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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| 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 December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. He is known as one of the most important and successful directors in movie history. Many of his films have been huge hits, and he is the highest-earning film director of all time.
Spielberg has won many awards, including three Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), four Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Awards. He also received an honorary knighthood in 2001.
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He later moved to California to study film. After directing some TV shows, he made his first movie for theaters, The Sugarland Express (1974). He became famous with the summer blockbuster Jaws (1975).
He continued to direct popular movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and the original Indiana Jones trilogy (1981–1989). He also directed serious dramas such as The Color Purple (1985) and Empire of the Sun (1987).
In 1993, Spielberg directed two major films: the science fiction thriller Jurassic Park, which was the highest-earning film at the time, and the historical drama Schindler's List. Schindler's List is often called one of the greatest films ever made. He won the Best Director Oscar for Schindler's List and again for the World War II movie Saving Private Ryan (1998).
Spielberg has also directed other well-known films like A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Minority Report (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), Lincoln (2012), Ready Player One (2018), West Side Story (2021), and The Fabelmans (2022).
He also helped start two film companies, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures. He has produced many successful movies and TV shows, including Back to the Future (1985) and Band of Brothers (2001). Many of his films are considered classics and are among the highest-earning movies ever.
Seven of his films are kept in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because they are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 2013, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people.
Contents
Early Life and How He Started
Steven Spielberg was born on December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother, Leah, was a concert pianist, and his father, Arnold Spielberg, was an electrical engineer who worked on computers. His family was Jewish. His grandparents came from Ukraine.
When he was young, his grandmother taught English to people who had survived the Holocaust. They, in turn, taught him numbers. He remembered one man who showed him numbers tattooed on his arm, explaining how a nine could look like a six. This was a memorable lesson for young Steven.
In 1952, his family moved to Haddon Township, New Jersey, and then to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1957. He had a bar mitzvah ceremony when he was thirteen. He faced unkindness because he was Jewish, especially in high school. He said it was "horrible."
Spielberg saw the movie The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) when he was young. He was scared by a train crash in the movie. At age 12, he used his toy trains to recreate the crash and filmed it with his father's camera. This was his first home movie.
In 1958, he became a Boy Scout and later earned the rank of Eagle Scout. For a photography badge, he made a nine-minute Western film called The Last Gunfight. At 13, he made a 40-minute war film, Escape to Nowhere, with his classmates, which won a prize. He made many adventure films in his early teens. He learned from his father's stories that war was not glorious, and he wanted to show the truth about it in his films.
He loved going to the local theater every Saturday in Phoenix. Some of his favorite movies included Captains Courageous (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and The Birds (1963). He said Lawrence of Arabia "set me on my journey."
In 1963, he wrote and directed a 140-minute science fiction film, Firelight, which was shown once in a local theater. It earned $501, just a little more than its $500 cost.
After visiting Universal Studios on a tour, he managed to get a three-day pass. He spent the next two months there, learning how movies were made. His family later moved to Saratoga, California. When his parents divorced, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his father. He said this experience influenced his film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, as he imagined an alien friend to help him through that difficult time.
He wasn't very interested in school, only wanting to be a filmmaker. He was not accepted into the University of Southern California's film school because of his grades. He then went to California State University, Long Beach. In 1968, Universal gave him a chance to direct a 26-minute short film called Amblin'. A studio executive was impressed and offered him a seven-year directing contract. He left college a year later to direct TV shows for Universal, becoming the youngest director to sign a long-term deal with a major Hollywood studio. In 2002, he returned to Long Beach to finish his degree.
He once met famous director John Ford, who gave him advice about framing shots in movies. Ford told him that understanding where to place the horizon in a picture, either at the top or bottom, but not in the middle, was key to being a good filmmaker.
Career Highlights
Early TV and First Movies (1969–1974)
Spielberg started his professional career directing a segment for the TV show Night Gallery (1969). He also directed episodes for other TV shows like Columbo. These 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. Critics praised it for its suspense.
