Bill Condon

Born: October 22 1955
Where: New York, USA

The film journalist-turned-writer/director had his breakthrough with Gods and Monsters, his biopic of gay Frankenstein director James Whale.

The movie, starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser, was shot in just 21 days - but went on to win Condon an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

He followed it up with the equally well received Kinsey, starring Liam Neeson as the controversial sexologist credited with changing American culture.

Condon began his career as a film journalist, which led to his first film-writing job on the low-budget horror film Strange Behavior in 1981.

A team effort with director Michael Laughlin, the movie focused on the mysterious murders of teenagers in a Midwestern town.

His next writing job for Laughlin was the sci-mystery Strange Invaders, a spoof of 1950's B-movies.

In 1998, Condon turned director with Sister, Sister, a Gothic horror story starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and co-written by Joel Cohen.

He followed it with a series of TV thrillers, including Murder 101 with Pierce Brosnan and Deadly Relations in 1993.

Two years later he was directing for the big screen again with the Clive Barker horror story Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh.

In 1998, switched to styles to make Gods and Monsters, which was based on Christopher Bram's impressionistic novel Father of Frankenstein.

The film's success allowed Condon to pursue other projects, including writing the screenplay for the hit adaptation of the stage musical Chicago.

In 2004, he wrote and directed Kinsey, which also starred Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard.