Mike Newell

MIKE NEWELL

Date of Birth: March 28, 1942

Born in St. Albans, England, Mike Newell graduated with an English degree from Cambridge before getting a job with Granada Television in 1963 as a production trainee. He soon moved his way up through the ranks and by 1964 had directed his first TV documentary. Throughout his years with Granada, he directed dozens of shows and TV movies before graduating to motion pictures in 1980 with The Awakening, starring Charlton Heston. In 1985 he received critical acclaim for directing Miranda Richardson and Rupert Everett in Dance with a Stranger, winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Newell went on to direct The Good Father (1986) starring Anthony Hopkins, then had his biggest hit to date with Enchanted April (1991). The film not only enchanted critics and moviegoers on both sides of the pond, but earned two Golden Globes, a "Best Film" award at the Cleveland International Film Festival and three Oscar nominations.

In 1994, Newell had even more success with the runaway hit Four Weddings and a Funeral starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell. The film was honored around the world, receiving two Oscar nominations, four BAFTA awards including Best Picture and Best Direction, and British Director of the Year and British Film of the Year awards from the London Critics Circle, just to name a few.

Newell moved away from the romantic comedy genre when he went to the U.S. to film Donnie Brasco (1997), a crime drama starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp, followed by Pushing Tin (1999), starring Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack. He returned briefly to television to direct the ABC drama series The Branch before making his next big Hollywood film, Mona Lisa Smile (2003), starring Julia Roberts. Also in 2003, it was announced that he would become the first British director to helm a Harry Potter film with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Filmography:

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Pushing Tin (1999)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
An Awfully Big Adventure (1995)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Into the West (1992)
Enchanted April (1992)
Soursweet (1988)
Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987)
The Good Father (1985)
Dance with a Stranger (1985)
Bad Blood (1981)
The Awakening (1980)