Lenny Abrahamson facts for kids

Lenny Abrahamson (born November 30, 1966) is a famous Irish director who makes movies and TV shows. He's well-known for directing independent films like Adam & Paul, Garage, What Richard Did, Frank, and Room. These films helped him win six Irish Film and Television Awards.

In 2015, he became very famous for directing Room. This movie was based on a book by Emma Donoghue. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Lenny. Later, in 2020, he directed six episodes of the TV series Normal People. He was also an executive producer for the show. For his work on Normal People, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Lenny Abrahamson's Early Life and School

Lenny Abrahamson was born in Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland. His parents were Edna and Max Abrahamson. His father was a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer.

Lenny went to The High School, Dublin for his education. After that, he studied at Trinity College Dublin. He was very good at philosophy and became a scholar there in 1988. Before that, he had studied theoretical physics for a year.

Lenny Abrahamson's Career in Film and TV

Lenny Abrahamson was offered a special scholarship to study for a PhD in Philosophy at Stanford University in the United States. However, after six months, he decided to stop his studies. He returned to Ireland to start making films.

He began his career by directing commercials. He made a popular series of adverts for Carlsberg beer.

First Films and Awards

Lenny's first feature film was Adam & Paul in 2004. His next film, Garage, came out in 2007. It starred Pat Shortt as a lonely gas station worker in the Irish countryside. Both Adam & Paul and Garage won the IFTA award for best film.

In 2007, he also directed a four-part TV mini-series called Prosperity. He wrote this show with Mark O'Halloran, who also helped write Adam & Paul and Garage. Prosperity was nominated for six Irish Film and Television Awards in 2008. Lenny won the award for Best Directing for the show.

In 2012, Lenny Abrahamson won his third IFTA for best film with What Richard Did.

Directing Frank and Room

Lenny Abrahamson directed a film called Frank, which was released in 2014. He said it was a comedy about a young musician who joins a strange band. The band is led by a mysterious singer named Frank. The movie stars famous actors like Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson. Frank was shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival.

After Frank, he directed the movie Room in 2015. This film was based on a popular book by Emma Donoghue. Room was very successful and was liked by many people and critics. For this movie, Lenny received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Director.

Future Projects

Lenny Abrahamson has been involved in planning other exciting projects. In 2014, it was announced he would direct a movie based on a Civil War book called Neverhome. He also worked on a film called A Man's World, which was about the boxing rivalry between Emile Griffith and Benny Paret.

In 2016, it was confirmed that Lenny would direct a movie based on a book called The Grand Escape. This book tells the true story of three brave World War I pilots. They were held in a German prison camp and planned a huge escape.

Lenny Abrahamson's Personal Life

Lenny Abrahamson is married to Monika Pamula. She is from Poland and teaches film studies. They have two children together. Lenny Abrahamson is an atheist.

Lenny Abrahamson's Filmography

Short Films

• 3 Joes (1991) (He also wrote the story for this film)

Feature Films

• Adam & Paul (2004)
• Garage (2007)
• Dublin 26.06.08: A Movie in 4 Days (2008)
• What Richard Did (2012)
• Frank (2014)
• Room (2015)
• The Little Stranger (2018)

TV Series

Commercials

• AIB (2006)
• Carlsberg (2006)
• Meteor (2009)

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards

• Best Director – Room (2015) — Nominated

British Academy Television Awards

• British Academy Television Award for Best Mini-Series – Normal People - Nominated

British Academy Television Craft Awards

• British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Director: Fiction – Normal People - Nominated

Primetime Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special – Normal People: "Episode 5" (2020) — Nominated

Irish Film & Television Awards

• Best Director for Film – Adam & Paul (2004) Winner
• Best Director for Film – Garage (2007) Winner
• Best Director for Film – What Richard Did (2012) Winner
• Best Director for Television – Prosperity (2007) Winner
• Best Director for Television – Normal People (2020) Winner
• Best Director for Television – ‘’Conversations with Friends’’ (2022) Winner

Cannes Film Festival

• C.I.C.A.E. – Garage (2007)

Satellite Awards

• Best Director – Room — (2015) Nominated

See also

In Spanish: Lenny Abrahamson para niños