His first official movie released in theaters was The Sugarland Express (1974). It was about a couple trying to get their baby back. The film won an award at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, and critics saw Spielberg as a promising new director.
Becoming a Blockbuster Director (1975–1980)
Producers gave Spielberg the chance to direct Jaws (1975), a thriller about a great white shark attacking a beach town. Filming was very difficult because the mechanical shark often broke down. However, this problem made Spielberg find creative ways to show the shark without always seeing it, which made the movie even scarier.
Jaws was a huge success, breaking box-office records and making Spielberg a household name. It won three Academy Awards. Even famous director Alfred Hitchcock praised Spielberg for his unique camera work.
After Jaws, Spielberg directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a film about UFOs. He used special film and recording systems for the best quality. The movie was very popular and won two Academy Awards. Critics called Spielberg "a magician."
His next film was the action-comedy 1941 (1979), about Californians preparing for a Japanese invasion. While it earned over $92 million worldwide, many critics did not like it.
Becoming an Established Filmmaker (1981–1992)
Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), an adventure film created by George Lucas. It starred Harrison Ford as the hero, Indiana Jones. The film was a massive success and won five Academy Awards. Critics loved its imagination and fast pace. This movie started the Indiana Jones film series.
He returned to science fiction with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). It tells the story of a young boy, Elliot, who befriends an alien left behind on Earth. Spielberg filmed it in a way that made the actors' performances feel very real. The movie was incredibly popular, earning $700 million worldwide, and won four Academy Awards. Many people, including former President Ronald Reagan, were deeply moved by it.
Spielberg also produced other films during this time, like Poltergeist (1982) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
His next directing project was the Indiana Jones prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). This film was darker than the first and led to the creation of the PG-13 movie rating because some parts were intense for younger viewers. Even though Spielberg later said he wasn't completely happy with it, the film was a blockbuster hit. On this film, he met his future wife, Kate Capshaw.
Between 1984 and 1990, Spielberg produced many successful films for his company, Amblin Entertainment. These included Gremlins (1984), Back to the Future (1985), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
He then directed The Color Purple (1985), a drama about African-American women in the American South. It was his first serious drama, and it was a box-office hit. Critics praised his work, and the film received eleven Academy Award nominations.
In 1987, Spielberg directed Empire of the Sun, the first American film shot in Shanghai since the 1930s. It was about a young British boy in a Japanese prison camp during World War II. While it didn't do well at the box office, Spielberg enjoyed making it, and some critics later called it a great work.
In 1989, he directed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, bringing back Harrison Ford and casting Sean Connery as Indiana Jones's father. This film was more family-friendly than Temple of Doom and was a big success, earning $474 million.
He also directed the romantic drama Always (1989), a modern remake of one of his favorite childhood films. However, it was not a commercial success.
After a short break, Spielberg directed Hook (1991), about a grown-up Peter Pan played by Robin Williams. The film earned over $300 million worldwide.
Focus on Dramatic Works (1993–1998)
In 1993, Spielberg directed Jurassic Park, based on a popular book. The movie is set on an island where scientists bring dinosaurs back to life. It used amazing computer-generated imagery (CGI) and became the highest-earning film at the time. It won three Academy Awards.
Also in 1993, Spielberg directed Schindler's List, a powerful film about Oskar Schindler, a businessman who saved over 1,100 Jewish people during the Holocaust. Spielberg waited ten years to make this film, feeling he needed to be more mature. He filmed it in Poland while also editing Jurassic Park. The film was a commercial success, and Spielberg used his earnings to start the USC Shoah Foundation, an organization that collects stories from Holocaust survivors. Schindler's List won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Spielberg's first Oscar for Best Director. It is considered one of the best American films ever made.
In 1994, Spielberg took a break from directing to spend time with his family and co-founded his new film studio, DreamWorks. He returned to directing with The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), a sequel to Jurassic Park. This film was also a big earner, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
His next film, Amistad (1997), was based on the true story of a slave ship rebellion in 1839. Spielberg used ten years of research to make the historical scenes accurate.
