Chris Columbus - Details

Biography

CHRIS COLUMBUS is best known for directing the No. 1 motion picture comedy of all time, Home Alone, and its smash hit follow-up Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Recent credits include his direction of the boxoffice hits Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon, Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Williams and Sally Field; the popular comedy Nine Months, which he directed, wrote and produced; the Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy Jingle All the Way, which he produced; and Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams, which Columbus directed and produced.

He is currently in the U.K., directing and executive producing the feature film adaptation of the first of JK Rowling's magical Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Columbus was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania and grew up outside of Youngstown, Ohio. As a youngster, he aspired to draw cartoons for Marvel Comics and eventually discovered that comic books resemble movie storyboards. After high school, he enrolled in the Director's Program at New York University's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.

Columbus first attained success as a writer. While still in college, he sold his first script "Jocks." After graduating from NYU, he wrote Reckless. The film starred Darryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn and was directed by James Foley.

Columbus gained prominence in Hollywood with a trio of original scripts for Steven Spielberg: the 1984 comedy thriller Gremlins, the 1985 adventure Goonies, and the fantasy Young Sherlock Holmes. Columbus' screenwriting achievements led to his first two directorial efforts, Adventures in Babysitting and Heartbreak Hotel, which he also wrote.

He continued his affiliation with Spielberg on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before a chance meeting with John Hughes led to his directing assignment on Home Alone

Events

  • 10th September 1958 - Birth