Mary Harron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Harron
Harron in 2019
Born	(1953-01-12) January 12, 1953 (age 72) Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer, critic
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	John C. Walsh
Children	2
Parent(s)	Don Harron

Mary Harron (born January 12, 1953) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing and co-writing movies like American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page, and I Shot Andy Warhol.

Early Life and Education

Mary Harron was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. She grew up in a family deeply involved in film and theater. Her father, Don Harron, was a Canadian actor, comedian, and director.

When she was six, her parents divorced. Mary spent her childhood living between Toronto and Los Angeles. Later, she moved to England at age thirteen.

She attended St Anne's College at Oxford University. There, she earned a degree in English. After her studies, she moved to New York City. She became part of the exciting punk music scene of the 1970s.

Creative Influences

Mary Harron was exposed to many different types of art and films from a young age. She shared that her parents often took her to "art films" that might not be considered typical for children.

Some of her biggest influences as a child were famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Ingmar Bergman, and Satyajit Ray. When she lived in London as a teenager, she saw international films by directors such as Fritz Lang and Claude Chabrol. She also enjoyed classic detective films known as noir films.

As she got older, her taste in movies changed. She was inspired by films like Blue Velvet and The Piano. She saw these as early examples of "independent film," which are movies made outside of the big Hollywood studios.

Career Journey

Early Writing Work

In New York, Mary Harron helped start and write for Punk magazine. This was a popular music magazine. She was the first journalist to interview a famous punk band, the Sex Pistols, for an American publication.

She was very involved in the early punk scene in America. She found it a welcoming and changing culture. In the 1980s, she also worked as a critic, writing about drama and music for newspapers like The Guardian in London. Later in the 1980s, she started her film career by writing and directing documentaries for the BBC.

Film Directing Career

In the 1990s, Mary Harron moved back to New York. She worked as a producer for a TV show called Edge, which explored American pop culture. During this time, she became very interested in the life of Valerie Solanas.

Her first feature film, I Shot Andy Warhol, came out in 1996. It was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and earned nominations for awards. The lead actress, Lili Taylor, won an acting award at the Sundance Film Festival for her role in the film.

Her second film, American Psycho, was released in 2000. It is based on a popular book by Bret Easton Ellis.

In 2011, she directed The Moth Diaries. This film is based on a novel and tells a "gothic coming-of-age story." It explores the complex friendships of teenage girls at a boarding school.

Her 2022 film, Dalíland, was directed by Harron. It was written by her husband, John C. Walsh. The movie is set in the 1970s and focuses on the marriage of the famous painter Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala Dalí.

Other Projects

Besides her feature films, Mary Harron was also an executive producer for The Weather Underground. This was a documentary about a group of political activists from the 1970s.

She has also directed many episodes for popular television shows. These include Oz, Six Feet Under, The L Word, and Big Love.

Her Views

Mary Harron has sometimes been called a "feminist filmmaker." While she considers herself a feminist, she has often said she doesn't want to be labeled only by that.

She is part of Film Fatales, a group of independent women filmmakers.

When asked about being Canadian, she said she mostly felt "just not American." She explained that for her, being Canadian means "You don't think you're at the center of things." She also feels that she is not a "moralistic filmmaker" and is more interested in showing different sides of a story.

Personal Life

Mary Harron lives in New York with her husband, filmmaker John C. Walsh. They have two daughters.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

• The Weather Underground (2002) (Documentary)
• The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Researcher

• BBC documentary on Andy Warhol

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women