Gavin Hood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gavin Hood
Hood at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1963-05-12) 12 May 1963 (age 62) Johannesburg, South Africa
Education	St Stithians College
Occupation	Film director screenwriter actor film producer
Years active	1989–present

Gavin Hood, born on May 12, 1963, is a talented filmmaker and actor from South Africa. He is famous for writing and directing the movie Tsotsi (2005). This film won an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, which is a very big honor! Gavin Hood has also directed other popular movies like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ender's Game, Eye in the Sky, and Official Secrets.

Early Life of Gavin Hood

Gavin Hood was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up in the Hillbrow area of the city. His father, Gordon Hood, was a retailer from England. Gavin went to St Stithians College for his schooling.

After high school, he studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1991, he moved to California to study screenwriting and directing at a film school.

Gavin Hood's Directing Career

When Gavin Hood returned to South Africa, he started his directing journey. He made several short educational films for the South African Department of Health. His first short film for a wider audience was The Storekeeper (1998). He even won an Artes Award for his work.

First Feature Films

Gavin Hood helped produce and write his first full-length movie, A Reasonable Man (1999). This film tells the story of a child who is accidentally killed. Later, he directed a Polish movie called In Desert and Wilderness (2001). He took over this project when the first director became ill.

Tsotsi and Academy Award Success

In 2005, Gavin Hood directed the crime drama film Tsotsi. This movie became very successful and won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2005. This was his first Academy Award! Tsotsi was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.

Directing Hollywood Movies

After Tsotsi, Gavin Hood directed his first Hollywood movie, Rendition (2007). He then directed X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a movie based on the famous Marvel Comics character Wolverine. Hugh Jackman played Wolverine in the film.

Gavin Hood talked about the deeper meanings in the Wolverine movie. He felt that movies should not just show simple good versus evil. He believed it's important to show that even heroes can have a dark side. He liked that Wolverine knows he can do things that are "not very nice."

In 2011, Hood started working on Ender's Game, based on Orson Scott Card's book. He wrote a version of the script and directed the movie. Ender's Game came out in theaters in the United States on November 1, 2013.

He also directed and acted in Eye in the Sky. This movie was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. In 2019, Gavin Hood wrote, directed, and helped produce the British film Official Secrets. This movie is based on the true story of Katharine Gun, who shared important information about the Iraq War.

Gavin Hood's Personal Life

Throughout his career, Gavin Hood has lived in different places. He has moved back and forth between South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Gavin Hood's Filmography

Acting Roles

See also

In Spanish: Gavin Hood para niños