Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee,^[1] Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Field and In America.

Life and career[link]

Sheridan was born in Dublin, the son of Anna and Peter Sheridan, an actor and railroad worker.^[2] Sheridan was initially educated by the Irish Christian Brothers and later graduated from University College Dublin. He emigrated to Canada and then New York City in 1981.^[2]

In 1979 Jim, or Shay Sheridan wrote two plays. The first, an Irish beggar's opera called "The Ha'penny Place", was staged in the Project Arts Centre, and the second, a piece of agitprop theatre called "The Last Post", was staged nearby in Connolly Hall. Interestingly, an actor called Jer O'Leary, a long time friend and political associate of Jim's, appeared in both these plays, and went on to appear in small parts in almost all of Sheridan's pictures. In 1989, he directed My Left Foot, which became a critical and commercial success and won Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker Academy Awards. He followed that with The Field (with Richard Harris) in 1990; then with In the Name of the Father in 1993, a fictionalized re-telling of the case of the Guildford Four. The film won the Golden Bear at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

In 1996 he co-wrote Some Mother's Son with Terry George. The Boxer (with Daniel Day-Lewis) was nominated for a Golden Globe for best film drama in 1997. In 2003, he released the semi-autobiographical In America, which tells the story of a family of Irish immigrants trying to succeed in New York. The film received positive reviews and earned Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou Academy Award nominations. In 2005 he released Get Rich or Die Tryin', a film starring rap star 50 Cent. He is connected with the upcoming film adaptation of Artemis Fowl and is rumoured to have written the screenplay and been asked to direct it.

Sheridan helmed the 2009 film Brothers, starring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, which was shot in New Mexico. He also directed the thriller Dream House,^[4] which starred Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, and Rachel Weisz.^[5]

Sheridan has three daughters, Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan and Tess Sheridan, with whom he has collaborated, most notably with Naomi and Kirsten on the screenplay for In America.

Filmography[link]

• My Left Foot (1989)
• The Field (1990)
• In the Name of the Father (1993)
• Some Mother's Son (1996) (writing credit)
• The Boxer (1997)
• In America (2003)
• Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
• Brothers (2009)
• Dream House (2011)
• Emerald City (TBA)
• Artemis Fowl (TBA)

Awards and nominations[link]

Academy Awards

• Best Original Screenplay – In America (2003) Nominated (as Co-Writer)
• Best Adapted Screenplay – In the Name of the Father (1993) Nominated (as Co-Writer)
• Best Director – In the Name of the Father (1993) Nominated (as Director)
• Best Picture – In the Name of the Father (1993) Nominated (as Co-Producer)
• Best Adapted Screenplay – My Left Foot (1989) Nominated (as Co-Writer)
• Best Director – My Left Foot (1989) Nominated (as Director)

Berlin Film Festival

• 1994, Golden Bear – In the Name of the Father Won^[3]
• 1998, Golden Bear – The Boxer Nominated^[6]

British Academy Awards

• Best Adapted Screenplay – In the Name of the Father (1993) Nominated (as Co-Writer)

Golden Globes

• Best Screenplay – In America (2003) Nominated (as Co-Writer)
• Best Director – The Boxer (1997) Nominated

Independent Spirit Awards

• Best Director – In America (2003) Nominated

National Board of Review

• Best Original Screenplay – In America (2003) Win (as Co-Writer)

Writers Guild of America

• Best Original Screenplay – In America (2003) Nominated (as Co-Writer)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jim Sheridan at the Internet Movie Database
• Jim Sheridan Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)