Jamie Babbit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jamie Babbit
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| Born |
Jamie Merill Babbit
November 16, 1970 Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S.
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| Education | Barnard College (BA) |
| Occupation | Director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Children | 2 |
Jamie Merill Babbit (born November 16, 1970) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter. As a director, she is the person who guides the actors and the film crew to bring a story to life. She has directed popular movies like But I'm a Cheerleader and The Quiet.
Babbit has also directed episodes for many famous TV shows. These include Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Silicon Valley, and Only Murders in the Building.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jamie Babbit was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She grew up in Cleveland with her father, a lawyer, and her mother. Her mother ran a program called New Directions that helped teenagers with their problems. This program later gave Babbit an idea for her first movie.
When she was seven, Babbit started acting at the Cleveland Play House. She later became interested in working behind the scenes with stage lighting and management. She went to Barnard College and graduated in 1993. During her summer breaks, she also took film classes at New York University.
Career Journey
Getting Started in Film
After college, Babbit's first job was helping the famous director Martin Scorsese on his movie The Age of Innocence. Later, she worked as an intern on the film The Secret of Roan Inish.
Babbit then worked as a script supervisor. A script supervisor's job is to make sure all the details in a movie are consistent from one scene to the next. She did this for the movie The Game, directed by David Fincher. Working with Fincher was a very important experience for her career.
Making Short Films
In 1996, Babbit directed a funny short film called Frog Crossing. It was about a person trying to protect frogs crossing a highway.
Later, she made another short film called Sleeping Beauties. Director David Fincher helped her by giving her extra film. The star of The Game, Michael Douglas, also helped her get costumes. The film tells a story, based on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, about a young woman who works at a funeral home.
Another one of her short films, Stuck, won an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002.
Famous Movies
But I'm a Cheerleader
In 1999, Babbit directed her first full-length movie, But I'm a Cheerleader. It is a romantic comedy starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall. The story is about a high school cheerleader whose parents think she likes other girls. They send her to a special camp that tries to change who she is.
The idea for the movie came from an article Babbit read. The camp in the film was inspired by the program her mother used to run. Babbit wanted to make a funny movie with characters that felt real to her and her friends. At the time, most movies about similar topics were very serious.
The movie won awards at a film festival in France. In 2020, a special director's cut of the film was released to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
The Quiet
Babbit's second movie was the 2005 thriller The Quiet. It stars Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle. The story is about a deaf girl who goes to live with her godparents and discovers their family has dark secrets. The movie was a success and earned money at the box office around the world.
Itty Bitty Titty Committee
In 2007, Babbit directed the comedy Itty Bitty Titty Committee. The movie is about a young woman who joins a group of feminist activists. The film won an award at the South by Southwest festival in 2007.
Work in Television
Babbit has directed many episodes for well-known TV shows. Some of these include Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Ugly Betty, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
She enjoys working in television because it helps her practice her directing skills. She has said that directing for TV allows her to focus more on working with the actors. It also helps her earn a living while she plans her next movie project.
Personal Life
Babbit lives in Los Angeles. She has two daughters, Finley and Ryder, with her former partner, producer Andrea Sperling.
Filmography
Director
Film
- 1996: Frog Crossing (short film)
- 1999: Sleeping Beauties (short film)
- 1999: But I'm a Cheerleader
- 2001: Stuck (short film)
- 2005: The Quiet
- 2007: Itty Bitty Titty Committee
- 2012: Breaking the Girls
- 2015: Addicted to Fresno
- 2020: The Stand In
Television
- 1999–2001: Popular (8 episodes)
- 2001: The Bernie Mac Show (2 episodes)
- 2001–2007: Gilmore Girls (18 episodes)
- 2002–2003: Malcolm in the Middle (3 episodes)
- 2003–2004: Nip/Tuck (3 episodes)
- 2006: Alias
- 2006: Ugly Betty
- 2007–2008: The L Word (3 episodes)
- 2007: Gossip Girl (1 episode)
- 2009: Castle (1 episode)
- 2009–2010: Drop Dead Diva (6 episodes)
- 2010: The Middle (3 episodes)
- 2010: United States of Tara (4 episodes)
- 2014–2017: Girls (4 episodes)
- 2014–2015: Looking (2 episodes)
- 2015–2017: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (4 episodes)
- 2016: Supergirl (1 episode)
- 2016–2018: Silicon Valley (8 episodes)
- 2017: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (3 episodes)
- 2017: The Orville (1 episode)
- 2018: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2 episodes)
- 2019: Russian Doll (3 episodes)
- 2021–2024: Only Murders in the Building (9 episodes)
- 2022: A League of Their Own (3 episodes)
- 2024: My Lady Jane (5 episodes)
- 2024: Shrinking
See also
In Spanish: Jamie Babbit para niños
- List of female film and television directors
- List of lesbian filmmakers
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