In 1998, Spielberg released the World War II epic Saving Private Ryan. It tells the story of a group of US soldiers searching for a paratrooper whose brothers were killed in the Normandy landing. Filming involved intense training for the actors to make the combat scenes realistic. The film was praised for its direction and realistic portrayal of war. It earned $481 million worldwide, and Spielberg won his second Academy Award for Best Director.
Exploring New Technologies (2001–2012)
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Spielberg returned to science fiction with A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). This film was based on an idea from director Stanley Kubrick, who had asked Spielberg to direct it before he passed away. The story is about an android boy who dreams of becoming a "real boy." The film won five awards and earned $236 million worldwide.
He followed A.I. with the sci-fi thriller Minority Report (2002), starring Tom Cruise. Critics praised Spielberg's use of technology to tell a compelling story. The film earned over $358 million worldwide. Also in 2002, he released Catch Me If You Can, based on the true story of a con artist. It was a critical and commercial success.
Spielberg then directed The Terminal (2004), a comedy about an Eastern European man stuck in an airport. In 2005, he directed War of the Worlds, a new version of the classic alien invasion story. The film was a box-office hit, earning over $600 million worldwide.
His film Munich (2005) was about the Israeli government's secret response after the 1972 Munich Massacre. It received five Academy Award nominations.
In 2008, Spielberg returned to the Indiana Jones series with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was released nineteen years after the last film and was a box-office success, earning $790 million worldwide.
Starting in 2009, Spielberg began working on a trilogy of animated films based on the comic books The Adventures of Tintin. The first film, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, was co-produced by Peter Jackson and released in 2011. It won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.
He also directed War Horse (2011), a film about the friendship between a British boy and his horse during World War I. It was nominated for six Academy Awards.
In 2012, Spielberg directed the historical drama Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln. The film was highly praised and earned over $250 million worldwide. It was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, and Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for his performance.
Recent Work (2013–Present)
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In 2015, Spielberg directed Bridge of Spies, a Cold War thriller about a lawyer negotiating for the release of a pilot. It starred Tom Hanks and was nominated for six Academy Awards.
In 2016, Spielberg made The BFG, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book. It was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
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A year later, Spielberg directed The Post (2017), about The Washington Post newspaper printing the Pentagon Papers. It starred Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep and received positive reviews.
Spielberg directed the science fiction film Ready Player One (2018), based on the popular novel. The story takes place in 2045, where people escape the real world using virtual reality. The film was praised for its action and visual effects.
In 2019, Spielberg filmed West Side Story, an adaptation of the famous musical. It was released in December 2021 to positive reviews and received seven Academy Award nominations. Spielberg said this would be the last musical he directs.
Spielberg's 2022 film The Fabelmans is a story inspired by his own childhood and teenage years. It received widespread critical acclaim and won the People's Choice Award at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
Spielberg was planned to direct Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but he stepped down and remained a producer. The film was released on June 30, 2023.
In February 2025, Spielberg began filming his next movie, which is reportedly about UFOs. It is set to be released in May 2026.
Other Projects
Producing Films and TV Shows
Spielberg has produced many films and TV shows. He was an executive producer for I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) and Used Cars (1980).
In 1980, he co-founded Amblin Productions. This company produced films like Gremlins (1984), Back to the Future (1985), Men in Black (1997), and animated films like An American Tail (1986). He also produced the TV series Amazing Stories for NBC.
In 1994, he founded DreamWorks with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. He wanted more creative control over his projects. DreamWorks Animation produced popular animated films like Shrek (2001), which won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), about a group of soldiers in World War II. It won a Golden Globe. They also produced The Pacific (2010), another miniseries about World War II.
He has also produced films like Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and the Transformers film series. In 2013, HBO announced that Spielberg and Hanks were developing another World War II miniseries called Masters of the Air, which premiered in January 2024.
In January 2023, it was announced that Spielberg was producing a documentary about the famous composer John Williams, called Music by John Williams, which premiered in 2024.
