James Cameron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Cameron CC
Cameron in 2022
Born	James Francis Cameron (1954-08-16) August 16, 1954 (age 70) Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	Fullerton College
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter editor philanthropist sea explorer
Years active	1978–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Sharon Williams ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1984)​ Gale Anne Hurd ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1989)​ Kathryn Bigelow ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1991)​ Linda Hamilton ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 1999)​ Suzy Amis ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	5
Awards	Full list
Signature

James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a famous Canadian filmmaker. He lives in New Zealand. His movies have earned over $8 billion worldwide. This makes him one of the highest-earning film directors ever.

James Cameron often uses new technologies in his films. He helped start companies like Lightstorm Entertainment and Digital Domain. Three of his movies are kept in the National Film Registry. This means they are important for history or culture.

Cameron started his career with a short film in 1978. He became well-known for writing and directing The Terminator (1984). He also made other successful films like Aliens (1986), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994). His movies Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) are among the highest-grossing films of all time.

He directed, wrote, and produced Titanic (1997). For this film, he won three Academy Awards. Besides movies, he is a National Geographic explorer. He has made many documentaries about exploring the deep ocean.

Cameron has also helped create new underwater filming tools. In 2012, he became the first person to dive alone to the deepest part of the ocean. This place is called the Mariana Trench. He used a special submarine called the Deepsea Challenger.

Early Life and Film Beginnings

James Francis Cameron was born on August 16, 1954. He grew up in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. His father was an electrical engineer, and his mother was an artist and nurse. James was the oldest of five children.

When he was 17, his family moved to California. Classmates remember that he liked building things. These things "either went up into the air or into the deep."

After high school, Cameron studied physics and English at Fullerton College. He left college in 1974. He worked different jobs, like a truck driver. During this time, he learned about special effects by reading books. After seeing the movie Star Wars in 1977, he decided to work in the film industry.

Career Highlights

Early Work and First Big Films

Cameron in September 1986

Cameron's directing career started in 1978. He made his first short film, Xenogenesis, with a friend. He learned a lot while making it. He then worked on other films, helping with special effects and design.

In 1982, Cameron directed Piranha II: The Spawning. This was his first time directing a major film. Critics did not like it much.

In 1982, Cameron had a nightmare about a robot hit-man. This inspired him to write The Terminator (1984). It was a science fiction action film. He wanted to direct it himself. A colleague, Gale Anne Hurd, bought his script for one dollar. She agreed that Cameron could direct.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen to play the robot villain. The Terminator was a big success. It earned over $78 million worldwide. The film was later chosen to be kept in the United States National Film Registry.

Action and Adventure Films

In 1984, Cameron helped write Rambo: First Blood Part II. Then, he wrote and directed Aliens (1986). This was a sequel to the movie Alien. Sigourney Weaver starred in it again. Aliens was also a box office hit. It earned over $130 million worldwide. It won two Academy Awards for its sound and visual effects.

Cameron with Gale Anne Hurd, 1986

After Aliens, Cameron made The Abyss. This film was about oil-rig workers who find strange life in the ocean. It was based on an idea Cameron had in high school. The movie was praised for its special effects. It won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Blockbusters and New Technologies

In 1990, Cameron co-founded Lightstorm Entertainment. In 1991, he wrote and directed Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton returned for this film. It featured a new villain, the T-1000, who could change shape.

Terminator 2 was one of the most expensive films made at the time. But it was a huge success. It broke box office records. It was the first film to earn over $300 million worldwide. It won four Academy Awards for its makeup, sound, and visual effects.

In 1993, Cameron co-founded Digital Domain. This company makes visual effects. In 1994, Cameron and Schwarzenegger worked together again on True Lies. This action-comedy film earned $146 million in the United States and Canada.

Cameron promoting Avatar at San Diego Comic-Con, 2009

His next big project was Titanic (1997). This epic film was about the famous ship that sank in 1912. Cameron made several dives to the real shipwreck to film it. A replica of the ship was built for the movie.

Titanic was the most expensive film ever made at the time. It told the story of two young lovers from different social classes. The film was a massive success. It became the highest-grossing film of all time. It held this record for twelve years. Titanic received 14 Academy Award nominations. It won 11 of them, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cameron.

After Titanic, Cameron focused on documentaries. He made Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005). These films explored the deep sea in 3D.

Return to Feature Films

Cameron speaking at a TED talk, February 2010

In the mid-2000s, Cameron returned to making big movies. He directed Avatar (2009). He had thought about this film since 1995. But he waited for technology to improve. Avatar used advanced motion capture and 3D technology.

The film was set in the future on a planet called Pandora. It had a budget of over $300 million. Avatar broke many box office records. It became the highest-grossing film of all time, beating Titanic. It was the first film to earn over $2 billion worldwide. Avatar won three Academy Awards for its art direction, cinematography, and visual effects.

