Baz Luhrmann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baz Luhrmann
Luhrmann at Elvis premiere in 2022
Born	Mark Anthony Luhrmann (1962-09-17) 17 September 1962 (age 62) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter actor
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Catherine Martin ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is a famous Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor. He is known for his unique and exciting style in movies, TV shows, and even stage plays. Baz Luhrmann is considered one of the most successful Australian directors ever. Many of his films have earned a lot of money around the world.

He is especially famous for his "Red Curtain Trilogy" of films. These include the fun romantic comedy Strictly Ballroom (1992). It also includes the romantic tragedies William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). After these, he directed other big movies like Australia (2008), The Great Gatsby (2013), and Elvis (2022). He also created the TV show The Get Down (2016) for Netflix.

Baz Luhrmann also works on music. He has produced popular soundtracks for his films, like Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby. These soundtracks were even nominated for Grammy Awards. He also has his own record label called House of Iona.

Baz Luhrmann's Early Life

Baz Luhrmann was born in Sydney, Australia. His mother, Barbara Carmel, taught ballroom dancing and owned a dress shop. His father, Leonard Luhrmann, ran a petrol station and a movie theatre. Baz grew up in a small country town called Herons Creek.

He got the nickname "Baz" at school because of his hairstyle. It came from a puppet character named Basil Brush. While still in high school, he officially changed his name to Bazmark. This combined his nickname and his birth name.

In 1980, after finishing high school, Baz Luhrmann acted in an Australian film called Winter of Our Dreams. In 1982, he used the money he earned to start his own theatre company. It was called The Bond Theatre Company. He also appeared in a TV documentary about street kids. In 1983, he started studying acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. He finished his studies in 1985.

On 26 January 1997, he married Catherine Martin. She is a talented production designer who works on his films. They have two children together. Baz Luhrmann is also a big fan of the Melbourne Demons in the Australian Football League.

His Amazing Career in Film

Luhrmann in 2018

After having success with plays, Baz Luhrmann started making films. His first movie as a director was Strictly Ballroom in 1992. It was based on a short play he had created earlier.

Bringing Shakespeare to Life

Luhrmann's modern movie version of Romeo + Juliet came out in 1996. It was based on the famous play by William Shakespeare. The film starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. This movie won several awards, including some at the Berlin Film Festival. It even beat Titanic for best direction at the BAFTAs! Baz also produced the soundtrack, which sold millions of copies.

Creating a Modern Musical

His Oscar-winning musical film Moulin Rouge! was released in 2001. It takes place in Paris at the beginning of the 1900s. The story is about an English writer, Christian (Ewan McGregor), who falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman). She is the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret. Critics loved how the film mixed different popular songs together. Many people said it brought new life to modern musicals. Moulin Rouge! won awards at the Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture. Its soundtrack was also a huge hit, selling over seven million copies. It featured the Grammy-winning song "Lady Marmalade".

Telling Australian Stories

In 2008, Luhrmann directed the historical epic film Australia. It starred famous Australian actors like Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The movie is set between the two World Wars. It tells a romantic story while showing important parts of Australian history. This includes the Bombing of Darwin. It also touches on the sad story of the Stolen Generations. This was a time when many Aboriginal children were taken from their families by the government. The film was very successful in Europe. It is the second-highest-grossing Australian film ever, after Crocodile Dundee.

Adapting a Classic Book

In 2013, Luhrmann made a film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous book, The Great Gatsby. It was even filmed in 3D! The movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. Tobey Maguire played Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan played Daisy Buchanan. For the film, Luhrmann and his wife, Catherine Martin, worked with big fashion brands. They created amazing period-style clothes and jewelry.

The Great Gatsby earned over $353 million worldwide. This makes it Luhrmann's highest-grossing movie so far. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The soundtrack, produced by Luhrmann and Jay-Z, mixed jazz music from the 1920s with modern hip hop. It became a number one hit on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen

Luhrmann's next big project was a film about the legendary singer Elvis Presley. The movie, simply called Elvis, came out in 2022. Tom Hanks played Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Austin Butler played Elvis himself. The film was a big success at the box office. It also received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

In the future, Luhrmann might direct a live-action version of Disney's Tangled. He is also planning a film about the life of Joan of Arc. It's called Jehanne d’Arc and is described as "The ultimate teenage girl coming of age story."

His Work in Television

Luhrmann at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival

In 2016, Baz Luhrmann worked on a Netflix series called The Get Down. This show was about the beginning of hip hop music in the 1970s. For the series, Luhrmann brought in famous hip hop artists like Nas and Grandmaster Flash. They helped make sure the story of hip hop's rise was told accurately. The show was praised for its exciting music and new actors.

Filmography

Director

Film

Television

Screen actor

Television

Film

Other Projects and Influence

Baz Luhrmann has done many other interesting things. In 1997, he released a CD called Something for Everybody. It featured music from his films and operas. He also created a company called Bazmark with his wife, Catherine Martin.

As a music producer, Luhrmann was behind the spoken word song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". This song became a hit in many countries. In 2004, he directed a famous commercial for Chanel N° 5 perfume. It was called No. 5 the Film. This commercial even holds a Guinness World Record for being the most expensive advertising commercial ever made! It also helped create a new type of film called "fashion film."

Luhrmann has also been involved in promoting tourism in Australia. He was asked by the Prime Minister to create advertisements for it. In 2009, he helped put together a musical performance for the 81st Academy Awards. He also appeared as a guest judge on the TV show Dancing with the Stars.

Baz Luhrmann is known for being inspired by Italian grand opera and Bollywood films. His mother was a ballroom dance teacher, which inspired his film Strictly Ballroom. He works closely with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fashion center. He has even chaired the famous Met Gala event.

Awards and Honours

Baz Luhrmann has won many awards for his films. Here are some of the major awards his movies have been nominated for and won:

See also

In Spanish: Baz Luhrmann para niños