Steven Spielberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Spielberg
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Spielberg in 2023
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Steven Allan Spielberg
December 18, 1946 Cincinnati, Ohio, US
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| Education | California State University, Long Beach (BA) |
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| Years active | 1959–present |
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Works
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| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 6, including Sasha, Sawyer, and Destry |
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| Awards | Full list |
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Steven Allan Spielberg, born on December 18, 1946, is a famous American filmmaker. He is known for directing, producing, and writing many popular movies. Spielberg is considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers ever. He has directed some of the highest-grossing films in history. He has won many awards, including three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Awards. He also received an honorary knighthood in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Many people consider him one of the wealthiest celebrities.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. His mother was a concert pianist, and his father was an electrical engineer who worked with computers. His family was Jewish. His grandparents, who came from Ukraine, taught English to people who had survived the Holocaust. One man taught young Steven numbers by pointing to the tattoos on his arm, a memory that stayed with him.
When he was young, his family moved to Haddon Township, New Jersey, and later to Phoenix. Steven attended Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah ceremony when he was thirteen. He sometimes felt different because of his Jewish background and faced unkindness from others.
Steven's parents took him to see a movie called The Greatest Show on Earth when he was six. He was amazed by a train crash scene. At age 12, he recreated the crash with his toy trains and filmed it with an 8mm camera. This was his first home movie! He later joined the Boy Scouts and earned his Eagle Scout rank. For a photography badge, he made a nine-minute Western film. He used his father's camera to make many amateur films with his friends, often about war, inspired by his father's stories from World War II. He learned that war was not glorious but difficult and cruel.
He loved watching movies every Saturday. Films like Lawrence of Arabia inspired him to become a filmmaker. In high school, he wrote and directed a 140-minute science fiction film called Firelight, which was shown in a local theater.
After a tour of Universal Studios, Steven managed to get a three-day pass. He kept going back, and soon became an unofficial apprentice there. His parents later divorced when he was a teenager. This was a tough time for him, and he used his imagination to cope, which later inspired some of his films, like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. He wasn't very interested in school, only in making movies. He was turned down by a film school but went to California State University, Long Beach. In 1968, Universal offered him a chance to direct a short film called Amblin'. The studio was so impressed that they offered him a seven-year directing contract, making him the youngest director to sign with a major Hollywood studio. He later finished his college degree in 2002 by presenting Schindler's List.
He once met famous director John Ford, who gave him advice about framing shots in movies. Ford told him that a good filmmaker knows where to place the horizon in a picture to make it interesting.
Career Highlights: Early Films and Blockbusters
Starting in Television and First Movies (1969–1974)
Steven Spielberg began his professional career directing a segment for the TV show Night Gallery in 1969. He also directed episodes for other TV shows like Columbo. These early experiences helped him learn and experiment with filmmaking techniques.
In 1971, he directed the TV movie Duel, about a salesman chased by a truck. It was so good that it was released in movie theaters internationally. This film showed everyone his talent for creating suspense.
His first movie released in theaters was The Sugarland Express (1974). It was about a couple trying to get their baby back. This film also marked the start of his long partnership with the amazing composer John Williams, who has written music for almost all of Spielberg's movies.
Becoming a Household Name with Big Hits (1975–1980)
Spielberg became very famous with the movie Jaws (1975). This thriller about a great white shark attacking a beach became the first "summer blockbuster." Filming was tough because the mechanical shark often broke down. But this challenge made Spielberg find creative ways to show the shark without always seeing it, which made the movie even scarier and better!
He then directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a science fiction film about people meeting UFOs. It was very popular and won awards for its stunning visuals and sound.
His next film, 1941 (1979), was a comedy about Californians preparing for a Japanese invasion. It wasn't as successful as his previous films, but it showed he was willing to try different types of movies.
Making Iconic Films and Producing (1981–1992)
Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), introducing the adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford. This movie was a huge success and started a popular film series.
Then came E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), a heartwarming story about a boy who befriends an alien. This film touched many hearts and became one of the highest-grossing movies ever at the time. It won four Academy Awards and was praised for its emotional story.
Spielberg also produced other popular films during this time, like Poltergeist (1982), Gremlins (1984), Back to the Future (1985), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). He helped create many memorable movies for other directors through his company, Amblin Entertainment.
He returned to the Indiana Jones series with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). This film was a bit darker and led to the creation of the PG-13 rating for movies that are more intense than PG but not R. He later directed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), which brought back a more family-friendly adventure and explored Indiana Jones's relationship with his father, played by Sean Connery.
