Steve Barron

Born: May 1956
Where: Dublin, Ireland

Steve Barron began work as camera assistant on films such as Superman and A Bridge Too Far. From this early start, he quickly moved on to music videos, pioneering a style that would, among others, inspire the formation of MTV.

In 1982 he conceived and directed the award-winning Billie Jean for Michael Jackson's Thriller, and further awards followed with Dire Straits' Money for Nothing (1986 MTV Best Video), and A-Ha's Take on Me.

Steve proved equally successful in advertising, winning the award for best thirty second ad in England; and through his company Limelight, he went on to direct prestigious US and UK campaigns for Pepsi, Coke, Ford and Renault.

Although he later returned to award winning music videos with Dire Straits' Calling Elvis, Def Leppard's Let's Get Rocked, and Unforgettable, Natalie Cole's duet with her father, Steve had now also entered the world of film.

Electric Dreams was released in 1984 and won him Best Director at the Madrid Film Festival, and the public Prize for the best film at the Avoriaz Fantastique Film Festival in France.

The critically acclaimed Storyteller miniseries for US TV followed, picking up an Emmy, and then in 1990 Steve returned to film with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the first independent feature to break the US $100 million mark.

In 1993 Steve directed Dan Ackroyd in Coneheads and Executive Produced the Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone film The Specialist, as well as the highly successful While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock.

In 1998 Steve directed Sam Neill, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Miranda Richardson in the $30 million mini series Merlin. It attracted an audience of 58 million in the US alone and went on to garner 15 Emmy nominations and 4 Golden Globes.

Upon completing Arabian Nights, another TV series that has broken records everywhere, Steve returned to his native Ireland in where he directed and co-produced Rat, a dark comedy with Imelda Staunton and Pete Postlethwaite.

His next feature, Mike Bassett: England Manager premiered in September 2001 and has already become a cult success, affording comparisons to This is Spinal Tap and earning early nominations from industry standards such as The Empire Awards.