Roger Donaldson Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Donaldson ONZM
Donaldson in 2023
Born	Roger Lindsey Donaldson (1945-11-15) 15 November 1945 (age 79) Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian New Zealand
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer
Relatives	Chris Donaldson (son) India Donaldson (daughter)

Roger Lindsey Donaldson is a famous film director, screenwriter, and producer from both Australia and New Zealand. He was born on November 15, 1945. His first movie, Sleeping Dogs, came out in 1977. This film was very important for New Zealand cinema. It was one of the first movies from New Zealand to become very popular and get great reviews.

Since then, Roger Donaldson has directed 17 feature films. He has worked in Hollywood, the United Kingdom, and his home country. Some of his most well-known movies include the historical drama The Bounty (1984) and the exciting thriller No Way Out (1987). He also directed the romantic comedy Cocktail (1988) and the science-fiction horror film Species (1995). Other popular films are the disaster movie Dante's Peak (1997) and Thirteen Days (2000), which was about the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also made The World's Fastest Indian (2005), a movie about Burt Munro, and the thrilling The Bank Job (2008).

Roger Donaldson has worked with famous actors like Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan, Anthony Hopkins, and Michael Madsen more than once. He has won three New Zealand Film and Television Awards. He was also nominated for an AACTA Award and the Palme d’Or, a big award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2018, he was honored as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his amazing work in film.

Roger Donaldson's Early Life and Career
- Making Documentaries and TV Shows
- First Feature Films
Roger Donaldson's Hollywood Success
Roger Donaldson's Family and Honors
Roger Donaldson's Filmography
- Movies He Directed
- Television Work
See also

Roger Donaldson's Early Life and Career

Roger Donaldson was born in Ballarat, Australia. He went to Ballarat High School there. In 1965, he moved to New Zealand. He started a small business taking pictures and then began making advertisements.

Making Documentaries and TV Shows

Donaldson also directed documentaries. One of his adventure series featured Sir Edmund Hillary, the famous New Zealander who climbed Mount Everest. He also started making drama films. Roger Donaldson worked with actor and director Ian Mune on several TV projects. They created a TV series called Winners and Losers, which was based on short stories by New Zealand writers.

First Feature Films

In 1976, Roger Donaldson directed and produced his first full-length movie, Sleeping Dogs. This film starred Ian Mune and Sam Neill. It was about two men trying to survive in a New Zealand that had become a very strict country. After that, he made Smash Palace. This movie was about a man, played by Bruno Lawrence, who takes his daughter after his marriage breaks apart.

Roger Donaldson's Hollywood Success

Roger Donaldson got his big chance in international filmmaking when producer Dino de Laurentiis asked him to direct a movie about the famous Mutiny on the Bounty. This happened after the original director, David Lean, left the project.

Directing The Bounty

The film, called The Bounty, was released in 1984. It starred Anthony Hopkins as William Bligh and Mel Gibson as the mutineer Fletcher Christian. Roger Donaldson was nominated for a Golden Palm award at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival for this movie.

Popular Movies in America

After The Bounty, Donaldson directed many popular and successful movies. His first big hit in America was the thriller No Way Out. It starred Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. He also directed Cocktail, which starred Bryan Brown and Tom Cruise. Even though critics didn't love Cocktail, it made a lot of money because Tom Cruise was so popular.

The volcano disaster movie Dante's Peak helped Roger Donaldson become very successful again. It starred Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. He also directed Thirteen Days, a political thriller starring Kevin Costner. This movie was based on a book about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Donaldson also made the science fiction movie Species and, in 2003, The Recruit, starring Al Pacino and Colin Farrell.

The World's Fastest Indian

In 2005, Roger Donaldson wrote and directed The World's Fastest Indian. This movie starred Anthony Hopkins. It told the true story of Burt Munro and his amazing attempts to set motorcycle speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1950s.

Roger Donaldson's Family and Honors

Roger Donaldson's son, Chris Donaldson, is a sprinter. He has represented New Zealand in the 100m and 200m races at the Olympic Games. His daughter, India Donaldson, is also a filmmaker. Her first movie, Good One, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2018, Roger Donaldson was given a special honor. He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his great contributions to film.

Roger Donaldson's Filmography

Movies He Directed

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Writer
1977	Sleeping Dogs	Yes	Yes	No
1980	Nutcase	Yes	No	No
1981	Smash Palace	Yes	Yes	Yes
1984	The Bounty	Yes	No	No
1985	Marie	Yes	No	No
1987	No Way Out	Yes	No	No
1988	Cocktail	Yes	No	No
1990	Cadillac Man	Yes	Yes	No
1992	White Sands	Yes	No	No
1994	The Getaway	Yes	No	No
1995	Species	Yes	No	No
1997	Dante's Peak	Yes	No	No
2000	Thirteen Days	Yes	No	No
2003	The Recruit	Yes	No	No
2005	The World's Fastest Indian	Yes	Yes	Yes
2008	The Bank Job	Yes	No	No
2011	Seeking Justice	Yes	No	No
2014	The November Man	Yes	No	No

Documentary Films

Year	Title	Director	Executive Producer
2004	The Making of "Sleeping Dogs"	No	Yes
2017	McLaren	Yes	No

Short Films

Lawyers (2010)

Television Work

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Writer	Notes
1971	Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed	Yes	Yes	No	TV Short
1974	Derek	Yes	No	Yes
1975–1976	Winners & Losers	Yes	Yes	Yes
1999	Fearless	No	Executive	No

TV Movies

Survey (1972)
Jocko (1981)

Roger Donaldson facts for kids

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