Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann
Born Mark Anthony Luhrmann
17 September 1962
Sydney, Australia[1]
Occupation Film director, screenwriter, producer
Spouse(s) Catherine Martin (1997–present); 2 children

Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (/ˈbæz ˈlʊərmən/;[2] born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, comprising his romantic comedy film Strictly Ballroom (1992), the romantic drama Romeo + Juliet (1996), and the pastiche-jukebox musical Moulin Rouge! (2001). His 2008 film Australia is an epic historical romantic drama film starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. His 2013 drama The Great Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.[3]

Personal life

Luhrmann was born in Sydney. His mother, Barbara Carmel (née Brennan), was a ballroom dance teacher and dress shop owner, and his father, Leonard Luhrmann, was a farmer.[4][5][6] He was raised in Herons Creek, a tiny rural settlement in northern New South Wales where his father ran a petrol station and a movie theatre. He attended St Joseph's Hasting Regional School, Port Macquarie (1975–1978) and at St Paul's College, Manly, performing in the school's version of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1.

Luhrmann officially changed his given name from Mark to Baz sometime around 1979.[7] Luhrmann then first auditioned for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1980 but was not accepted. He successfully auditioned again two years later, starting the three-year acting course in 1983. He graduated from NIDA in 1985, alongside Sonia Todd, Catherine McClements and Justin Monjo.[8] On 26 January 1997, he married Catherine Martin, a production designer; the couple have two children.

Films

After theatrical successes, including the original stage version of Strictly Ballroom, Luhrmann moved into film and has directed five so far:

The modern film interpretation Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes defeated Titanic at the BAFTAs for best direction, music and screenplay. The film was celebrated at the Berlin Film Festival where it was recognised with the Gold Bear award for direction and Silver Bear for DiCaprio's performance. Luhrmann also produced the successful soundtrack albums for the film which collectively went on to sell more than eight million copies worldwide.

Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001) was named one of the AFI's top ten films of 2001[9] and in 2010 was chosen as the top film of the 2000s decade in a poll of 150,000 respondents in the United Kingdom.[10] The film also gave birth to a successful soundtrack album, selling more than seven million copies, led by the Grammy-winning number one hit single "Lady Marmalade".[11]

Luhrmann's 2008 romantic epic Australia starred Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. While achieving modest box office success in the United States, the film was very successful in Europe, maintaining the #1 slot at the box office for many weeks in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Scandinavian countries.[12] It is the second-highest grossing Australian film of all time, next to "Crocodile" Dundee and ahead of Happy Feet.[13]

Luhrmann's first three films are marketed as The Red Curtain Trilogy. His latest project is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, shot in 3D,[14] starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim,[15] Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan[16] and Australian newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker.

Television

Luhrmann at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival

Luhrmann is currently collaborating with award-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (The Motherfucker With the Hat) on a Netflix Series about the birth of hip-hop in the 1970s. [17] [18]

Acting and Director credits

Director credits

Name Year Awards
Strictly Ballroom 1992 AFI Award for Best Director
AFI Award for Best Screenplay
ALFS Award for Newcomer of the Year
Nominated—BAFTA Film Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated—20/20 Award for Best Original Screenplay
Romeo + Juliet 1996 BAFTA Award for Best Direction
BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated—Golden Bear Award for Best Picture
Moulin Rouge! 2001 Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
National Board of Review Award for Best Film
Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture
Satellite Award for Best Director
Nominated—AACTA Award for Best Film
Nominated—AACTA Award for Best Direction
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Direction
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
Nominated—Golden Globe for Best Director
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Film
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay
Australia 2008 Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay
Nominated—AFI Members' Choice Award
The Great Gatsby 2013 AACTA Award for Best Film
AACTA Award for Best Direction
AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated—AACTA International Award for Best Direction
Nominated—Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Director

Film

Name Year Character Notes
A Country Practice (TV) 1981–82 Jerry Percival Guest star for six episodes.
Winter of Our Dreams (film) 1981 Pete Also starred Judy Davis and Bryan Brown.
The Bedroom (film) 1982 First student Small role.
The Highest Honor (film) 1982 Able Seaman A. W. Huston Also starred Steve Bisley.
Kids of the Cross (TV documentary) 1983 Himself Filmed in Sydney in 1981. Produced by Mike Willesee.

