Bennett Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bennett Miller
Miller at the Weekend of a Champion press conference in November, 2013
Born	Bennett Altman Miller (1966-12-30) December 30, 1966 (age 58) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Occupation	Film director, film producer
Years active	1998–present

Bennett Altman Miller (born December 30, 1966) is an American film director and producer. He is famous for directing movies like Capote (2005), Moneyball (2011), and Foxcatcher (2014). He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director two times.

About Bennett Miller

Early Life and Friends

Bennett Miller was born in New York City. His dad was an engineer, and his mom was a painter. When he was young, he became friends with writer Dan Futterman and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Bennett, Dan, and Philip went to New York State Summer School of the Arts together. Bennett and Dan were also classmates at Mamaroneck High School. Later, these three friends worked together on the movie Capote.

College Days

Miller went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Philip Seymour Hoffman was also a classmate there. Bennett left college just before he was supposed to graduate.

While at NYU, Miller, Hoffman, and another actor named Steven Schub started a theater group. They made a funny promise: if any of them ever won an Academy Award (an Oscar), their acceptance speech would only be barking!

Miller's Film Career

Starting with Documentaries

Bennett Miller began his film career in 1998. He directed a documentary called The Cruise. This film showed the daily life of a tour guide on a bus in New York City. He used small, handheld digital cameras to make it. The movie was a surprise success and helped Miller get many new opportunities.

Directing Famous Movies

Miller received many offers for new film projects. He waited until he could get support to make Capote. This movie starred his friend Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played the writer Truman Capote. Capote was first shown in September 2005.

In 2009, Miller was chosen to direct Moneyball. This movie was based on a book about how a baseball team used data to win. The film came out in 2011 and was very popular with critics and audiences.

Miller's most recent movie is Foxcatcher, released in 2014. It stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. Miller started working on this film in 2006. Critics loved Foxcatcher. One reviewer called it "a new peak" for Miller. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Miller.

Working with Actors

Bennett Miller has directed six actors who received Academy Award nominations for their roles in his films:

• Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener for Capote
• Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill for Moneyball
• Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher

Philip Seymour Hoffman actually won an Oscar for his acting in Capote.

Future Projects

As of 2025, Miller has been working on a documentary film. This film explores how new technologies are changing society. It includes ideas from experts like Danny Hillis and Ray Kurzweil. While making this documentary, Miller was one of the first people to get access to DALL-E. This is an AI tool that creates images.

Commercials

Besides movies, Bennett Miller also directs commercials for television. In 1999, he directed a series of TV ads for the Charlotte Hornets basketball team.

Personal Life

In a 2014 interview, Miller described himself as a "tumbleweed." He said, "I don't have a company. I don't have a staff. I don't own anything -- I've never owned a car or an apartment." This shows he prefers a simple and flexible lifestyle.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Miller was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for Capote (2005) and Foxcatcher (2014). He was also nominated for the David Lean Award for Direction at the BAFTAs in 2006.

He won the Best Director Award (French: Prix de la mise en scène) at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for Foxcatcher. This film was also part of the main competition for the Palme d'Or.

Academy Award-Winning Performances Directed by Miller

Under Miller's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations for their performances in their respective roles.

See also

In Spanish: Bennett Miller para niños