James Gray
James Gray (born April 14, 1969; New York City) is an American film director and screenwriter. Gray was born in New York City and grew up in the neighborhood of Flushing. He is of Ukrainian-Jewish descent, with grandparents from Ostropol, Western Ukraine. The original family name was "Grayevsky". His father was once an electronics contractor. Gray attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where his student film, Cowboys and Angels, helped him get an agent and the attention of producer Paul Webster, who encouraged him to write a script which he could produce. As a child growing up in Queens, New York, Gray aspired to be a painter. However, when introduced in his early teenage years to the works of various filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, Gray's interests expanded to the art of filmmaking. The Yards returned Gray to Queens where the story takes place.
In 1994, at age 25, Gray made his first feature film "Little Odessa" (1994), a film starring Tim Roth about a hit man confronted by his younger brother upon returning to his hometown, "Little Odessa," a section of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. The film won the Silver Lion at the 51st Venice International Film Festival. Miramax Films released James Gray's second feature, "The Yards" (2000) starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn, Charlize Theron and James Caan in fall of 2000. The film was selected for official competition at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival. His next film "The Immigrant" (2013) was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In October 2016, Gray's film "The Lost City of Z" (2016) premiered at the New York Film Festival. The film, based on the book by David Grann, depicts the life of explorer Percy Fawcett, played by Charlie Hunnam. Gray first confirmed his plans to write and direct sci-fi space epic "Ad Astra" (2019) on May 12 during the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. On June 17, 2020, it was officially confirmed that his next film, titled "Armageddon Time" (2022), would be a coming-of-age drama story of loyalty and friendship against the historical backdrop of Ronald Reagan's presidential election loosely based on Gray's childhood memories, with Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong cast in the film.
Known For | Directing |
---|---|
Most Rating | 3.62 |
Birthday | 1969-04-14 |
Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
Also Known As | Джеймс Грэй, 제임스 그레이, |
2015
Hitchcock/Truffaut
7.275/233
Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and pu...
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Hitchcock/Truffaut
1995
At Sundance
5.5/4
A group portrait of filmmakers attend the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Featuring Matthew Harrison, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes, Greg A...
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At Sundance
2019
An American Named Kazan
6/3
Elia Kazan represented the American dream. An immigrant who came without anything and who became the Prince of Hollywood and Broadway after World War...
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An American Named Kazan
2010
Godard Made in USA
0/0
Documentary by Luc Lagier exploring Godard's career as a filmmaker, the production of Breathless and his influence and his relationship with American...
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Godard Made in USA
2012
Dreamers
6/1
Dreamers is a film directed by Noelle Deschamps in 2012. Creation was always imagined as a mysterious process. Following these filmmakers, brings to l...
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Dreamers
2023
Room 999
6/4
In 1982, Wim Wenders asked 16 of his fellow directors to speak on the future of cinema, resulting in the film Room 666. Now, 40 years later, in Cannes...
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Room 999
The Making of We Own the Night
0/0
The cast and crew talk about We Own the Night. Written and directed by James Gray.
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The Making of We Own the Night
2019
Reach For The Stars
0/0
Multipart Documentaries released with the BluRay of the movie, looking into the creation and production of Ad Astra, with interviews of Cast and Crew....
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Reach For The Stars
2024
Faye
7.3/3
Through honest reflection, complemented by insight from colleagues and friends, Faye Dunaway contextualizes her life and filmography, laying bare her...
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