Theatre

Name Year Character Notes
Are You Lonesome Tonight? 1982 Unknown Performed at Nimrod Downstairs, Sydney. Directed by Peter Kingston.
Fanshen 1983 Peasant Performed at NIDA, Sydney.
Holiday Makers 1984 Unknown Performed at NIDA. Directed by Nick Enright.
All's Well That Ends Well 1984 Dumain Brother Performed at NIDA. Directed by Kevin Jackson.
Strictly Ballroom 1984; 1986 Ross Pierce Performed at NIDA in 1984, and in Bratislava in 1986; also directed.
Dreamplay 1985 Unknown Performed at NIDA. Directed by Jim Sharman.
Funeral Games 1985 Unknown Part of the Hallucinogenics? 3 plays from the 60s event. Performed at NIDA. Directed by Egil Kipste.
Chamber Music 1985 Unknown Part of the Hallucinogenics? 3 plays from the 60s event. Performed at NIDA. Directed by Ros Horin.
The Greeks 1985 Unknown Trilogy: The War, The Murders, The Gods. Performed at NIDA, and St Martin's Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Once in a Lifetime 1985 Unknown Performed at NIDA. Directed by Gale Edwards.
Crocodile Creek 1986 Directed for the New Moon Theatre Company in Rockhampton. Amateur musical production set in the Queensland goldfields.
The Conquest of the South Pole 1989 Unknown Performed at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney. Directed by Jim Sharman.

Other work

Collaborations

Luhrmann has cast certain actors in more than one of his films:

Strictly Ballroom Romeo + Juliet Moulin Rouge! Australia The Great Gatsby
Veronica Beattie
No
No
Max Cullen
No
No
Leonardo DiCaprio
No
No
Arthur Dignam
No
No
No
Steven Grace
No
No
Nigel Harbach
No
No
Michelle Hopper
No
No
Bill Hunter
No
No
Nicole Kidman
No
No
Jacek Koman
No
No
No
John Leguizamo
No
No
Tara Morice
No
No
Lara Mulcahy
No
No
No
Barry Otto
No
No
No
John Sheerin
No
No
Jack Thompson
No
No
Kerry Walker
No
No
David Wenham
No
No
Peter Whitford
No
No
Matthew Whittet
No
No
No

Influences

Luhrmann has cited Italian grand opera as a major influence on his work and has also given a nod to other theatrical styles, such as Bollywood films, as having had an impact on his style. Luhrmann was a ballroom dancer as a child and his mother taught ballroom dancing which was an inspiration for Strictly Ballroom. Luhrmann's favourite films are Star 80, , War and Peace, Medium Cool and Fitzcarraldo.[23]

Awards and honours

Luhrmann received Directors Guild of America and Golden Globe nominations for Best Director – Motion Picture for his work on Moulin Rouge!, but did not receive an Oscar nomination for directing even though the film itself was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture (Academy Award host Whoopi Goldberg joked "I guess it just directed itself.").

Media appearances

In September 2009, Luhrmann made an appearance as a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars.[25] Luhrmann participated on the NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in 2013.[26]

References

  1. "Baz Luhrmann biodata". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  2. Baz Luhrmann pronunciation: How to pronounce Baz Luhrmann in English
  3. "The Great Gatsby (2013)". IMDB. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  4. "Baz Luhrmann profile at". FilmReference.com.
  5. Luhrmann-related genealogy site
  6. "Baz Luhrmann i(10 works by) (birth name: Mark Anthony Luhrmann) (a.k.a. Bazmark Anthony Luhrmann)". AustLit. AustLit. 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  7. "NIDA Alumni".
  8. "American Film Institute's Top Films of the Year". InfoPlease. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  9. "Moulin Rouge! voted best film of the decade". The Telegraph (London: Published by The Telegraph). 7 January 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  10. "Lady Marmalade Wins Grammy Award". BigNoiseNow. 28 February 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  11. "Australia". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  12. "Highest Grossing Aussie Films". World News Australia. Published by SBS. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  13. Michael Jones (18 December 2008). "Baz Luhrmann eyes Great Gatsby". Variety (Published by Reed Business Information). Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  14. "Amitabh Bachchan signs first Hollywood film". The Times of India. 8 September 2011.
  15. Mike Fleming (17 May 2011). "Joel Edgerton Gets Tom Buchanan". Deadline Hollywood. Published by Deadline. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  16. Hetrick, Adam. "Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis Collaborating on Hip-Hop Television Project". Playbill.com, December 13, 2013
  17. Chang, Lia. "Photos: Ellen Burstyn, Baz Luhrmann, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Stephen McKinley Henderson, John Patrick Shanley, David Henry Hwang, Liza Colón-Zayas, Kenneth Lonergan and More Celebrate Stephen Adly Guirgis at The Mimi Awards". BackstagePasswithLiaChang.com, November 19, 2014
  18. "Bazmark Inc. Presents Something For Everybody (CD, Comp)". Discogs.
  19. Luhrmann, Baz (27 November 2008). "Charlie Rose – A conversation about the film "Australia"". The Charlie Rose Show.
  20. Scott, Malcolm (29 July 2008). "Australia Taps Luhrmann for Campaign to Boost Tourism". Bloomberg.com.
  21. Kanwardeep Singh Dhaliwal (24 March 2010). "Baz Luhrmann & Vincent Fantauzzo's mad Indian motorcycle diary". CNNgo.com.
  22. "Five Favorite Films of Baz Luhrmann". Rotten Tomatoes. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  23. "Berlinale: 1997 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  24. "Baz Luhrmann Guest Judges On 'Dancing'". The Huffington Post. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  25. Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! from NPR

External links