Video Games
Spielberg has been a fan of video games since 1974. In 1995, he helped create the adventure game The Dig. He also appeared in the game Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996), where he directed the player.
In 2005, he worked with Electronic Arts (EA) on games like Boom Blox for the Wii. He is also the creator of EA's Medal of Honor series, which are war games. He doesn't like long cutscenes in games.
Theatre
Spielberg started producing for theater in 1997 with The Diary of Anne Frank. In 2022, he made his Broadway debut as a co-producer for the musical A Strange Loop. He has also produced stage musicals like Water for Elephants and Death Becomes Her in 2024. He will co-produce a stage adaptation of the TV series Smash in 2025.
How He Makes Films
What Influences Him
Spielberg looks up to director John Ford, saying he watches a Ford film before starting his own movies for inspiration. He also admires films like It's a Wonderful Life (1946) for its themes of family. He enjoys the work of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, and Stanley Kubrick. He says Lawrence of Arabia is the movie he has seen the most times.
He was also greatly influenced by Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, saying it made him feel like he might never reach that level of filmmaking skill.
His Style and Themes
Spielberg often uses storyboards to plan his scenes, but sometimes he avoids them for a more natural feel, like in E.T. the Extraterrestrial. He learned to film special effects scenes last and to keep the media away from filming locations after Jaws. He likes to shoot quickly and from many angles to have lots of choices when editing. He often uses wide-angle lenses to create depth in his shots.
When choosing a film project, Spielberg says he picks stories that truly speak to him, even if others might not understand why. He wants to make films he will be proud to add to his work.
Many of Spielberg's films have common themes. One is about "ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances" who become heroes. His family-friendly films often show a sense of wonder and faith, and that "goodness in humanity will win." He also explores the importance of childhood and the role of parents. The theme of flawed or absent fathers often appears, which connects to his own childhood. He also explores extraterrestrial life, an interest that came from his father, a science fiction fan.
People He Works With
Michael Kahn has edited almost all of Spielberg's films since 1977. Spielberg also often works with production designer Rick Carter and writer David Koepp. Kathleen Kennedy is one of his longest-serving collaborators as a producer.
Spielberg often casts the same actors in his films, showing his loyalty to them. These include Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Mark Rylance, Richard Dreyfuss, and Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise once called him "the greatest storyteller cinema's ever known."
Janusz Kamiński has been the cinematographer (the person in charge of how the film is shot) for many of Spielberg's films, starting with Schindler's List (1993). Kamiński won two Academy Awards for his work on Spielberg's films: Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.
Spielberg's long partnership with composer John Williams began with The Sugarland Express (1974). Williams has composed the music for almost all of Spielberg's films. Williams has won three of his five Academy Awards for his music in Spielberg's films: Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Schindler's List. Spielberg once joked to Williams about composing for Schindler's List, "You need a better composer than I am for this film." Spielberg responded, "I know. But they're all dead!"
Personal Life
Spielberg met actress Amy Irving in 1976. They married in 1985 and had a son, Max. They divorced in 1989 but remained close to share custody of their son.
Spielberg 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 Capshaw converted to Judaism before their marriage, which Spielberg said helped him reconnect with his own Jewish heritage. They live in Pacific Palisades, California, and East Hampton, New York.
He has five children with Kate Capshaw: 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, at age 75, he recovered from COVID-19.
In 2013, Spielberg bought a large yacht called The Seven Seas. He later ordered a new, even bigger yacht.
Political Views
Spielberg usually supports candidates from the US Democratic Party. He has given a lot of money to the Democratic party. He is a close friend of former President Bill Clinton.
In 2001, Spielberg resigned from the national advisory board of the Boy Scouts of America because he disagreed with their stance against homosexuality. In 2007, some countries voted to boycott Spielberg's movies after he donated money for relief efforts in Israel.
In February 2008, Spielberg stepped down as an advisor for the 2008 Summer Olympics because he felt the Chinese government wasn't doing enough about the conflict in Darfur. He said his "conscience would not allow" him to continue.
