Biography
A proficient director of mainstream Hollywood fare, Martha Coolidge began her career in her native Connecticut as a stage actress appearing with a local theater company. While attending the Rhode Island School of Design, she began to make films and found her true calling, turning out six student films. After further studies at NYC's School of Visual Arts and at Columbia University, she landed her first professional gig as a writer and producer …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
2006 | Directed sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff in the comedy "Material Girls" | |
2005 | Directed the short-lived series, "Related" (WB) | |
2004 | