Penelope Spheeris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Penelope Spheeris
Spheeris in 2013
Born	(1945-12-02) December 2, 1945 (age 79) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active	1968–present
Children	Anna Fox
Relatives	Jimmie Spheeris (brother) Chris Spheeris (cousin) Costa-Gavras (cousin)

Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. She has made both documentary films and movies with actors. She is famous for her film series called The Decline of Western Civilization, which looks at different parts of Los Angeles's underground music scene. Her movie Wayne's World was her biggest hit.

Early Life and Education

Spheeris was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father was a Greek immigrant who owned a carnival and was a strong man in the side show. Her mother, who was Irish, grew up in Kansas and worked at the carnival too.

Penelope learned a lot from her parents. She said she got a strong sense of survival and never giving up from them. She spent her first seven years traveling with her father's carnival across the American South and American Midwest.

After her father passed away, Penelope and her three siblings moved with their mother to California. They often lived in trailer parks with different stepfathers. She spent her teenage years in Orange County and finished Westminster High School.

After high school, Penelope went to California State University Long Beach to study art. She later studied psychobiology at the University of California, Irvine. To pay for film school, she worked as a waitress. She earned a special degree in theater arts from UCLA.

Filmmaking Career

While at UCLA, Penelope got her first job in the film world. She helped directors Gary Weis and John Head. They introduced her to Lorne Michaels, who was starting Saturday Night Live. Penelope helped comedian Albert Brooks make short films and taught him how to direct.

Documentary Films

Her first big film was The Decline of Western Civilization in 1981. It was a punk rock documentary that she produced and directed. She made two more films in this series:

• The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988): This film was about the heavy metal music scene in Los Angeles. It featured famous bands like Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Megadeth.
• The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998): This documentary returned to the punk rock scene in Los Angeles.

She also directed We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll in 1996. This documentary explored what life was like on the road during the Ozzfest music festival.

Comedy and Other Films

In the 1990s, Penelope directed Wayne's World. This comedy movie was based on Mike Myers' funny sketches from Saturday Night Live. The movie was a huge success, making over $183 million. She also directed the music video for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the film, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Other movies Penelope Spheeris directed include:

• The Beverly Hillbillies
• The Little Rascals (she also helped write the story)
• Black Sheep starring Chris Farley and David Spade
• Senseless with Marlon Wayans and David Spade
• The Kid & I starring Tom Arnold

Spheeris editing her film Dudes, 1986

Personal Life

Penelope Spheeris has a daughter named Anna Spheeris Fox, who was born in 1969 and is also a director.

Since 1998, Penelope has been in a relationship with a man known as Sin. She met him while making The Decline of Western Civilization Part III. She has described him as the love of her life.

Awards and Recognition

Penelope Spheeris's work has won many awards and been recognized by different film festivals and groups.

Some of her awards include:

• 1983: Won the Silver Hugo for Best First Feature Film at the Chicago International Film Festival for Suburbia.
• 1998: Won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago Underground Film Festival for The Decline of Western Civilization Part III.
• 1998: Won the Freedom of Expression Award at the Sundance Film Festival for The Decline of Western Civilization Part III.
• 2003: Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival.
• 2009: Received an Honorary Award at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival.

The Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival honored Spheeris as their special guest in 2013. The Academy Film Archive keeps many of Penelope Spheeris's films to preserve them for the future.

Filmography

Film

Feature films

Documentary

Acting roles

Television

TV movies

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Penelope Spheeris para niños