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Craig Gillespie
Craig Gillespie (cropped).jpg
Gillespie in 2013
Born (1967-09-01) 1 September 1967 (age 58)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation Film director
Commercial director
Television director
Years active 1995–present
Notable work
 Lars and the Real Girl
Fright Night
I, Tonya
Cruella

Craig Gillespie (born September 1, 1967) is a director from Australia and America. He directs movies, TV shows, music videos, and commercials. He is famous for directing films like Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Fright Night (2011), I, Tonya (2017), and Cruella (2021).

Early Life and Education

Where Did Craig Gillespie Grow Up?

Craig Gillespie was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia. When he was 19, he moved to New York City. There, he studied art and advertising at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Craig Gillespie's Career Journey

How Craig Gillespie Started in Advertising

Gillespie began his career as an intern at an advertising agency called J. Walter Thompson in New York. He then worked at several other big ad agencies. He started as an art director and later became a creative director. After eight years in advertising, he started directing in 1995.

His strong portfolio and experience helped him get signed by production companies. Since 2000, he has worked with MJZ, directing commercials. He often works with cinematographers Masanobu Takayanagi and Rodrigo Prieto.

Awards for Commercials

Craig Gillespie won a Directors Guild of America Award in 2006. This award was for his excellent work on commercials for Ameriquest and Altoids. He also won a Golden Lion Award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2005. Two of his commercials are even part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.

One of his most famous commercials was for Snickers. It featured actress Betty White playing backyard football. This ad was voted the best during Super Bowl XLIV and helped make Betty White popular again.

Craig Gillespie's First Feature Films

Gillespie's first movie was Mr. Woodcock in 2007. He left the project after some test screenings did not go well. Many scenes were rewritten and re-shot by another director. Gillespie realized the audience wanted a different kind of comedy than he had made.

Soon after, he started working on Lars and the Real Girl. He had the script for this movie for four years. The story was about a man who finds a unique companion in a doll. Many major studios were unsure about the idea at first.

Directing TV Shows and Other Movies

Gillespie directed several episodes of the first season of the TV series The United States of Tara. This show was created by Steven Spielberg and Diablo Cody.

He was also set to direct Dallas Buyers Club, a true story about Ron Woodroof. Woodroof was an electrician who lived much longer than expected after being diagnosed with AIDS. However, another director took over the project.

In 2010, it was announced that Gillespie would direct the remake of Fright Night. This movie starred Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, and Toni Collette. In 2009, Gillespie and actor Sam Worthington won the Australians in Film Breakthrough Award.

Music Videos and Later Film Projects

In 2011, he directed the music video for Kid Cudi's song, "No One Believes Me". He also signed on to direct a movie called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but later left that project.

In 2014, Gillespie directed The Finest Hours. This film was about the Coast Guard saving crews from two oil tankers in 1952. It starred Chris Pine and Casey Affleck.

Recent Directing Successes

Gillespie directed I, Tonya (2017), a movie about figure skater Tonya Harding. It starred Margot Robbie and Allison Janney.

In 2018, he was chosen to direct Disney's live-action movie Cruella. This film is a spin-off of One Hundred and One Dalmatians and stars Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil. The movie came out on May 28, 2021. In June 2021, it was announced that he would direct a sequel to Cruella.

In April 2022, Gillespie signed on to direct a movie based on the book The Antisocial Network. This book is about the GameStop short squeeze. The film, called Dumb Money, was released on September 22, 2023.

In April 2024, Gillespie began talks to direct the DC Studios superhero film Supergirl. This movie is part of the DC Universe. In May 2024, it was confirmed he would direct the film, which is set to be released on June 26, 2026.

Filmography

Movies Directed by Craig Gillespie

Year Title Director Producer
2007 Mr. Woodcock Yes No
Lars and the Real Girl Yes No
2011 Fright Night Yes No
2014 Million Dollar Arm Yes No
2016 The Finest Hours Yes No
2017 I, Tonya Yes Executive
2021 Cruella Yes No
2023 Dumb Money Yes Yes
2026 Supergirl Not yet released Yes No

Television Shows Directed by Craig Gillespie

Year Title Director Executive
Producer		 Notes
2009–10 United States of Tara Yes No 6 episodes; Also consulting producer
2010 My Generation Yes No Episode "Pilot"
2013 Trooper Yes Yes Unaired pilot
2021 Physical Yes Yes Episode "Let's Do This Thing"
2022 Pam & Tommy Yes Yes 3 episodes
Mike Yes Yes 4 episodes
2025 Your Friends and Neighbors Yes Yes
The Better Sister Yes Yes

Music Videos Directed by Craig Gillespie

Commercials Directed by Craig Gillespie

Craig Gillespie has directed many commercials for well-known brands, including:

Awards and Nominations

Recognitions for Craig Gillespie's Work

Year Award Category Title Result
2021 Grammy Awards Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Cruella Nominated
2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Pam & Tommy Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Craig Gillespie para niños

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