Brian De Palma
Biography
Brian De Palma is an American filmmaker and a prominent member of the New Hollywood generation, known for thrillers that draw on suspense, crime, and psychological tension. Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Philadelphia and New Hampshire, he first studied physics at Columbia before earning a master's degree in theater from Sarah Lawrence College. His early features included Greetings (1968), which won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Hi, Mom! (1970). The adaptation Carrie (1976) brought him wider attention, and he followed it with commercial hits such as The Untouchables (1987), for which Sean Connery won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Mission: Impossible (1996). Among his cult favorites are Sisters (1972), Phantom of the Paradise (1974), Scarface (1983), and Carlito's Way (1992). Critics Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael championed his work, and Carrie was added to the National Film Registry.
86years old
Turns 87 on September 11in 305 days
- Born Newark
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Brian Russell DePalma and DePalma
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 22 years1995 to 2017
Every film, newest first
- 2017SpielbergIMDb rating 7.7
- 2016De PalmaIMDb rating 7.4
- 1995A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American MoviesIMDb rating 8.5
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First role
De Palma's first feature-length directorial effort was the 1968 slasher comedy Murder a la Mod, which he made before his better-known early films.
A first
Carrie was De Palma's first genuine box-office success, and it brought Oscar nominations for the performances of Spacek and Piper Laurie.
First role
De Palma co-wrote and co-directed The Wedding Party in 1963, but it stayed unreleased until 1969; the credits misspelled Robert De Niro's name as Robert Den.
Early training
De Palma received his undergraduate degree in 1962, then joined the theater department at Sarah Lawrence College as a graduate student. The school had just become coed, and he was one of its first male students, earning an M.A. in 1964.
Behind the camera
De Palma's debut novel, Les serpents sont-ils nécessaires?, came out in France in 2018. Susan Lehman co-wrote it, and the English title is Are Snakes Necessary?.
Brian De Palma movies on Netflix
Worked with
Brian De Palma shares two films with Martin Scorsese, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Martin Scorsese's page
Francis Ford Coppola's page
Tom Hanks's page
Richard Dreyfuss's page
Ralph Fiennes's page
Clint Eastwood's page
Susan LacyDirector, 1 film, 2017
All films by Susan Lacy
Jake PaltrowDirector, 1 film, 2016
All films by Jake Paltrow
All films by Noah Baumbach
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| John Jay Award | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.