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Mike Nichols

Biography

Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an 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.

Actor

The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch

2003

as Self - Interviewee

The Designated Mourner

1997

as Jack

Bach to Bach

1967

as Man

The Fabulous Fifties

1960

as Self

Documentaries

Arthur Miller: Writer

2017

as Self (archive footage)

Mike Nichols: An American Master

2016

as Self

Becoming Mike Nichols

2016

as Himself

Everything Is Copy

2015

as Self

Inventing David Geffen

2012

as Self

The Madness of Boy George

2006

as Self

Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner

2006

as Self

Love & Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day'

2001

as Self

Nichols and May: Take Two

1996

as Self (archive footage)

Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light

1996

as Self

In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton

1988

as Self

Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary

1986

as Self

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

1970

as Self (archive footage)

Directing

Charlie Wilson's War

2007

Director

Closer

2004

Director

Wit

2001

Director

What Planet Are You From?

2000

Director

Primary Colors

1998

Director

The Birdcage

1996

Director

Wolf

1994

Director

Regarding Henry

1991

Director

Postcards from the Edge

1990

Director

Working Girl

1988

Director

Biloxi Blues

1988

Director

Heartburn

1986

Director

Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway

1985

Stage Director

Silkwood

1983

Director

The Gin Game

1981

Stage Director

Gilda Live

1980

Director

The Fortune

1975

Director

The Day of the Dolphin

1973

Director

Carnal Knowledge

1971

Director

Catch-22

1970

Director

The Graduate

1967

Director

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

1966

Director

Production

Crescendo! The Power of Music

2014

Executive Producer

Friends with Kids

2012

Executive Producer

Closer

2004

Producer

Wit

2001

Executive Producer

What Planet Are You From?

2000

Producer

Primary Colors

1998

Producer

The Designated Mourner

1997

Producer

The Birdcage

1996

Producer

The Remains of the Day

1993

Producer

Regarding Henry

1991

Producer

Postcards from the Edge

1990

Producer

Heartburn

1986

Producer

The Longshot

1986

Executive Producer

Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway

1985

Production Supervisor

Silkwood

1983

Producer

The Fortune

1975

Producer

Carnal Knowledge

1971

Producer

Mike Nichols

Actor

Documentaries

Directing

Production

Writing

Crew