Fred Schepisi

MAIN

Recommend (0)

•

Comments (0)

BIRTHDAY

December 26, 1936

Melbourne, Australia

RECENT CREDITS

It Runs in the Family (FILM) Apr. 25, 2003

Levity (FILM) Apr. 4, 2003

Last Orders (FILM) Feb. 15, 2002

Fierce Creatures (FILM) Jan. 24, 1997

I.Q. (FILM) Dec. 25, 1994

View all Fred Schepisi Credits

BIOGRAPHY

Expand Full Bio

The son of an Australian car salesman, Fred Schepisi half-heartedly pursued a life as a priest, but left the seminary by the age of 15. Schepisi then shifted his interest to the world of TV advertising. After directing several commercials, he moved into documentary filmmaking, winning an Australian Film Institute award in the process. Schepisi then set up his own highly respected production company, The Film House. He was 36 years old before he had the time and financial backing to direct his first fictional feature, the semi-autobiographical The Devil's Playground (1976). With his race-conscious The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1978), Schepisi gained international renown; he used his new industry clout to leave Australia behind for a Hollywood career, briefly returning to his native country for the wrenchingly true story of trial-by-headline, A Cry in the Dark (1988). Schepisi's American-produced output has included Iceman (1984), The Russia House (1989), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), and the long-delayed Mr. Baseball (1993). A few low-key films such as Fierce Creatures (1997) and It Runs in the Family (2003) followed, but Schepisi made a serious mark with his Golden Globe winning adaptation of Richard Russo's novel Empire Falls. The HBO mini series starred Paul Newman, Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, and Robin Wright Penn.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Collapse Full Bio

Headlines

Box Office Analysis: May 4, Mutants Rule

May. 4, 2003

Mutants proved victorious as the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel X2: X-Men United took in a mind-bending $85.8 million at the box office this weekend. Top 10: X2: X-Men United The Lizzie McGuire Movie Identity Anger Management Holes Malibu's Most Wanted Confidence It Runs in the Family Bend It Like Beckham Bulletproof Monk

Full Box Office Analysis

News Roundup: May 9

Posted: May. 9, 2002

News Roundup: Nov. 13

Posted: Nov. 13, 2001

View all Fred Schepisi Headlines