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Mike Nichols is a Actor, Director, Teleplay, Producer and Thanks American born on 6 november 1931 at Berlin (German)

Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols
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Birth name Michael Igor Peschkowsky
Nationality USA
Birth 6 november 1931 at Berlin (German)
Death 19 november 2014 (at 83 years) at New York City (USA)
Awards Primetime Emmy Award, National Medal of Arts, Academy Award for Best Director

Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was a German-born American film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their acting experience. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe, The Compass Players, predecessor of The Second City, in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May, to form the comedy duo Nichols and May. Their live improv acts were a hit on Broadway resulting in three albums, with their debut album winning a Grammy Award.

After Nichols and May disbanded their act in 1961, Nichols began directing plays. He soon earned a reputation as a skilled Broadway director with a flair for creating innovative productions and the ability to elicit polished performances from actors. His debut Broadway play was Neil Simons Barefoot in the Park in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. He next directed Luv in 1964 and in 1965 directed another Neil Simon play, The Odd Couple. Nichols received a Tony Award for each of those plays. Nearly five decades later, he won his sixth Tony Award as best director with a revival of Death of a Salesman in 2012. During his career, he directed or produced over twenty-five Broadway plays.

In 1966, Warner Brothers invited Nichols to direct his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The groundbreaking and acclaimed film led critics to declare Nichols the "new Orson Welles". The film garnered 13 Academy Award nominations, winning five. It was also a box office hit and became the number 1 film of 1966. His next film was The Graduate in 1967, starring then unknown actor Dustin Hoffman, alongside Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross. The film was another critical and financial success, becoming the highest grossing film of 1967 and receiving seven Academy Award nominations, wining Nichols the Academy Award for Best Directing. Among the other films he directed were Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), The Birdcage (1996), Closer (2004), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007).

Along with an Academy Award, Nichols won a Grammy Award (the first for a comedian born outside the United States), four Emmy Awards and nine Tony Awards. Nichols is one of only two people who can claim a PEGOT, having received Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. He was also a three-time BAFTA Award winner. His other honors included the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films garnered a total of 42 Academy Award nominations and seven wins. In 2016, PBS will air an American Masters documentary about Nichols, to be directed by his former improv partner, Elaine May.

Biography

Nichols was married four times. The first three ended in divorce; the last ended upon his death. His first marriage was to Patricia Scott; they were married from 1957 to 1960. His second was to Margot Callas, a former "muse" of the poet Robert Graves from 1963 to 1974; the couple produced a daughter, Daisy Nichols. His third marriage, to Annabel Davis-Goff, produced two children, Max Nichols and Jenny Nichols; they were divorced in 1986. His fourth was to former ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer, whom he married on April 29, 1988.

Nichols' grandfather, Gustav Landauer, was a leading theorist on anarchism in the early 20th century. According to research done by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., of Harvard University, for the PBS series Faces of America (2010), Nichols is related to Albert Einstein, who was a third cousin on his mother's side.

Among Nichols' personal pursuits was a lifelong interest in Arabian horses. From 1968 to 2004, he owned a farm in Connecticut and was a noted horse breeder. Over the years, he also imported quality Arabian horses from Poland, some of which later resold for record-setting prices.

Best films

The Birdcage (1996)
(Director)
Wolf (1994)
(Director)
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
(Director)
Closer (2004)
(Director)
The Graduate (1967)
(Director)
Working Girl (1988)
(Director)

Usually with

Michael Haley
Michael Haley
(12 films)
Ann Roth
Ann Roth
(13 films)
Sam O'Steen
Sam O'Steen
(12 films)
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
(4 films)
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
(6 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Mike Nichols (28 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Director

