Joe Wright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Wright
Wright in 2015
Born	Joseph Wright (1972-08-25) 25 August 1972 (age 52) London, England
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Anoushka Shankar ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2019)​
Partner(s)	Haley Bennett (2017–present)
Children	3

Joseph Wright, born on August 25, 1972, is a talented film director from England. He is known for directing many popular movies. These include historical dramas like Pride & Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007), and Anna Karenina (2012). He also directed the action film Hanna (2011) and the adventure story Pan (2015).

Early Life and First Steps in Film

Joseph Wright always loved art, especially painting. He enjoyed making short films with his Super 8 camera. He also spent evenings acting in a drama club. Joseph has dyslexia, which means he learns differently. He left school without getting his main school certificates.

He started his career at his parents' puppet theatre, the Little Angel Theatre. He also took acting classes and worked as an actor. Later, he studied fine art and film at college. During his last year, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to make a short film for the BBC, which won several awards.

In the 1990s, Joseph worked at a company that made music videos. He helped with many parts of making videos, like finding actors. This job gave him the chance to direct some music videos himself. He also worked on his second short film, The End. During this time, he was also a part-time roadie. He helped set up visuals for electronic music bands. Joseph says the energy and look of the UK rave scene influenced his work.

Directing for Television

After his first short film was successful, Joseph Wright was asked to direct a TV series called Nature Boy in 2000.

He then directed other TV series, including Bodily Harm in 2002. In 2003, he directed the highly praised Charles II: The Power and the Passion. This show won a BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series.

More recently, in 2022, Joseph began directing an eight-part TV show. It is based on the book M: Son of the Century. This story is about the rise of Italian leader Benito Mussolini. The show, called Mussolini: Son of the Century, was first shown at a film festival in September 2024. It started airing on TV in January 2025.

In 2023, Joseph was also working on a TV show for HBO. This show is based on the book Empty Mansions. It tells the story of Huguette Clark, a wealthy heiress.

Directing Feature Films

In 2005, Joseph Wright directed his first big movie, Pride & Prejudice. This film was very popular and starred Keira Knightley. It received many awards and nominations. Joseph himself won an award for Most Promising Newcomer at the BAFTAs.

His next film was Atonement in 2007. This movie also starred Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. It was nominated for many awards, including seven Golden Globe Awards. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. At the BAFTA Awards, it won Best Film.

Joseph's 2011 film, Hanna, was an action thriller. It starred Saoirse Ronan as a 15-year-old girl. Her father trained her to be an assassin. Critics generally liked the movie.

In 2012, Joseph directed Anna Karenina. This movie was based on a famous book by Leo Tolstoy. It starred Keira Knightley again, along with Jude Law.

His 2015 film, Pan, was a story about how Peter Pan began. It starred Hugh Jackman and Levi Miller as Peter. However, critics did not like this movie much, and it did not do well at the box office. Some people also felt that casting Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily was not appropriate.

Joseph's 2017 film, Darkest Hour, focused on a key month in the life of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Gary Oldman played Churchill and won an Academy Award for his performance.

Joseph Wright's Directing Style

Joseph Wright won a BAFTA award for his first major film, Pride & Prejudice. He was also the youngest director to have a film open the Venice Film Festival with Atonement. He is influenced by other British film directors. He also uses his knowledge of art history to create beautiful shots in his movies, making them look like classical paintings.

Many of his films, like Charles II, Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, and Hanna, feature long, continuous camera shots. For example, Atonement has a five-minute shot showing the Dunkirk evacuation. Joseph once joked that he just likes "showing off" with these impressive shots.

Personal Life

Joseph Wright was in a relationship with actress Rosamund Pike after they met while making Pride & Prejudice. They were engaged for a short time.

He was married to musician Anoushka Shankar from 2010 to 2019. They have two sons together. Since 2017, Joseph has been in a relationship with actress Haley Bennett. Their daughter was born in 2018. The family now lives in the UK.

Filmography

Short Films

• Crocodile Snap (1997)
• The End (1998)
• "Coco Mademoiselle: Chanel" (2014)
• Princess & Peppernose (2021)

Feature Films

Director

Executive Producer

• Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home (2010)
• Hummingbird (2013)
• Locke (2013)
• Swallow (2019)
• Radioactive (2019)

Television Work

Commercials

• "Chanel No. 5: Wherever I Go" (2012)
• "Chanel No. 5: There You Are" (2012)

Awards and Nominations

Joseph Wright's films have received many awards and nominations. Here are some of the main ones:

Here are some of the awards and nominations Joseph Wright has received as a director:

Actors Who Won or Were Nominated for Academy Awards in His Films

See also

In Spanish: Joe Wright para niños