Gina Prince-Bythewood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gina Prince-Bythewood
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Prince-Bythewood in 2018
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Gina Maria Prince
June 10, 1969 |
| Education | UCLA |
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| Known for | Love & Basketball The Secret Life of Bees Beyond the Lights The Woman King |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood (born June 10, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for making powerful movies that often feature strong female characters.
She started her career in the 1990s writing for TV shows. Her first big movie as a director was Love & Basketball in 2000. This film won her an Independent Spirit Award.
Some of her other famous films include The Secret Life of Bees (2008) and Beyond the Lights (2014). In 2020, she directed the superhero movie The Old Guard. This made her the first Black woman to direct a major comic-book film. For her 2022 film The Woman King, she was nominated for Best Director at the British Academy Film Awards and the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
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Early Life and Education
Gina Prince-Bythewood was born in Chicago, Illinois. When she was three weeks old, she was adopted by Bob and Maria Prince. Her adoptive father was a white computer programmer, and her adoptive mother was a nurse of Salvadoran and German heritage. Gina grew up in Pacific Grove, California, and has four siblings from her adoptive family.
In 1987, she graduated from Pacific Grove High School. She then went to the film school at the UCLA, where she was also a talented track runner. She won scholarships for her directing skills and graduated in 1991.
Later in her life, she looked for her birth mother. She learned that her birth mother was a white teenager who gave her up for adoption because her family was not supportive of her having a mixed-race child.
Career as a Filmmaker
After writing for TV shows like A Different World, Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed her first movie, Love & Basketball. The story was inspired by her own life and experiences growing up. The movie was a success, winning 12 awards and earning over $27 million.
Famous Films
In 2008, she directed The Secret Life of Bees, which was based on a popular book. The movie was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Her 2014 film, Beyond the Lights, tells the story of a young pop star. Prince-Bythewood had to work hard to get the movie made because she wanted to cast a specific actress, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, in the lead role. The story was inspired by the Nina Simone song "Blackbird" and the lives of famous singers like Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland.
Making History
In 2017, Prince-Bythewood began working on Silver & Black, a movie based on Marvel Comics characters. Although that film was not made, she later directed another comic-book movie, The Old Guard, for Netflix. This was a huge step, making her the first woman of mixed race to direct a major film in this genre.
Her 2022 film, The Woman King, was a historical epic about an all-female army in the African Kingdom of Dahomey. The movie, starring Viola Davis, tells the story of these brave warriors, called the Agojie, who fought to protect their people.
Personal Life
In 1998, Prince-Bythewood married Reggie Rock Bythewood, who is also a film director and writer. They met while working on the TV show A Different World. They have two sons, Cassius and Toussaint, and live in Southern California.
Prince-Bythewood also helps young filmmakers. She is part of a group that gives money to students through The Four Sisters Scholarship.
Major Works
Here are some of Gina Prince-Bythewood's most well-known films:
- Love & Basketball (2000) - She was the writer and director.
- The Secret Life of Bees (2008) - She was the writer and director.
- Beyond the Lights (2014) - She was the writer and director.
- The Old Guard (2020) - She was the director.
- The Woman King (2022) - She was the director.
See also
In Spanish: Gina Prince-Bythewood para niños