Spielberg also directed serious dramas, like The Color Purple (1985), about strong African-American women in the past. He also made Empire of the Sun (1987), a World War II story seen through the eyes of a young boy.
In 1991, he directed Hook, a new take on the Peter Pan story, starring Robin Williams as an older Peter Pan.
Powerful Dramas and New Adventures (1993–1998)
In 1993, Spielberg released two very different but highly successful films. First was Jurassic Park, a science fiction adventure about dinosaurs brought back to life. It used amazing computer-generated imagery and became the highest-grossing film of its time.
The second film was Schindler's List, a powerful historical drama about Oskar Schindler, a businessman who saved over a thousand Jewish people during the Holocaust. Spielberg waited ten years to make this film, feeling he needed to be mature enough to tell such an important story. He used his earnings from the film to start the Shoah Foundation, an organization that collects and preserves stories from Holocaust survivors. Schindler's List won seven Academy Awards, including Spielberg's first for Best Director.
In 1994, Spielberg co-founded a new film studio called DreamWorks. He continued directing, making The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), a sequel to his dinosaur hit.
He also directed Amistad (1997), a historical film based on the true story of a group of Africans who rebelled on a slave ship in 1839 and fought for their freedom.
In 1998, Spielberg directed Saving Private Ryan, an epic World War II film starring Tom Hanks. The movie was praised for its realistic portrayal of war and won five Academy Awards, including another Best Director award for Spielberg.
Exploring New Technologies and Stories (2001–2012)
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Spielberg continued to explore science fiction with A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), a story about an android boy who dreams of becoming real. This film was originally an idea from director Stanley Kubrick.
He then directed Minority Report (2002), a sci-fi thriller about preventing crimes before they happen. That same year, he made Catch Me If You Can, a fun film based on the true story of a young con artist, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
In 2004, he directed The Terminal, a comedy-drama about a man stuck in an airport. In 2005, he brought the classic alien invasion story War of the Worlds to the big screen, starring Tom Cruise.
Later in 2005, Spielberg directed Munich, a film about the Israeli government's secret response after a tragic event at the 1972 Olympics. He sought advice from many people to ensure the film was handled with care.
In 2008, he returned to the Indiana Jones series with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He also directed the animated adventure The Adventures of Tintin (2011), based on the popular comic books.
In 2011, Spielberg directed War Horse, a moving story set during World War I about the special bond between a boy and his horse.
His 2012 film, Lincoln, starred Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln and focused on his efforts to abolish slavery. The film was highly praised and won two Academy Awards.
Recent Work and Future Projects (2013–Present)
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In 2015, Spielberg directed Bridge of Spies, a Cold War thriller about a lawyer negotiating a spy exchange. It starred Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, who won an Academy Award for his performance.
In 2016, he adapted Roald Dahl's beloved children's book The BFG, bringing the Big Friendly Giant to life. A year later, he directed The Post (2017), a historical drama about journalists uncovering important government secrets.
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Spielberg returned to science fiction with Ready Player One (2018), a film set in a future where much of humanity escapes to a virtual reality world.
In 2021, he directed West Side Story, a new adaptation of the classic musical. The film received positive reviews and several Academy Award nominations.
His 2022 film, The Fabelmans, was a very personal story inspired by his own childhood and growing up. It received widespread critical acclaim and several Academy Award nominations.
Spielberg served as a producer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was released in 2023. He is currently working on a new untitled film, reportedly about UFOs, which is set to be released in 2026.
Other Ventures
Producing Films and TV Shows
Spielberg has been a very active producer for many films and television series through his companies, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures. He produced popular movies like Gremlins (1984), Back to the Future (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and Men in Black (1997). He also produced animated films like An American Tail (1986) and The Land Before Time (1988).
On television, he produced the popular medical drama ER and animated cartoons such as Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain. He also teamed up with Tom Hanks to produce acclaimed World War II miniseries like Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). More recently, he produced the miniseries Masters of the Air, which premiered in 2024. He is also an executive producer for a documentary about his long-time composer, John Williams, which premiered in 2024.
Spielberg has also been involved in developing other projects, including a miniseries about Martin Luther King Jr.. In 2021, his company Amblin Entertainment signed a deal with Netflix to produce new feature films for the streaming service. He is also producing a new film centered around the character Frank Bullitt and a sequel to The Goonies.
