Todd Field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Todd Field
Field at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival in 2023.
Born	William Todd Field (1964-02-24) February 24, 1964 (age 61) Pomona, California, U.S.
Education	Mt. Hood Community College Southern Oregon University American Film Institute (MFA)
Occupation	Filmmaker actor
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Serena Rathbun ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	4
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William Todd Field (born February 24, 1964) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is famous for directing three major films: In the Bedroom (2001), Little Children (2006), and Tár (2022). These movies were nominated for a total of fourteen Academy Awards.

Field himself has received six Academy Award nominations for his work. These include nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and for writing the screenplays. Before becoming a director, he was also an actor in movies like Ruby in Paradise (1993) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). He also helped create the famous bubble gum brand Big League Chew.

Early life and Big League Chew

Field at a baseball stadium in Portland, Oregon, in 1977.

Todd Field was born in Pomona, California. His family owned a farm that raised chickens. When he was two, his family moved to Portland, Oregon. As a kid, he loved magic tricks and music.

In Portland, Field was a batboy for the Portland Mavericks, a minor league baseball team. The team was owned by Hollywood actor Bing Russell. Bing's son, Kurt Russell, who also became a famous actor, played for the team.

It was during this time that Field and the team's pitching coach, Rob Nelson, invented Big League Chew. They mixed the first batch in Field's kitchen. In 1980, they sold the idea to the Wrigley Company. Since then, over a billion pouches of the shredded bubble gum have been sold around the world.

From music to acting

The Lab Band in 1982, where Field played trombone.

Field was a talented jazz musician. When he was sixteen, he played trombone in the Lab Band at Mount Hood Community College. This band was known for finding new talent. He played alongside his friend, trumpeter Chris Botti, who later won a Grammy Award.

After high school, Field briefly studied music in college. But he soon moved to New York City to study acting. He began performing in plays with the Ark Theatre Company as both an actor and a musician.

Acting career

Ashley Judd and Field in the movie Ruby in Paradise (1993).

Field's first movie role was in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987). He went on to act in many films, working with famous directors like Stanley Kubrick and Carl Franklin.

Some of his well-known acting roles include playing a kind man in Ruby in Paradise and a piano player in Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. His acting was praised for being able to show a lot of different emotions.

Two directors he worked with encouraged him to study directing. In 1992, he enrolled at the AFI Conservatory, a famous film school. His student film, Nonnie & Alex, won an award at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival.

Filmmaking career

After film school, Field focused on directing his own movies. He became known for making serious and powerful films that earned many awards.

In the Bedroom (2001)

Field directing his first major film, In the Bedroom, in 2000.

Field's first big movie was In the Bedroom, which he also co-wrote. The story was based on a short story called "Killings" by Andre Dubus. The film was a huge success. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The actors Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, and Marisa Tomei all received nominations for their performances.

The movie was filmed in Rockland, Maine, where Field lives with his family. He even used his own house for one of the scenes. Critics loved the film. They said Field showed great skill as a director and that he was a natural-born filmmaker. For his work, Field won Best Director of the Year from the National Board of Review.

Little Children (2006)

Author Tom Perrotta and Field working on the script for Little Children in 2005.

Five years later, Field directed Little Children. The film was based on a novel by Tom Perrotta. It received three Academy Award nominations. Kate Winslet was nominated for Best Actress, and Jackie Earle Haley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

With just two films, Field had directed actors to a total of five Oscar nominations. Critics praised Little Children for being a complex and powerful movie.

Tár (2022)

Field with actress Cate Blanchett at the Venice Film Festival.

After a long break from directing feature films, Field returned in 2022 with Tár. The movie stars Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár, a world-famous orchestra conductor. The film was a massive critical success.

Tár premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where Blanchett won the award for Best Actress. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for Field. Blanchett was also nominated for Best Actress.

The movie was named the best film of 2022 by many critics' groups, including those in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Famous director Martin Scorsese praised the film, saying, "The clouds lifted when I experienced Todd's film, Tár."

Filmography

Here are some of Todd Field's most notable works as an actor and filmmaker.

Selected acting roles

• Radio Days (1987) - Crooner
• Gross Anatomy (1989) - David Schreiner
• Ruby in Paradise (1993) - Mike McCaslin
• Twister (1996) - Tim 'Beltzer' Lewis
• Walking and Talking (1996) - Frank
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - Nick Nightingale
• Once and Again (1999–2001) - David Cassilli (TV series)

Films as director

• In the Bedroom (2001)
• Little Children (2006)
• Tár (2022)

Major awards

Todd Field's films have won many awards and nominations.

Academy Award nominations for actors in his films
Many actors have received Academy Award nominations for their roles in Todd Field's movies.

See also

In Spanish: Todd Field para niños