In 2011, Cameron was an executive producer for Sanctum. In 2012, he re-released Titanic in 3D. He also made documentaries about the Titanic and the history of science fiction.

Recent Projects and Future Plans

Cameron in October 2012

In 2019, Cameron produced Alita: Battle Angel. He also returned to the Terminator series as a producer and writer for Terminator: Dark Fate (2019).

Cameron has been working on several sequels to Avatar. Avatar: The Way of Water was released in December 2022. It became the highest-grossing film of 2022. It is now the third highest-grossing film of all time. The next sequels, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Avatar 4, are planned for release in 2025 and 2029.

Cameron is also planning a film called Last Train From Hiroshima. It will be about a Japanese man who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.

Deep-Sea Exploration

Cameron has a strong interest in exploring the deep sea. This interest grew from his work on films like The Abyss and Titanic. He has helped create new tools for underwater filming.

In 2011, Cameron became a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. In 2012, he made a solo dive to the Challenger Deep. This is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. He spent over three hours exploring the ocean floor. He was the first person to do this alone. During his dive, he found new species of sea creatures.

Cameron has also spoken about the importance of safety in deep-sea exploration. He believes in strict safety standards for submersibles.

Personal Life

Cameron has been married five times. He was married to Sharon Williams from 1978 to 1984. Then, he married film producer Gale Anne Hurd from 1985 to 1989. After that, he married director Kathryn Bigelow from 1989 to 1991.

Cameron then had a relationship with actress Linda Hamilton. Their daughter was born in 1993. They married in 1997 but separated after two years. Cameron married his fifth wife, Suzy Amis, in 2000. They have three children together.

Cameron lived in the United States for many years. After filming Avatar in New Zealand, he bought a home and a farm there in 2012. He now lives in New Zealand permanently. He plans to make all his future films there.

Cameron is an atheist. He has been vegan since 2011. He is also a close friend of director Guillermo del Toro. Cameron helped del Toro during a difficult time in his life.

Cameron was interested in visiting space stations. He was offered a trip to space by NASA. However, he turned it down because it did not include a visit to the space station. The shuttle flight he declined was the tragic 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia mission.

In 2013, there was a legal dispute about Avatar. An artist claimed Cameron copied his images. The case was dismissed in 2014.

Filmmaking Style

Common Themes

Cameron in 2012

Cameron's films often explore certain themes. These include conflicts between machines and humans, or between humans and nature. He also shows the dangers of corporate greed. His movies often feature strong female characters and a romance story. Cameron has said that "All my movies are love stories."

Films like Titanic and Avatar feature lovers from different backgrounds. The Abyss and Titanic explore characters in tough ocean environments. The Terminator series shows technology as a threat to humanity. Avatar shows tribal people as honest, while a technologically advanced culture is seen as harmful. The danger of nuclear war is a theme in his Terminator films. This has been a fear of Cameron's since he was a child.

How He Works

Cameron is known as an innovative filmmaker. He has a classical filmmaking style. He is also known for being very demanding on set. He tries to do every job himself. He is known for his strong will and temper.

Some actors have spoken about his demanding style. Ed Harris, who starred in The Abyss, said Cameron was autocratic. Kate Winslet from Titanic said she was sometimes "genuinely frightened of him." She said he had "a temper like you wouldn't believe."

However, many actors also praise him. Sigourney Weaver said he is a perfectionist. She said he wants actors to "risk their lives and limbs for the shot." But she also said he is "so generous to actors" and a "genius." Jamie Lee Curtis said Cameron "knows more than everyone doing the job." Michael Biehn said Cameron "cares more about his movies than other directors."

Cameron has admitted that he could have been less demanding in the past. He said he wants to be more like director Ron Howard, who compliments his crew often.

Influence on Other Filmmakers

Cameron's work has greatly influenced Hollywood. Directors like Joss Whedon were inspired by Cameron's action scenes. Whedon also admires Cameron's strong female characters, like Ellen Ripley from Aliens.

Director Michael Bay looks up to Cameron. Cameron convinced him to use 3D cameras for Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). Other directors like Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp have also been inspired by Cameron.

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

Cameron receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, December 2009

James Cameron has received many awards. He won the first Ray Bradbury Award in 1992 for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Several universities have given him honorary degrees.

He is one of the few directors to win three Academy Awards in one year. For Titanic, he won Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Film Editing. He also won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Director, for Titanic and Avatar.

In 2008, Cameron received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. A year later, he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

A species of frog, Pristimantis jamescameroni, was named after him. This was to honor his work in promoting environmental awareness. In 2019, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada.

Images for kids

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  Cameron in 2022

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  James Cameron's signature

See also

In Spanish: James Cameron para niños

• James Cameron's unrealized projects
• List of people who descended to Challenger Deep
• List of vegans