Charlie Wilson's War, 1h40
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Biography, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Documentary, Spy, Historical
Themes Spy films, Politique, Films about terrorism, Political films
Actors Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Om Puri, Emily Blunt
Rating69% 3.4973853.4973853.4973853.4973853.497385
The film opens with a large gathering inside an aircraft hangar. Everyone is attending a private ceremony for Democratic U.S. Representative Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), who is receiving a major commendation for supporting the U.S. clandestine services. As everyone looks in admiration upon a clearly moved Wilson, the movie goes back in time.
Closer
Closer (2004)
, 1h44
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Films about sexuality, Théâtre, Films based on plays, Striptease
Actors Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Colin Stinton, Elizabeth Bower
Rating71% 3.5974653.5974653.5974653.5974653.597465
In the opening scene, twenty-four-year-old Alice Ayres (Natalie Portman) and Dan Woolf (Jude Law) see each other for the first time from opposite sides of a street as they are walking toward each other among many other rush hour pedestrians. Alice is a young American stripper who just arrived in London, and Dan is an unsuccessful British author who is on his way to work where he writes obituaries for a newspaper. Alice looks in the wrong direction as she crosses the street and is hit by a taxi cab right in front of Dan's eyes. After he rushes to her side she smiles to him and says, "Hello, stranger." He takes her to the hospital where Alice is treated and released. Afterward, on the way to his office, they stop by Postman's Park, the same park that he and his father visited after his mother's death. Pausing in front of the office before he leaves her and goes to work, he reminds her that traffic in England tends to come on from the right, and on impulse, he asks her for her name. They soon become lovers.
Angels in America (TV miniseries), 5h52
Directed by Mike Nichols
Genres Drama, Fantasy
Actors Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Patrick Wilson, Mary-Louise Parker, Emma Thompson, Justin Kirk
Rating80% 4.0483054.0483054.0483054.0483054.048305
It is 1985: Ronald Reagan is in the White House, and AIDS is causing wide-scale death in America. In Manhattan, Prior Walter tells Louis, his lover of four years, that he has AIDS; Louis, unable to handle it, leaves him. As disease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Louis. Joe Pitt, a Mormon and Republican attorney, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn toward a job at the United States Department of Justice. Both Pitt and Cohn are in the closet: Pitt out of shame and religious turmoil, Cohn to preserve his power and image. Pitt's wife Harper is strung out on Valium, causing her to hallucinate constantly (sometimes jointly with Prior during his fever dreams), and she longs to escape from her sexless marriage. An angel with ulterior motives commands Prior to become a prophet. Pitt's mother and Belize, a close friend and drag queen, help Prior choose. Joe leaves his wife and goes to live with Louis, but the relationship doesn't work out due to ideological differences. Roy is diagnosed with AIDS early on, and as his life comes to a close he is haunted by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg.
Wit
Wit (2001)
, 1h39
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama
Themes Films about education, Medical-themed films, Films about cancer, Films based on plays
Actors Emma Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Audra McDonald, Eileen Atkins, Benedict Wong, Jonathan M. Woodward
Rating79% 3.99573.99573.99573.99573.9957
Vivian Bearing (Emma Thompson) is a professor of English literature known for her intense knowledge of metaphysical poetry, especially the Holy Sonnets of John Donne. Her life takes a turn when she is diagnosed with metastatic Stage IV ovarian cancer. Oncologist Harvey Kelekian prescribes various chemotherapy treatments to treat her disease, and as she suffers through the various side-effects (such as fever, chills, vomiting, and abdominal pain), she attempts to put everything in perspective. The story periodically flashes back to previous moments in her life, including her childhood, her graduate school studies, and her career prior to her diagnosis. During the course of the film, she continually breaks the fourth wall by looking into the camera and expressing her feelings.
What Planet Are You From?, 1h45
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Comedy, Romance, Comic science fiction
Themes Films about sexuality, Erotic films, Comedy science fiction films
Actors Annette Bening, Garry Shandling, Greg Kinnear, Ben Kingsley, Linda Fiorentino, John Goodman
Rating55% 2.7998052.7998052.7998052.7998052.799805
A denizen (Garry Shandling) of a faraway planet occupied only by highly evolved males is ordered by his superior, Graydon (Ben Kingsley), to find a female human, impregnate her and bring the baby back to the planet.
Primary Colors, 2h23
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Politique, Political films
Actors John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Adrian Lester, Maura Lynn Tierney
Rating66% 3.3479353.3479353.3479353.3479353.347935
Young political idealist Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) is recruited to join the campaign of Jack Stanton (John Travolta), a charismatic Southern governor who is trying to win the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States. Henry is impressed by Stanton's genuine warmth and empathy with people. He joins Stanton's inner circle of political advisers: Stanton's formidable wife, Susan Stanton (Emma Thompson); ruthless, redneck political strategist Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton); intelligent and attractive spokeswoman Daisy Green (Maura Tierney); and sly political operator Howard Ferguson (Paul Guilfoyle) as they journey to New Hampshire, the first state to hold a presidential primary.
