Ken Kwapis

Born: August 17 1948
Where: Belleville, Illinois, USA

The accomplished director is at home on both the big and small screen with movies including Sexual Life and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

He studied at the University of Southern California's Film School where his thesis film demonstrated his maverick approach.

For Heavens' Sake! was based on a Mozart opera with backbiting nuns replacing the duelling divas of the original.

He made his small screen debut with Revenge of the Nerd and switched to the big screen in 1985 with the drama The Beniker Gang.

Kwapis went on to helm the screwball comedies Dunston Checks In with Faye Dunaway and Vibes, starring Jeff Goldblum.

Switching back to TV, he worked on such high-profile series as ER, The Larry Sanders Show, Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show.

He made his debut as a writer/director with Sexual Life, an adaptation of La Ronde starring Elizabeth Banks and Anne Heche.

He also directed two episodes of the American Office before directing the chick-flick Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.