Jay Roach
Born: 1957
Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
The astute comedy director sprang onto the scene with the first Austin Powers outing - Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
He subsequently helmed the blockbuster sequels Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Roach was also behind the hit comedy Meet The Parents, which pitched Ben Stiller against Robert De Niro's ex-CIA control freak.
A graduate of Stanford University, Roach trained in film at the University of Southern California, where his film Asleep at the Wheel was nominated for a student Academy Award.
In 1993, he worked as co-producer and writer of the short-lived sci-fi series Space Rangers, and was co-producer of the TV-movie Lifepod, a sci-fi remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.
The following year, he scripted the feature Blown Away, which he co-produced with Pen Densham.
Written by and starring comedy actor Mike Myers, the first Austin Powers opened with an inspired musical romp on a swinging 60s Carnaby Street.
Roach employed much of the jumpy stylistic editing so popular in 60s cinema and also used appropriately garish Technicolor hues in scenery and costumes.
Following this success, Roach was tapped to direct the follow-up, Austin Powers II: The Spy Who Shagged Me, another box office hit.
Roach's next project was not as successful. Mystery, Alaska, starring Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria and Burt Reynolds had a dismal opening and faded from theatres.
In 2000, Stiller and De Niro teamed up for the hit mis-match comedy Meet The Parents and Myers subsequently returned to reprise Austin Powers in Austin Powers in Goldmember.
He stood down from directing the Adam Sandler comedy 50 First Dates when Julia Roberts passed on the project in 2004.
The same year he directed the Meet The Parents sequel Meet The Fockers, tempting Barbra Streisand out of retirement after eight years.
Upcoming projects include the big screen version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which he will executive produce as opposed to direct).