The Birdcage, 1h58
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Films about religion, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Transgender in film, Films based on plays, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film, Cross-dressing in film
Actors Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart
Rating71% 3.5990453.5990453.5990453.5990453.599045
Armand Goldman is the openly gay owner of a drag club in South Beach called The Birdcage and his partner Albert is "Starina" the star attraction of the club and a very effeminate and flamboyant man. Living with them is Agador, their flamboyant Guatemalan housekeeper who dreams of being in Albert's drag show as well.
Wolf
Wolf (1994)
, 2h5
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Fantastic, Horror comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Films about sexuality, Wolves in film, Werewolves in film, Comedy horror films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer
Rating62% 3.1486153.1486153.1486153.1486153.148615
Will Randall is bitten by a wolf while driving home in Vermont. Afterwards, he is demoted from editor-in-chief of a publishing house when it is taken over by tycoon Raymond Alden, who replaces him with Will's protégé Stewart Swinton. When Will thinks that his wife Charlotte is having an affair with Stewart, he rushes over to his house where Stewart sees Will angry and asks him what the problem is. Will bites Stewart and rushes upstairs to the room to find Charlotte half-naked. His worst fears are confirmed. Will becomes more aggressive, taking on the characteristics of a wolf.
Regarding Henry, 1h48
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes Medical-themed films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities
Actors Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, Bill Nunn, Michael Haley, Rebecca Miller, Lady Day-Lewis, Bruce Altman
Rating66% 3.348283.348283.348283.348283.34828
Ambitious, callous, narcissistic, and at times unethical, Henry Turner is a highly successful Manhattan attorney whose obsession with his work leaves him little time for his prim socialite wife Sarah and troubled preteen daughter Rachel. He has just won a malpractice suit in which he defended a hospital against a plaintiff who claims, but is unable to prove, that he warned the hospital of an existing condition that then caused a problem.
Postcards from the Edge, 1h41
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Films about families, Medical-themed films, Films about drugs, Films about television
Actors Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Rob Reiner, Richard Dreyfuss
Rating66% 3.349083.349083.349083.349083.34908
Actress Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) is a recovering drug addict trying to pick up the pieces of her acting career and get on with her life after being discharged from a rehab center to kick a cocaine-acid-Percodan habit; after overdosing while on a date, her mother admitted her to the rehab center from the emergency room. When she is ready to return to work her agent advises her the studio's insurance policy will cover her only if she lives with a "responsible" individual such as her mother Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine) who was the reigning musical comedy star of the 1950s and '60s. Suzanne is very reluctant to return to the woman she struggled to escape from for years after growing up in her shadow. The situation is not helped by the fact that Doris is loud, competitive, manipulative, self-absorbed and given to offering her daughter unsolicited advice with insinuating value judgments while treating her like a child.
Biloxi Blues, 1h42
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Comedy, Romance
Themes Military humor in film, Films about sexuality, Théâtre, LGBT-related films, Political films, Films based on plays, LGBT-related films, Films about virginity, LGBT-related film
Actors Christopher Walken, Matthew Broderick, Michael Dolan, Matt Mulhern, Corey Parker, Casey Siemaszko
Rating65% 3.2979053.2979053.2979053.2979053.297905
The story centers on Eugene Morris Jerome, a 20-year-old Jewish Brooklynite who is drafted into the United States Army during the last year of World War II and is sent to Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training. While there he learns to cope with fellow soldiers from all walks of life, falls in love, and loses his virginity in less than ideal circumstances, all while having to cope with an eccentric drill instructor.
Working Girl, 1h55
Directed by Mike Nichols
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes L'usurpation d'identité, Musical films, Children's films, Escroquerie
Actors Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Alec Baldwin, Joan Cusack, Philip Bosco
Rating67% 3.398473.398473.398473.398473.39847
Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) is an Irish American working-class stockbroker's secretary from Staten Island with a bachelor's degree in Business from evening classes. She dreams of an executive position. Tricked by her boss (Oliver Platt) into a date with his lascivious colleague (Kevin Spacey), she gets into trouble by publicly insulting him and is reassigned as secretary to a new financial executive, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver). Seemingly supportive, Katharine encourages Tess to share ideas. Tess suggests that a client, Trask Industries, should invest in radio to gain a foothold in media. Katharine listens to the idea and says she'll pass it through some people. Later, she says the idea wasn't well received. But when Katharine breaks her leg skiing in Europe, she asks Tess to house-sit. While at Katharine's place, Tess discovers some meeting notes where Katharine plans to pass off the merger idea as her own. At home, Tess finds her boyfriend (Alec Baldwin) in bed with another woman. Disillusioned, she returns to Katharine's apartment and begins her transformation.