In September 2008, Spielberg and his wife supported same-sex marriage in California by donating to the "No on Proposition 8" campaign. In 2018, they donated to the March for Our Lives student demonstration, which supports gun control in the United States.
In December 2023, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel, the USC Shoah Foundation (which Spielberg founded) began collecting video stories from people who experienced the attacks. Spielberg said this project would help ensure that their stories are recorded to preserve history and work towards a world without hate.
Filmography
Spielberg has directed 36 feature films and produced many others.
| Year | Title | Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Firelight | Phoenix Theatre |
| 1971 | Duel | Universal Pictures |
| 1974 | The Sugarland Express | |
| 1975 | Jaws | |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Columbia Pictures |
| 1979 | 1941 | Universal Pictures / Columbia Pictures |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount Pictures |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Universal Pictures |
| 1983 | Twilight Zone: The Movie | Warner Bros. |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Paramount Pictures |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Warner Bros. |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | |
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | Paramount Pictures |
| Always | Universal Pictures | |
| 1991 | Hook | TriStar Pictures |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | Universal Pictures |
| Schindler's List | ||
| 1997 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | |
| Amistad | DreamWorks Pictures | |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | DreamWorks Pictures / Paramount Pictures |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Warner Bros. Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures |
| 2002 | Minority Report | 20th Century Fox / DreamWorks Pictures |
| Catch Me If You Can | DreamWorks Pictures | |
| 2004 | The Terminal | |
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures |
| Munich | Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures | |
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Paramount Pictures |
| 2011 | The Adventures of Tintin | Paramount Pictures / Sony Pictures Releasing |
| War Horse | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | |
| 2012 | Lincoln | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / 20th Century Fox |
| 2015 | Bridge of Spies | |
| 2016 | The BFG | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 2017 | The Post | 20th Century Fox |
| 2018 | Ready Player One | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2021 | West Side Story | 20th Century Studios |
| 2022 | The Fabelmans | Universal Pictures |
| 2026 | Untitled film |
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 in six different decades. In 1987, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his work as a creative producer.
Spielberg helped the Boy Scouts of America create a merit badge in cinematography to encourage filmmaking skills. In 1989, he received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He was given the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995.
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. In 1999, he received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service for Saving Private Ryan. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America in 2000.
Spielberg received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. In 2006, he was given the Gold Hugo Lifetime Achievement Award and a Kennedy Center honor.
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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 contributions to entertainment.
In 2001, Queen Elizabeth II gave him an honorary knighthood (KBE) for his services to the British film industry. Since he is not a British citizen, he cannot use "Sir" before his name, but he can use "KBE" after it. In 2004, he received France's highest civilian honor, the Legion of Honour.
On November 24, 2015, Spielberg was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama at the White House. In July 2016, he received a gold Blue Peter badge from the BBC children's TV show Blue Peter. He also has honorary degrees from several universities, including Harvard University.
| Year | Title | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Academy Award-Winning Performances in Spielberg's Films Actors who won or were nominated for an Academy Award under Spielberg's direction:
| Year | Performer | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
His Impact on Film
Steven Spielberg is seen as one of the most influential and successful film directors ever. His films like Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park each became the highest-earning film of all time when they were released.
In 1996, Life magazine called Spielberg the most influential person of his generation. In 2005, Empire magazine ranked him as the number one greatest film director of all time. As of December 2024, his net worth is estimated at $5.3 billion, making him one of the richest people in entertainment.
Many famous directors admire his work, including Martin Scorsese and Peter Jackson. Film critic Tom Shone said that Spielberg's work shows what film does best.
Some critics have said his films can be too sentimental. However, others, like Roger Ebert, have defended him, especially for his work on Schindler's List and his efforts to preserve the stories of Holocaust survivors.
Seven of his films are preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because they are important for culture, history, or art. These 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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Steven Spielberg's signature
See also
In Spanish: Steven Spielberg para niños
