Mike Nichols

Regisseur, Producer, Acteur, Schrijver

6 november 1931 — 19 november 2014 (83 years)
Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was a German-born American film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their acting experience. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe, The Compass Players, predecessor of The Second City, in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May, to form the comedy duo Nichols and May. Their live improv acts were a hit on Broadway resulting in three albums, with their debut album winning a Grammy Award.

After Nichols and May disbanded their act in 1961, Nichols began directing plays. He soon earned a reputation as a skilled Broadway director with a flair for creating innovative productions and the ability to elicit polished performances from actors. His debut Broadway play was Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. He next directed Luv in 1964 and in 1965 directed another Neil Simon play, The Odd Couple. Nichols received a Tony Award for each of those plays. Nearly five decades later, he won his sixth Tony Award as best director with a revival of Death of a Salesman in 2012. During his career, he directed or produced over twenty-five Broadway plays.

In 1966, Warner Brothers invited Nichols to direct his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The groundbreaking and acclaimed film led critics to declare Nichols the "new Orson Welles". The film garnered 13 Academy Award nominations, winning five. It was also a box office hit and became the number 1 film of 1966. His next film was The Graduate in 1967, starring then unknown actor Dustin Hoffman, alongside Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross. The film was another critical and financial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1967 and receiving seven Academy Award nominations, winning Nichols the Academy Award for Best Directing. Among the other films he directed were Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), Wolf (1994), The Birdcage (1996), Closer (2004), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007).

Along with an Academy Award, Nichols won a Grammy Award (the first for a comedian born outside the United States), four Emmy Awards and nine Tony Awards. He was also a three-time BAFTA Award winner. His other honors included the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films garnered a total of 42 Academy Award nominations and seven wins.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Mike Nichols, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Graduate
    The Graduate1967
  • Friends with Kids
    Friends with Kids2011
  • Carnal Knowledge
    Carnal Knowledge1971

Known For

  • The Graduate
    The Graduate1967
  • Closer
    Closer2004
  • Charlie Wilson's War
    Charlie Wilson's War2007
  • The Remains of the Day
    The Remains of the Day1993
  • The Birdcage
    The Birdcage1996
  • Working Girl
    Working Girl1988
  • Wolf
    Wolf1994
  • Angels in America
    Angels in America6 episodes
  • Regarding Henry
    Regarding Henry1991
  • Silkwood
    Silkwood1983
  • Primary Colors
    Primary Colors1998
  • Wit
    Wit2001
  • Catch-22
    Catch-221970
  • Postcards from the Edge
    Postcards from the Edge1990
  • Biloxi Blues
    Biloxi Blues1988
  • Carnal Knowledge
    Carnal Knowledge1971
  • Heartburn
    Heartburn1986
  • What Planet Are You From?
    What Planet Are You From?2000
  • The Day of the Dolphin
    The Day of the Dolphin1973
  • The Fortune
    The Fortune1975

Cinematografie