Steven Spielberg

With blockbuster films such as Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg brought science fiction and fantasy to a global audience and helped make the fantastic part of the mainstream.

Spielberg completed his first feature, Firelight (1963), about UFOs menacing a small town, at age 16. After studying film at California State University, his film Amblin’ (1969) gained him a contract with Universal Pictures television division. He soon moved into features, attracting attention with Jaws (1975). Next came Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), followed by more hits including Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

In 1993, he directed both the popular extravaganza Jurassic Park and the critically acclaimed Schindler's List, which won seven Oscars. Spielberg also wrote and directed A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), realized from the vision of the late Stanley Kubrick, and he directed Minority Report (2002) and War of the Worlds (2005). Among his many honors, Spielberg has earned three Academy Awards and the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award.