Donald Petrie

Born: 1954
Where: New York

Petrie's big break came when Steven Spielberg hired him to direct Amazing Stories after he viewed his short film The Expert.

A graduate of the American Film Institute, he began his film career playing small roles in Quincy and The Waltons.

He next moved on to TV and began helming MacGyver, The Equalizer, and LA Law, for which he landed an Emmy and Director's Guild nominations.

Petrie shifted to feature films with Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor and Vincent D'Onofrio.

He followed that up with Grumpy Old Men starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and The Favour starring Elizabeth McGovern.

Next came Richie Rich in MacCaulay Culkin and The Associate with Whoopi Goldberg as well as My Favourite Martian starring Elizabeth Hurley.

He tasted success with Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality and followed that up with the chick flick How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days.