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Sam Mendes Biography

Birth Name:

Samuel Alexander Mendes

Birth Place:

Reading, England

Profession

Director, producer

Fast Facts

Began directing for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1990 when he was 25 years old
Won Best Director at the 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards for Company and The Glass Menagerie, and became the Awards' first triple winner in 2003 when he received Best Director for Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya, as well as a special award for his work as artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse theater
His feature-film directorial debut came in 1999 with the critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning American Beauty
Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Directors Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2005, despite having directed only two features at that point in his career
Engaged in early talks with composer Stephen Sondheim to create a film version of the Tony Award-winning musical Sweeney Todd, but the project fell through
Tim Burton later stepped up to direct the film in 2007

2020Writers Guild Awards-Original Screenplay: nominated
2020BAFTA Film Awards-Best Director: winner
2020Producers Guild Awards-Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: winner
2020Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: winner
2019Oscar-Best Writing (Original Screenplay): nominated
2019Oscar-Best Motion Picture of the Year: nominated
2019Oscar-Best Achievement in Directing: nominated
2019Directors Guild of America Awards-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film: winner
2019Critics' Choice Awards-Best Director: winner
2013BAFTA Film Awards-Outstanding British Film: winner
2013David di Donatello Awards-Best European Film: nominated
2009Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
2001César Awards-Best Foreign Film: nominated
2000Critics' Choice Awards-Best Director: winner
2000BAFTA Film Awards-The David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction: nominated
2000Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: winner
1999Directors Guild of America Awards-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film: winner
1999Chicago Film Critics Association-Best Director: winner
1999Toronto Film Critics Association-Best Director [Runner-up]: winner
1999Los Angeles Film Critics Association-Best Director: winner
1999Toronto International Film Festival-People's Choice Award: winner
1999Oscar-Best Achievement in Directing: winner