George Stevens Jr. facts for kids

George Cooper Stevens Jr. (born April 3, 1932) is an American writer, playwright, director, and producer. He is famous for starting the American Film Institute. He also created the AFI Life Achievement Award and helped create the Kennedy Center Honors.

Stevens has also worked as Co-Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. This committee helps support arts and culture in the United States.

About George Stevens Jr.'s Life

Stevens was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. His family had a long history in the entertainment world. His father, George Stevens, was a famous film director. His mother, Yvonne Howell, was an actress.

Even his grandparents were involved in movies! His grandmother, Alice Howell, was a silent comedy film actress. His paternal grandparents, Landers Stevens and Georgia Cooper Stevens, were also film actors.

In 1965, George Stevens Jr. married Elizabeth Guest. They have two sons, David Stevens and Michael Stevens. Michael also became a film producer. Stevens also has a stepdaughter, Caroline Stevens, who produces documentaries.

George Stevens Jr.'s Career

Starting Out in Film and TV

George Stevens Jr., associate producer of The Diary of Anne Frank, speaks at a July 1958 press conference in Amsterdam, with music director Alfred Newman on his left.

After finishing college in 1953, Stevens joined the United States Air Force. There, he directed training films. He then started his Hollywood career working on his father's movies. These included famous films like A Place in the Sun and Giant. He also helped produce and direct scenes for The Diary of Anne Frank.

In the late 1950s, Stevens directed TV shows. He worked on episodes of The D.A.'s Man. He also directed for popular shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Peter Gunn.

Working for the U.S. Government

In 1962, Stevens was asked to work for the United States Information Agency (USIA). This agency shares information about the U.S. with other countries. At just 31 years old, Stevens moved to Washington, D.C. He became the director of the Motion Picture and Television Service.

In this role, he produced about 300 short documentary films each year. One important film he oversaw was Nine from Little Rock. This film told the story of nine African-American students. They were the first Black students to attend an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. This film won an Academy Award in 1965.

Stevens also produced the USIA's first full-length film. It was a 90-minute documentary about President John F. Kennedy. The film was called Years of Lightning, Day of Drums. It was named one of the Ten Best Films of the Year in 1964.

Leading the American Film Institute

In 1965, Stevens helped create the National Endowment for the Arts. This organization supports arts and culture. In 1967, Stevens became the first director of the American Film Institute (AFI). The AFI was created with funds from the NEA.

Stevens worked to help universities with their film programs. He also focused on preserving important films. In 1969, he helped start the AFI's Center for Advanced Film Studies. This center is now known as the AFI Conservatory. Many famous directors, like David Lynch, studied there.

Under Stevens' leadership, the AFI saved and restored about 14,000 films. He also launched AFI's magazine, American Film. In 1973, he opened a special movie theater at the Kennedy Center. Stevens also helped raise money for independent films.

In 1973, Stevens started the AFI Life Achievement Award. This award honors great people in American film. Famous winners include Orson Welles and Bette Davis. Stevens produced and wrote the TV show for this award until 1998. He left the AFI in 1980.

Other Important Projects

In 1978, Stevens co-created the Kennedy Center Honors. This event celebrates people who have made big contributions to American culture. These include artists like Meryl Streep and Stephen Sondheim. Stevens wrote and produced the TV special for this event for many years. Most of his 14 Emmys came from this show.

In 1982, Stevens created Christmas in Washington. This was a TV musical special that raised money for the Children's National Hospital. He wrote and produced this show for over 30 years.

Stevens also wrote and directed a documentary about his father. The film was called George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey. It was released in 1985. The documentary included interviews with actors and directors. It also showed rare color footage from World War II. This footage was filmed by his father's military film unit. The documentary won several awards.

In 1991, Stevens wrote and directed the TV movie Separate but Equal. It starred Sidney Poitier as Thurgood Marshall. The movie showed Marshall and his team winning the important Brown v. Board of Education case. This case ended segregation in schools. The movie won an Emmy Award.

Stevens also wrote a play called Thurgood. It tells the story of Thurgood Marshall's life. The play was performed on Broadway with Laurence Fishburne as Marshall. Stevens' son, Michael, filmed one of these performances for HBO.

In 2009, President Barack Obama chose Stevens to be Co-Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Awards and Honors

George Stevens Jr. has won many awards for his work. He has been nominated for an Emmy 38 times and has won 14 Emmys. He has also received two Peabody Awards.

He has won eight awards from the Writers Guild of America. In 2012, he won a Humanitas Prize for his play Thurgood.

In December 2012, Stevens received an honorary Oscar. This special award recognized his amazing contributions to the film industry. His friend, Sidney Poitier, presented him with the award.

In January 2025, President Joe Biden gave Stevens the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest honors a civilian can receive in the U.S. He received it for his work in preserving and celebrating American film and performing arts.

Notable Works

Television and Film

• The Diary of Anne Frank (1959, associate producer)
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961–62, director)
• Kennedy Center Honors (1978–2015, producer and writer)
• AFI Life Achievement Award (1981–98, producer and writer)
• The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988, producer and writer)
• Separate but Equal (1991, executive producer, writer, and director)
• The Thin Red Line (1998, executive producer)
• We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial (2009, executive producer)

Stage

• Thurgood (2006, writer)

Books

• Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age at the American Film Institute (2006, editor)
• Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation (2012, editor)
• My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington (2022, author)