Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme is an Oscar winning American film director, writer and producer whose latest film, Rachel Getting Married, has garnered him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best director.
Fast Facts
- Birth name: Robert Jonathan Demme
- Born: February 22, 1944
- Birth place: Baldwin, New York
- Alma mater; University of Florida
- Spouse: Joanne Howard
- Debut movie: Caged Heat
- Often casts Roger Corman in cameos in his films1
- Wrote movie reviews for his college newspaper2
- Influenced by Francois Truffaut2
- Worked as a veterinary technician while attending college2
- Was a movie publicist at United Artists and Embassy Pictures2
Notable Works
Film Career
Jonathan Demme got his start working with B-movie filmmaker Roger Corman on such films as Caged Heat, Crazy Mama and Fighting Mad before branching out on his own. Although still maintaining his cult-filmmaking roots, he went on to achieve commercial success with such films as Married to the Mob, The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia.
Documentary Career
In addition to his feature film credits, Jonathan Demme is also a documentary filmmaker. He has directed concert and musical documentaries for such musicians as Neil Young, Robyn Hitchcock and Talking Heads, and is set to direct an upcoming Bob Marley documentary to be released in 2010. Demme has also directed documentaries about former President Jimmy Carter and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Quote
""I was in such a frightened state when I directed that movie. I didn't feel underqualified - I was underqualified. Every day I was full of anxiety, waiting to be exposed as the poser I knew I was and yanked off the set. There was a very competitive feeling. The vast majority of people on those Corman productions were newcomers desperately trying to prove they'd earned the right to be on a professional film."—November 14, 2004 on directing his first film on a Roger Corman set1
Related Pages on Mahalo
Rachel Getting Married | Rachel Getting Married Reviews | Rachel Getting Married Trailer | Rachel Getting Married Soundtrack | The Silence of the Lambs | Talking Heads | Neil Young | Bruce Springsteen | Bob Marley | Jimmy Carter | Hurricane Katrina
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