John Schlesinger

John Richard Schlesinger ( SHLESS-in-jər; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film, television and theatre director, and actor. He emerged in the early 1960s as a leading light of the British New Wave, before embarking on a successful career in Hollywood, often directing films dealing with provocative subject matter, combined with his status as one of the rare openly gay directors working in mainstream films. Schlesinger started his career making British kitchen sink dramas A Kind of Loving (1962) and Billy Liar (1963), and the Thomas Hardy adaptation Far from the Madding Crowd (1967). He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and was Oscar-nominated for Darling (1965) and Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). He gained acclaim for his Hollywood films The Day of the Locust (1975) and Marathon Man (1976). His later films include Madame Sousatzka (1988) and Cold Comfort Farm (1995). He also served as an associate director of the Royal National Theatre. Over his career he received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe. His honours include the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and a BAFTA Fellow. Four of Schlesinger's films are on the British Film Institute's Top 100 British films.