310. Steven Spielberg: Hollywood's Best Director


  WPM:

One of the finest Hollywood directors in the history of the film industry is Steven Allan Spielberg. Spielberg has directed some of the most significant and popular films in recent Hollywood history. His list of films reads like a who's who in the movie industry. He has directed such blockbusters as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan.

Born into a Jewish family on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the young Spielberg showed an interest in filmmaking during his teen years. When he was 12 years old, Spielberg created a nine-minute film to earn his photography badge in the Boy Scouts. This was the first film he made. His parents divorced when he was 13, and Spielberg moved with his family to California. After graduating from high school, he applied to the University of Southern California (USC) to learn filmmaking, but did not graduate. Instead he attended Long Beach State, where he earned his degree in Film Production and Electronic Arts, 35 years after first attending college.

His early work was as a television writer, having written scripts for popular shows such as Night Gallery, Marcus Welby, M.D., and Columbo in the 70s. His breakthrough film in Hollywood was 1975's Jaws, which is one of the most popular, highest-grossing blockbuster in the history of the Silver Screen. He followed the success of Jaws with several films that have earned him a spot in Hollywood lore. His films have become household names.

Spielberg shows no signs of slowing down. He is involved in several film projects as a director, and a producer. He has been married twice, and has six children. He was voted Forbes Magazine's Most Influential Celebrity in America in 2014. His personal wealth is estimated to be more than $3 billion.

Vocabulary   Comprehension   Cloze   Dictation





Search Images      Translate