
1992LAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
1992NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1993Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1993BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: winner
1993BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: nominated
1993Bodil-Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film): winner
1993BSFC Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1993CFCA Award-Best Director: winner
1993CFCA Award-Best Picture: nominated
1993César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
1993DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1993Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1993Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1993ALFS Award-Director of the Year: winner
1993LAFCA Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1993LAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
1993NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1993SEFCA Award-Best Director: winner
1993Pasinetti Award-Best Film: winner
1993Golden Lion-: winner
1993FIPRESCI Prize-Competition: winner
1994Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1994CFCA Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1994CFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
1994Independent Spirit Award-Best Director: winner
1994Independent Spirit Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1994Golden Globe-Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: nominated
1994Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1994NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
1994NSFC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1994Stinker Award-What Were They Thinking and Why?: winner
1995Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): winner
1995César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
1995Independent Spirit Award-Best Feature: nominated
1995Critics Award-Best Foreign Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro): winner
1995Turia Award-Best Foreign Film: winner
1996Palme d'Or-: nominated
1997Audience Award-Best Documentary: winner
1999Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas-: winner
1999Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
1999Grammy-Best Long Form Music Video: nominated
2000Independent Spirit Award-Best Feature: nominated
2000Golden Lion-: nominated
2001LAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2001NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2002Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: winner
2002AFI Award-Director of the Year: winner
2002Oscar-Best Director: nominated
2002Oscar-Best Picture: nominated
2002Honorable Mention-Best Foreign Film: winner
2002Best Foreign Film Award-: nominated
2002David Lean Award for Direction-: nominated
2002Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film-: winner
2002CFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2002DFWFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2002Evening Standard British Film Award-Best Film: winner
2002Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: winner
2002Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): winner
2002NSFC Award-Best Director: winner
2002OFTA Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2003Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): nominated
2003César-Best European Union Film (Meilleur film de l'Union Européenne): nominated
2003DVD Premiere Award-Best Audio Commentary, Library Release: nominated
2003Robert-Best American Film (Årets amerikanske film): winner
2003Goya-Best European Film (Mejor Película Europea): nominated
2003Premio Guarani-Best Foreign Film: winner
2005DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television: nominated
2006EDA Award-Best Comedy by or About Women: nominated
2006Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
2006Reader Jury of the "Berliner Morgenpost"-: winner
2007Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): nominated
2007Independent Spirit Award-Best Director: nominated
2007Hochi Film Award-Best Foreign Film: winner
2007IOMA-Best Director (Miglior regia): nominated
2013Felix-Best Director: nominated
2020Texas Film Hall of Fame-Star of Texas Award: winner