Video Games
Steven Spielberg has been a fan of video games since 1974. He helped create and design the adventure game The Dig (1995) and appeared in Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996). He also collaborated with Electronic Arts on games like Boom Blox and created the Medal of Honor series.
Theatre Productions
Spielberg has also produced plays and musicals for the stage. He was involved in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank in 1997. In 2022, he made his Broadway producing debut with the musical A Strange Loop. He has also produced stage adaptations of Water for Elephants and Death Becomes Her in 2024.
Filmmaking Style and Techniques
Influences and Inspiration
Spielberg has been inspired by many classic directors like John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, and Stanley Kubrick. He often watches a John Ford film before starting his own movies for inspiration. He also considers Lawrence of Arabia the film he has seen more times than any other.
How He Makes Movies
Spielberg often uses storyboards, which are like comic book versions of a film, to plan his shots. However, for some films like E.T. the Extraterrestrial, he chose to be more spontaneous. He likes to shoot quickly and from many different angles to have lots of choices when editing. He often uses wide-angle lenses to create a sense of depth in his scenes.
When choosing a project, Spielberg looks for stories that truly speak to him, even if others might not understand his choice. He wants to make films he will be proud of.
His films often feature "ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances" who become heroes. He frequently explores themes like a childlike sense of wonder, the idea that goodness will win, the importance of childhood, and the need for parental figures. The idea of extraterrestrial life is also a common theme, inspired by his father's love for science fiction and his own childhood feelings of being different.
Working with Talented People
Spielberg works with many of the same talented people on his films. Michael Kahn has edited almost all of his movies since 1977. He also often works with production designer Rick Carter and writer David Koepp.
He frequently casts the same actors, showing loyalty to their talent. These include Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Mark Rylance, Richard Dreyfuss, and Tom Cruise.
Janusz Kamiński has been the cinematographer for many of Spielberg's films, starting with Schindler's List (1993), which was filmed in black and white. Kamiński won Academy Awards for his work on Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.
Spielberg's long partnership with composer John Williams began in 1974. Williams has composed the music for almost all of Spielberg's feature films, creating iconic scores for movies like Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Schindler's List, for which he won Academy Awards.
Personal Life
Spielberg met actress Amy Irving in 1976. They married in 1985 and had a son named Max. They later divorced in 1989.
He met actress Kate Capshaw when he cast her in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. They married on October 12, 1991. Kate converted to Judaism before their marriage, which helped Spielberg reconnect with his own Jewish heritage. They live in Pacific Palisades, California and East Hampton, New York.
Steven and Kate have five children together: Sasha, Sawyer, and Destry, and two adopted children, Theo and Mikaela. He also has a stepdaughter, Jessica Capshaw. He is the godfather to actresses Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Spielberg was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 60. In 2022, he recovered from COVID-19.
He enjoys sailing and has owned large yachts. In 2022, Spielberg was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, where he chose an H-8 Bolex Camera as his luxury item.
Political Views
Steven Spielberg has generally supported candidates from the Democratic Party. He has donated to the party and its nominees. He was a close friend of former president Bill Clinton and worked with him on the USA Millennium celebrations. He also endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
In 2001, Spielberg resigned from the national advisory board of the Boy Scouts of America because he disagreed with the organization's stance on certain issues. In 2007, he faced criticism from some groups for his support of relief efforts in Israel.
In 2008, Spielberg stepped down as an advisor for the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. He stated that his conscience would not allow him to continue because he felt the Chinese government was not doing enough to address human rights issues in Darfur.
He has also supported same-sex marriage in California and donated to campaigns in favor of it. In 2018, he and his wife donated to the March for Our Lives student demonstration, which advocated for gun control in the United States.
In December 2023, the USC Shoah Foundation, which Spielberg founded, began collecting video testimonies from people who experienced the attacks on October 7. Spielberg stated that this project would ensure their stories are recorded and shared to help preserve history and work towards a world without hate.
Filmography
Prolific in film since the 1960s, Spielberg has directed 36 feature films, and co-produced many works.
Awards and Honors
Steven Spielberg has won three Academy Awards. He has been nominated nine times for Best Director, winning twice for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He is the only director to receive a Best Director nomination from the Academy in six different decades. In 1987, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his work as a creative producer.
Drawing from his own experiences, Spielberg helped the Boy Scouts of America create a merit badge in cinematography to encourage filmmaking skills. He received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in 1989. In 1995, he was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award.
