Alex Winter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Winter
Winter in 2013
Born	London, England, UK
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1978–present
Spouse(s)	Sonya Dawson (m. 1995; div. ?) Ramsey Ann Naito ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	3

Alexander Ross Winter is an English-American actor and filmmaker. He is famous for playing Bill S. Preston, Esq., in the 1989 movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He also starred in its sequels, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). Alex Winter is also known for his role as Marko in the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys. He also helped write, direct, and star in the 1993 movie Freaked. In recent years, he has directed many documentaries.

Early life and education

Alex Winter was born in London, England. His mother, Gregg Mayer, was a dancer from New York. She started a modern dance company in London. His father, Ross Albert Winter, was from Australia and also danced. His parents later started the Mid American Dance Company in St. Louis.

When Alex was five, his family moved to Missouri. His mother taught dance at Washington University in St. Louis. His parents divorced in 1973.

In 1978, Winter moved to Montclair, New Jersey. He started acting in plays both on and off Broadway in New York City. He enjoyed his time in New Jersey.

After finishing Montclair High School in 1983, Winter went to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. There, he met another filmmaker, Tom Stern. They worked together on several short films.

Career highlights

Acting and directing journey

Alex Winter spent many years acting on Broadway. He had roles in popular shows like The King and I and Peter Pan.

He left NYU film school early and moved to Hollywood. There, he began writing and directing short films and music videos. He also continued acting in movies like The Lost Boys and Rosalie Goes Shopping.

In 1989, Winter became widely known for his role as Bill S. Preston, Esq. He starred alongside Keanu Reeves in the hit comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He played this role again in the 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

After the success of Bill & Ted, Winter and his friends Tom Stern and Tim Burns created a comedy show for MTV. This show, The Idiot Box, aired in 1991 but only had six episodes. Winter then directed and starred in the 1993 science-fiction comedy Freaked. Even though it received good reviews, the film was not widely released. It has since become a favorite among some fans.

Winter at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival

Winter returned to directing in 1999 with the movie Fever. This film was shown at many film festivals around the world. Critics praised it for its suspenseful atmosphere.

Later, Winter directed live-action movies based on the popular Cartoon Network series Ben 10. These included Ben 10: Race Against Time (2007) and Ben 10: Alien Swarm (2009). Both movies were very popular and had high ratings.

In 2012, Winter directed the documentary Downloaded. This film was about internet file sharing and the music service Napster. His 2015 documentary, Deep Web, explored topics like bitcoin and the dark web. Both documentaries received good reviews.

In 2013, he acted in the thriller Grand Piano, which starred Elijah Wood.

Winter continued to direct documentaries. In 2018, he released The Panama Papers, about a major financial scandal. He also directed Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain, which explores blockchain technology. In 2020, he released Zappa, a documentary about the musician Frank Zappa. This project was one of the most funded documentaries through Kickstarter.

In 2020, Winter returned as Bill Preston in Bill & Ted Face the Music. This movie was in development for many years. The story is about Bill and Ted needing to write a song to save the world. There have been hints about a possible fourth "Bill & Ted" movie.

Winter's latest documentary, The YouTube Effect, came out in 2023. It explores the impact of YouTube. In 2024, he produced and acted in the horror-comedy Destroy All Neighbors.

Looking ahead, Winter is producing, directing, and acting in a film called Adulthood, set for release in 2025. He is also expected to return to Broadway in 2025, co-starring with Keanu Reeves in the play Waiting For Godot.

Interest in technology

Alex Winter became very interested in the internet and technology. He liked how many people could discuss different topics online. This interest led him to make documentaries like Downloaded and Deep Web. These films explore how the internet has changed things like file sharing and online privacy.

Personal life

Alex Winter was married to Sonya Dawson, and they have a son born in 1998. They later divorced. In 2010, he married Ramsey Ann Naito, and they have two children together.

Winter holds citizenship in both Britain and America.

Filmography

Film roles

Directing

Acting

Television roles

Directing

Acting

Music videos directed

Theatre performances

See also

In Spanish: Alex Winter para niños