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Stephen Frears Biography

Birth Name:Stephen Frears

Birth Place:Leicester, England, United Kingdom

Profession Director, Producer, Actor, Assistant director

Fast Facts

Served as the president of the Cannes Film Festival competition jury in 2007
Studied law at Cambridge before considering a career in the film industry
Quote: "I never expected to become a director․ It never occurred to me I'd come to America, to Hollywood․ It's all been a wonderful accident․․․It's all come as a surprise--I'm finding my way through the dark․"
Quote: "There's one thing now that I experience every day when I'm making a film․ I get up and think to myself, am I going to be able to do it today? I figure as long as I have that fear, I'll be alright․"
Following the production of several international successes, he would trade his time between both London and Hollywood
After working as an assistant in both film and television, he would eventually gain international praise in the ‘80s following numerous successes including "My Beautiful Laundrette" which also served as a springboard for actor Daniel Day-Lewis
Served as an assistant to both Lindsay Anderson and Albert Finney while working at London's Royal Court Theatre
While serving as a mentor for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, he personally chose director Josue Mendez as his new student after sorting through hundreds of applications

Awards

1983BAFTA TV Award-Best Single Drama: nominated
1984BAFTA TV Award-Best Single Drama: nominated
1984Best Film-: nominated
1986Evening Standard British Film Award-Best Film: winner
1986LAFCA Award-Best Foreign Film: nominated
1987Palme d'Or-: nominated
1988Independent Spirit Award-Best Foreign Film: nominated
1989BSFC Award-Best Director: winner
1989Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
1990ASECAN Award-Best Foreign Film: winner
1990Honorable Mention-Best Foreign Film: winner
1990BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1990Bodil-Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film): winner
1990César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): winner
1990Fotogramas de Plata-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
1990Guild Film Award - Gold-Foreign Film (Ausländischer Film): winner
1990Jupiter Award-Best International Film: nominated
1990Audience Award-Best Foreign Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro): winner
1990Sant Jordi-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
1990Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
1991Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1991DFWFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
1991Girona Film Critics Award-Best Picture: winner
1991NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
1996Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
1996Palme d'Or-: nominated
1997Razzie Award-Worst Director: nominated
1999Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
1999Silver Berlin Bear-Best Director: winner
1999Bronze Wrangler-Theatrical Motion Picture: winner
2000OFTA Television Award-Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries: nominated
2000Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: nominated
2000Golden Spike-Best Film: nominated
2000OCIC Award-: winner
2000Golden Lion-: nominated
2001DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television: nominated
2002Sergio Trasatti Award-: winner
2002Golden Lion-: nominated
2003Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film-: nominated
2003British Independent Film Award-Best Director: winner
2003Evening Standard British Film Award-Best Film: winner
2004BAFTA TV Award-Best Single Drama: winner
2004DGGB Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television Movie/Serial: nominated
2005British Independent Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2005Hollywood World Award-: winner
2006EDA Award-Best Drama by or About Women: nominated
2006EDA Award-Best Picture: nominated
2006Golden Kinnaree Award-Best Film: nominated
2006British Independent Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2006CFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2006Audience Choice Award-: winner
2006DFWFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2006David-Best European Film (Miglior Film dell'Unione Europea): nominated
2006ALFS Award-British Director of the Year: nominated
2006NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
2006NYFCO Award-Best Director: winner
2006Satellite Award-Best Director: nominated
2006SLFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2006TFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2006Golden Lion-: nominated
2006FIPRESCI Prize-Competition: winner
2007Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2007Oscar-Best Achievement in Directing: nominated
2007David Lean Award for Direction-: nominated
2007Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film-: nominated
2007Bodil-Best Non-American Film (Bedste ikke-amerikanske film): nominated
2007Critics Choice Award-Best Director: nominated
2007César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
2007Robert-Best Non-American Film (Årets ikke-amerikanske film): nominated
2007David-Best European Film (Miglior Film dell'Unione Europea): nominated
2007DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
2007EFA People's Choice Award-Best European Film: nominated
2007European Film Award-European Director: nominated
2007Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
2007Goya-Best European Film (Mejor Película Europea): winner
2007Silver Ribbon-Best European Director (Regista del Miglior Film Europeo): nominated
2007ALFS Award-British Director of the Year: winner
2007OFTA Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2008Golden Eagle-Best Foreign Film: winner
2008Eagle-Best European Film (Najlepszy Film Europejski): nominated
2009Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
2010Audience Award-: winner
2013Black Pearl Award-Best Narrative Feature: nominated
2013Audience Choice Award-: nominated
2013Audience Award-Best Narrative Feature: winner
2013EuroCinema Hawai'i Award-Best Film: nominated
2013Audience Award-Narrative Feature: winner
2013Audience Award-World Cinema: winner
2013People's Choice Award-: nominated
2013Golden Mouse-: winner
2013SIGNIS Award-: winner
2013Queer Lion Award-: winner
2013Nazareno Taddei Award-: winner
2013Golden Lion-: nominated
2013Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award-: winner
2013Leoncino d'Oro Agiscuola Award - Cinema for UNICEF-: winner
2013Interfilm Award-: winner
2013Brian Award-: winner
2013Audience Award-Best Narrative Feature: winner
2014Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2014Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film-: nominated
2014Cinema for Peace Award-Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Film of the Year: nominated
2014Robert-Best Non-American Film (Årets ikke-amerikanske film): nominated
2014David-Best European Film (Miglior Film dell'Unione Europea): winner
2014DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series: nominated
2014EFA People's Choice Award-: nominated
2014The Pearl-Best Feature Film: nominated
2014Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special: nominated
2016Capri European Director Award-: winner
2016Emmy-Outstanding Historical Programming - Long Form: winner
2016Audience Award-City of Donostia Audience Award: nominated
2017Truly Moving Picture Award-: winner
2017Eagle-Best European Film (Najlepszy Film Europejski): nominated
2018EFA People's Choice Award-: nominated
2018RTS Television Award-Director - Drama: winner
2018RTS Craft & Design Award-Best Director - Drama: winner
2019BAFTA TV Award-Best Director: Fiction: winner
2019BAFTA TV Award-Best Mini-Series: nominated
2019BAFTA Television Craft Award-Director: Fiction: winner
2019Broadcast Award-Best Drama Series or Serial: winner
2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series: winner
2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special: nominated
2019South Bank Sky Arts Award-TV Drama: winner
2019Televisual Bulldog Award-Best Drama One-Off or Serial: winner
2022Best Film Award-Out of Competition: nominated
2023BIFF Award-Best Feature Film: winner