In 1998, he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for Schindler's List and his work with the USC Shoah Foundation. He was also awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1999 for Saving Private Ryan.
Spielberg received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. In 2006, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to American culture. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Spielberg in 2005. In 2009, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his outstanding contributions to entertainment.
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In 2001, he received an honorary knighthood (KBE) from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the British film industry. In 2004, he was awarded France's highest civil honor, the Legion of Honour. In 2015, President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.
Spielberg has also received honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Southern California, Brown University, Yale University, Boston University, and Harvard University.
| Year | Title | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
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| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 1975 | Jaws | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | 9 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1979 | 1941 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 9 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | 9 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 1985 | The Color Purple | 11 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Hook | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Schindler's List | 12 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1997 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | 1 | |||||
| Amistad | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | 11 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 2002 | Minority Report | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Catch Me If You Can | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | 3 | |||||
| Munich | 5 | 2 | |||||
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 1 | |||||
| 2011 | The Adventures of Tintin | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| War Horse | 6 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| 2012 | Lincoln | 12 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 2015 | Bridge of Spies | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2016 | The BFG | 1 | |||||
| 2017 | The Post | 2 | 6 | ||||
| 2018 | Ready Player One | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2021 | West Side Story | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2022 | The Fabelmans | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Total | 147 | 35 | 116 | 22 | 75 | 16 | |
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Spielberg's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Film | Result |
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| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 1993 | Liam Neeson | Schindler's List | Nominated |
| 1998 | Tom Hanks | Saving Private Ryan | Nominated |
| 2012 | Daniel Day-Lewis | Lincoln | Won |
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||
| 1985 | Whoopi Goldberg | The Color Purple | Nominated |
| 2017 | Meryl Streep | The Post | Nominated |
| 2022 | Michelle Williams | The Fabelmans | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 1993 | Ralph Fiennes | Schindler's List | Nominated |
| 1997 | Anthony Hopkins | Amistad | Nominated |
| 2002 | Christopher Walken | Catch Me If You Can | Nominated |
| 2012 | Tommy Lee Jones | Lincoln | Nominated |
| 2015 | Mark Rylance | Bridge of Spies | Won |
| 2022 | Judd Hirsch | The Fabelmans | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 1977 | Melinda Dillon | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Nominated |
| 1985 | Margaret Avery | The Color Purple | Nominated |
| Oprah Winfrey | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Sally Field | Lincoln | Nominated |
| 2021 | Ariana DeBose | West Side Story | Won |
Legacy
Steven Spielberg is known as one of the most influential and successful film directors of all time. Many of his films, like Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park, became the highest-grossing films ever when they were released.
In 1996, Life magazine called Spielberg the most influential person of his generation. Empire magazine ranked him as the number one greatest film director of all time in 2005. In 2013, Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people. As of December 2024, his net worth is estimated at $5.3 billion, making him one of the richest people in the entertainment industry.
Many famous directors admire Spielberg's work, including Martin Scorsese and Peter Jackson. Film critic Tom Shone said that Spielberg's work shows what film does best. While some critics have different opinions on his style, many praise his ability to tell stories and create amazing cinematic experiences.
Seven of his films have been chosen by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry because they are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." These films include Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan.
Images for kids
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Spielberg in 2023
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Steven Spielberg's signature
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President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan with Steven Spielberg at the White House
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Spielberg and Chandran Rutnam in Sri Lanka during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
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Spielberg, March 1990
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Spielberg receiving the Golden Lion by Italian filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo at the 50th Venice International Film Festival, 1993
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Spielberg has collaborated on numerous projects with actor Tom Hanks since Saving Private Ryan
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Spielberg speaking at the Pentagon on August 11, 1999, after receiving the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
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Stanley Kubrick asked Spielberg to direct A.I.
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Spielberg with director and friend George Lucas in 2006
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Spielberg with Tom Hanks promoting The Pacific in Washington, D.C.
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Spielberg with Bill Clinton, 2009
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Spielberg in 2017.
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Spielberg collaborated with playwright Tony Kushner for West Side Story (2021) and The Fabelmans (2022)
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Spielberg at Berlinale at 2023
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Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen escorts Spielberg through a military honor cordon into the Pentagon in 1999
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Spielberg receiving a public service award presented by US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, 1999
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Spielberg's shoeprints and handprints in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
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Spielberg's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Waxwork of Spielberg at Madame Tussauds, London
See also
In Spanish: Steven Spielberg para niños
