Birth Date:
Birth Place:
Gender:
Height:
Nationality:
Professions:
Nov 27, 1951 (72 years old)
San Carlos
Female
5 ft 11 in (1.816 m)
United States of America
Film director , Screenwriter , Film Producer , Actor , Television Director
Kathryn Bigelow is an acclaimed American director and producer with a net worth of $50 million. Notably, she is the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America's Best Director Award and the Academy Award for Best Director. Bigelow is renowned for directing critically acclaimed films such as 'Near Dark,' 'Point Break,' 'Strange Days,' 'The Hurt Locker,' 'Zero Dark Thirty,' and 'Detroit.' Her films are characterized by their dynamic visual style and thought-provoking treatment of challenging themes.
Born on November 28, 1951, in San Carlos, California, Kathryn Bigelow is the only child of Ronald, a paint factory manager, and Gertrude, a librarian. She has Norwegian ancestry on her mother's side. Bigelow attended Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California, and later studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, earning her BA in 1972. Her passion for art took her to the Whitney Museum of American Art's independent study program, where she lived an artist's life in New York City. Bigelow also ventured into real estate with musician Philip Glass, renovating and selling old apartments. She pursued further studies at Columbia University, focusing on film theory and criticism, and even taught at the California Institute of the Arts.
Bigelow's foray into directing began in 1978 at Columbia with the short film 'The Set-Up.' Her full-length directorial debut came years later with the outlaw biker drama 'The Loveless,' which marked Willem Dafoe's first starring role in a film.
Bigelow's second feature film, the neo-Western horror 'Near Dark,' was released in 1987. Starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton, and Lance Henriksen, the film focuses on an Oklahoma man drawn into a nomadic vampire family. Though initially a commercial failure, it later gained a cult following. Bigelow followed up with action films that challenged Hollywood norms, starting with the 1990's 'Blue Steel,' starring Jamie Lee Curtis, 'Point Break,' in 1991, featuring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, and the dystopian thriller 'Strange Days' in 1995 with Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett. Although 'Strange Days' was a box-office bomb, it was commended for its bold themes.
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In 2000, Bigelow returned to directing with the mystery thriller 'The Weight of Water.' This was followed by the 2002 historical submarine film 'K-19: The Widowmaker,' starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. In 2008, Bigelow directed the Iraq War thriller 'The Hurt Locker,' which achieved immense critical acclaim, winning six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, making her the first woman to win in this category. She continued her success with the 2012 thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty,' which chronicled the manhunt for Osama bin Laden and earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Bigelow's most recent film, 'Detroit,' released in 2017, is a gripping portrayal of the 1967 Detroit riots.
Beyond films, Bigelow has directed several television episodes. Her television debut was in 1993 with the ABC miniseries 'Wild Palms.' She directed episodes of 'Homicide: Life on the Street' between 1998 and 1999, and in 2004, she directed an episode of 'Karen Sisco.' Bigelow has also directed commercials for major brands, including Budweiser, AT&T, and the Army National Guard.
Kathryn Bigelow's directing style is a blend of mainstream filmmaking and deep sociopolitical themes. Her films are known for their fast-paced, physical movement and the use of handheld cameras to create a documentary-like realism. Bigelow often explores complex issues like racism, sexism, and violence, frequently challenging the audience's perception and the normalization of violence in society. Her innovative approach to narrative and visual style makes her a unique voice in contemporary cinema.
Bigelow married filmmaker James Cameron in 1989, with whom she collaborated professionally, notably on 'Strange Days.' They divorced in 1991 but remained on good terms professionally. In the 2009 Academy Awards, Bigelow and Cameron were both nominees for Best Director, Bigelow for 'The Hurt Locker' and Cameron for 'Avatar.'
Bigelow and Cameron bought a Beverly Hills home in 1989 for $1.8 million, which remained Bigelow's primary residence for many years. She listed it for sale in 2018 for $13 million. In 2016, she purchased a 72-acre horse ranch in upstate New York for $2.6 million.
