Michael Apted facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Apted
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Apted in 2013
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| Born |
Michael David Apted
10 February 1941 Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
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| Died | 7 January 2021 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | City of London School Downing College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Television and film director, producer |
| Years active | 1963–2019 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jo Apted
(divorced)Dana Stevens
(divorced)Paige Simpson
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 4, including Paul Apted |
Michael David Apted (born February 10, 1941 – died January 7, 2021) was a famous British director and producer. He made many movies and TV shows.
Apted is best known for his amazing Up documentary series, which followed a group of people throughout their lives, starting when they were seven years old. He also directed popular films like Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), and the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough (1999).
He was also the president of the Directors Guild of America, a group for film and TV directors in the United States, from 2003 to 2009.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Michael Apted was born on February 10, 1941, in Aylesbury, England. His parents were Frances Amelia and Ronald William Apted.
He went to the City of London School and then to Downing College, Cambridge. There, he studied law and history.
His Amazing Career
Making TV Shows
Michael Apted started his career in television. He trained at Granada Television in Manchester. One of his first jobs there was as a researcher.
One of his most famous projects began at Granada: the Up series. It started in 1964 as a show about 14 seven-year-old children. Apted helped choose these children from different backgrounds. The idea was to see how their lives changed over time.
Even though it was meant to be a one-time show, the series became very popular. Apted decided to direct every new episode as the children grew older. The series follows the idea that how you are at age seven can tell a lot about the person you will become. The latest episode, 63 Up, came out in 2019. It won an award for its patience and showing real human lives.
During his time at Granada, Apted also directed many episodes of the TV show Coronation Street. He worked with writer Jack Rosenthal on other shows like The Dustbinmen and The Lovers. Later, they made the TV movie P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang. In 1976, Apted directed a play called The Collection, which starred famous actors like Laurence Olivier and Helen Mirren.
Apted used his Up series idea again for Married in America. This show interviewed nine married couples every two years to see how their marriages changed. In 2005, he directed some early episodes of the popular TV series Rome.
He won several awards for his TV work, including British Academy Awards for 28 Up and 35 Up.
Directing Movies
Michael Apted directed his first feature film, The Triple Echo, in 1972. It starred Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson.
In 1980, he directed the American movie Coal Miner's Daughter. This film was a big success and was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for Best Actress for playing the singer Loretta Lynn. Both Spacek and Lynn said that Apted's view as an outsider helped the movie show the people of the Appalachian Mountains truly, without using stereotypes. In 2019, this film was chosen to be kept in the National Film Registry because it was so important.
Apted also made movies that explored important social issues or tough choices. For example, Gorky Park (1983) was a thriller about police problems in the old Soviet Union. Class Action was about someone who bravely spoke out against a company doing wrong. Extreme Measures looked at difficult choices in medicine.
In 1994, he directed Nell, which received several awards nominations. In 1999, Apted directed the famous James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.
Selected Films
- The Triple Echo (1972)
- Stardust (1974)
- Agatha (1979)
- Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
- Gorky Park (1983)
- Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- Class Action (1991)
- Thunderheart (1992)
- Nell (1994)
- Extreme Measures (1996)
- The World Is Not Enough (1999)
- Enigma (2001)
- Enough (2002)
- Amazing Grace (2006)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
- Chasing Mavericks (2012)
- Unlocked (2017)
Making Documentaries
Besides the Up series, Apted made other documentaries. Bring On the Night was a concert film about the musician Sting making his first solo album. He also directed The Long Way Home, about a Soviet musician named Boris Grebenshchikov.
Before making the movie Thunderheart, Apted made a documentary called Incident at Oglala about Leonard Peltier. This documentary helped him choose actors for the movie.
In 1997, he made Inspirations, where he talked with seven different artists, including David Bowie and Roy Lichtenstein, about how they get their ideas.
From 1992 to 1994, Apted explored China's changing culture. He directed Moving the Mountain, a documentary about the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square and how they affected the lives of student leaders.
In 2006, Apted helped direct The Official Film of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was narrated by Pierce Brosnan.
Theatre Work
In 1977, Michael Apted directed the first show of a play called Strawberry Fields at the National Theatre in London.
Other Important Roles
Michael Apted was the president of the Directors Guild of America from 2003 to 2009. This is a very important role for directors in the film and TV industry. He also served as the secretary-treasurer for the group until he passed away.
His Family and Later Life
Michael Apted had four children. His first marriage was to Jo, and they had two sons, Paul and Jim. His son Paul was a sound editor for movies and sadly passed away in 2014.
He was also married to screenwriter Dana Stevens for ten years, and they had a son named John. In 2007, he had a daughter with Tania Mellis.
In January 2014, Apted married Paige Simpson, who was his third wife.
Michael Apted passed away at his home in Los Angeles on January 7, 2021. He was 79 years old.
Images for kids
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Michael Apted in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Michael Apted para niños
