Nicolas Roeg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicolas Roeg CBE BSC
Roeg at the 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2008
Born	Nicolas Jack Roeg (1928-08-15)15 August 1928 London, England
Died	23 November 2018(2018-11-23) (aged 90) London, England
Other names	Nicholas Jack Roeg
Occupation	Director cinematographer
Years active	1947–2018
Spouse(s)	Susan Stephen ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1977)​ Theresa Russell ​ ​ (m. 1982, divorced)​ Harriet Harper ​ ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	6

Nicolas Jack Roeg (born August 15, 1928 – died November 23, 2018) was a famous English film director and cinematographer. A cinematographer is someone who is in charge of the camera and lighting in a film.

Roeg was known for his unique way of telling stories. His films often had scenes that were not shown in the usual order. This made his movies interesting and sometimes a bit puzzling, making viewers think deeply about the story. He directed many well-known films, including Performance (1970), Walkabout (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), and The Witches (1990).

Many famous directors, like Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan, have said that Nicolas Roeg inspired their own work. In 1999, the British Film Institute recognized his importance. They named Don't Look Now and Performance among the greatest British films ever made.

Early Life and Education

Nicolas Roeg was born in St John's Wood, North London, on August 15, 1928. His father worked with diamonds. Roeg went to the Mercers' School in London. He once said he got into the film business because there was a studio right across from his home.

Career in Film

Starting as a Cinematographer

After finishing his National Service in 1947, Roeg began his film career. He started as a tea boy at Marylebone Studios in London. He slowly worked his way up in the camera department. He became a camera operator on films like The Sundowners.

He also worked as a second-unit cinematographer on the epic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962). This led to him being hired for Doctor Zhivago (1965). However, his ideas for the film's look were different from the director's, so he was replaced.

Roeg was the main cinematographer for several important films. These include The Masque of the Red Death (1964) and Fahrenheit 451 (1966). He also worked on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) and Petulia (1968). Petulia was his last film where he was only the cinematographer.

Becoming a Director

In the late 1960s, Roeg started directing films. His first directing job was Performance (1970), which he co-directed with Donald Cammell. The film starred Mick Jagger as a rock star. It was first held back from release but later became a cult classic.

His next film was Walkabout (1971). This movie is about two English children who get lost in the Australian Outback. They are helped by an Aboriginal boy. Roeg cast his own son, Luc, in the film. Critics highly praised Walkabout.

Roeg then directed Don't Look Now (1973), a suspenseful film based on a short story. It starred Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland as a couple dealing with a loss in Venice. This film is considered one of the most important horror films ever made.

He often cast musicians in his main roles. For The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), he cast David Bowie as an alien. This film is now seen as a very important science fiction film. In Bad Timing (1980), he cast Art Garfunkel. This film was controversial at first but is now well-regarded.

Roeg also directed The Witches (1990), based on Roald Dahl's popular children's book. This film was a big success with critics. After The Witches, he made only a few more movies for cinemas. He also directed some television films, such as Heart of Darkness.

Film Style and Influence

Nicolas Roeg's films are known for their unique style. He often showed scenes out of order, like pieces of a puzzle. This meant viewers had to put the story together in their minds. His films were often "unpredictable, fascinating, and cryptic." They would make full sense only at the very end, when a key piece of information was revealed.

This style, along with his ability to create a strong mood, influenced many other filmmakers. Directors like Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan have spoken about how Roeg's work inspired them. For example, Nolan said his film Memento would not have been possible without Roeg's influence.

Another common theme in Roeg's films is characters who are in unfamiliar places. For example, the children in the Australian Outback in Walkabout, or the alien on Earth in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Roeg's influence goes beyond just storytelling. Some of his film sequences, like the "Memo from Turner" part in Performance, were similar to what later became common in music videos.

Legacy and Recognition

Nicolas Roeg's film work has been celebrated in many ways. In 1994, he received a British Film Institute Fellowship. This is a special award given to people who have made a huge contribution to British cinema. In 1996, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen.

His films have been shown at special events and retrospectives. These events allow people to watch his movies and learn more about his unique style.

Personal Life

Nicolas Roeg was married three times. His first marriage was to English actress Susan Stephen from 1957 to 1977. They had four sons, including Luc Roeg, who acted in his father's film Walkabout.

In 1982, he married American actress Theresa Russell. They had two sons and later divorced.

From 2005 until his death, Roeg was married to Harriet Harper.

Death

Nicolas Roeg passed away in London on November 23, 2018, at the age of 90.

Many people in the film world paid tribute to him. Actor Donald Sutherland, who starred in Don't Look Now, called Roeg a "fearless visionary." Filmmaker Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie, said Roeg was a "great storyteller."

Filmography

Here are some of the films Nicolas Roeg worked on:

Films as Director

Films as Cinematographer

See also

In Spanish: Nicolas Roeg para niños