Spike Jonze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spike Jonze
Jonze at the 2013 New York Film Festival
Born	Adam Spiegel (1969-10-22) October 22, 1969 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter cinematographer film editor actor musician photographer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Sofia Coppola ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2003)​
Partner(s)	Allie Teilz (2019–present)
Children	3
Relatives	Sam Spiegel (brother) Arthur Spiegel (great-grandfather) Joseph Spiegel (great-great-grandfather)
Awards	Full list

Adam Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), who is known by his professional name Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, and photographer. He is famous for creating unique films, commercials, and music videos.

Jonze started his career as a teenager. He took photos of BMX riders and skateboarders for magazines. He also helped create the youth magazine Dirt. Soon, he began making skateboarding films, like the famous Video Days (1991). In 1993, he co-founded the Girl Skateboards company.

His creative style made him a popular director for music videos in the 1990s. He worked with famous artists like R.E.M., Beastie Boys, Weezer, Daft Punk, and Kanye West.

Jonze then moved on to directing movies. His first two films were Being John Malkovich (1999) and Adaptation (2002). He later wrote and directed his own movies, including Where the Wild Things Are (2009) and Her (2013). For Her, he won an Academy Award for his writing. He was also a co-creator of the MTV show Jackass.

Sometimes, Jonze also acts in movies. He appeared in films like Three Kings (1999), Moneyball (2011), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).

Early Life

Adam Spiegel was born in New York City on October 22, 1969. His parents were Arthur H. Spiegel III and Sandra L. Granzow. His family has a connection to the famous Spiegel catalog. After his parents divorced, he was raised by his mother in Bethesda, Maryland, with his brother Sam and sister Julia.

While in high school, he became friends with Jeff Tremaine, who would later help create Jackass. They both loved BMX biking. The owner of a local community store gave him the nickname "Spike Jonze," inspired by a bandleader named Spike Jones.

At 16, Jonze started working at a BMX store. He began taking pictures of professional BMX teams. The editors of Freestylin' Magazine liked his photos and offered him a job. He moved to California to become a professional photographer.

Career

Starting with Photos and Videos

In California, Jonze met many professional skateboarders. He became good friends with Mark Gonzales and started taking photos for the skateboarding team Blind Skateboards. He soon became a regular photographer for Transworld Skateboarding magazine.

In 1989, Jonze made his first skateboarding video, Rubbish Heap. His next video, Video Days (1991), became very influential in the skateboarding world. After seeing the video, Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth asked him to direct a music video. The video for their song "100%" featured skateboarder Jason Lee, who later became a famous actor.

In 1993, Jonze co-founded the skateboard company Girl Skateboards. The next year, he directed the music video for Weezer's song "Buddy Holly". The video, which looked like an episode of the TV show Happy Days, was a huge hit on MTV.

He also directed the video for the Beastie Boys' song "Sabotage". It was made to look like the opening of a 1970s police TV show. This video also became very popular.

Famous Music Videos and First Movie

Jonze worked with the singer Björk on the music video for her 1995 song "It's Oh So Quiet". The video was like a classic musical, with Björk dancing and singing in an auto shop. He also directed a famous commercial for Nike where tennis stars Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras played a match in the middle of a New York City street.

In 1997, he directed the music video for Daft Punk's song "Da Funk". The video follows a "man-dog" character walking through New York City. He also made a short film called How They Get There and a documentary about young bull riders called Amarillo by Morning.

Jonze created a funny character named Richard Koufey, who was the leader of a fictional dance group. As this character, he filmed himself dancing to Fatboy Slim's song "Praise You" in public. The video was a huge success and won awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.

John Malkovich (left), star and subject of Being John Malkovich, and the film's writer Charlie Kaufman.

In 1999, Jonze directed his first feature film, Being John Malkovich. The movie is about a puppeteer who finds a secret door that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich. The film received great reviews. Critics called it "endlessly inventive" and "the most excitingly original movie of the year." Jonze was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director.

That same year, he acted in the war comedy Three Kings alongside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.

Hit Movies and TV Shows

In 2000, Jonze co-created the MTV show Jackass with Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine. The show featured a group of friends performing wild stunts and pranks. It was very popular and led to several movies.

Jonze holding a producer credit for The 1 Second Film in 2004

His second movie was Adaptation (2002). It starred Nicolas Cage playing both a screenwriter and his fictional twin brother. The movie was praised by critics for being smart and funny.

In 2002, he directed a famous commercial for the furniture store IKEA called "Lamp". It won a top award in the advertising industry. He also directed music videos for artists like Beck and Björk.

In 2009, Jonze directed Where the Wild Things Are, based on the famous children's book. The film tells the story of a young boy named Max who sails to an island of giant creatures. Jonze said he wanted to make "a movie about childhood," not just a children's movie.

Recent Work and Her

Jonze wrote and directed the short film I'm Here in 2010. It's a love story between two robots. He also continued to direct music videos for bands like Arcade Fire and artists like Kanye West.

Jonze in 2013

In 2013, he released his fourth movie, Her. He wrote the screenplay himself. The film is about a lonely man, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who falls in love with an advanced computer operating system with a female voice (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

Her received universal acclaim from critics. Jonze won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work. He was also nominated for Best Picture.

In recent years, Jonze has directed commercials, short films, and live shows. In 2020, he directed Beastie Boys Story, a documentary about the famous music group. He also had an acting role in the 2022 film Babylon.

Personal Life

Jonze with President Bill Clinton and then-wife Sofia Coppola at a Three Kings screening on October 14, 1999.

In 1999, Jonze married director Sofia Coppola. They had met in 1992. The couple divorced in 2003. It is thought that a character in Coppola's movie Lost in Translation was partly inspired by Jonze.

Since 2019, Jonze has been in a relationship with artist Allie Teilz. They have three sons.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Spike Jonze's films have received many awards and nominations. Here is a summary of the major awards for the films he directed.

See also

In Spanish: Spike Jonze para niños