Mark Rydell

Born: 23 March, 1934
Where: New York

Rydell was a former jazz musician who studied at Juilliard and appeared on Broadway and TV before beginning his directing career.

He won critical kudos for his first directorial effort, The Fox, and has enjoyed considerable success ever since.

The Reivers remains one of his best films, followed several years later by love story, Cinderella Liberty.

The Rose was the first film to tap Bette Midler's dramatic potential, and On Golden Pond meshed the talents of its formidable cast - Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda - with great skill. The film displayed its director's fondness for sentiment and nostalgia and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

In 1991 Rydell won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival.

Some of his other films as director include The Cowboys, For the Boys, and Intersection starring Richard Gere and Sharon Stone.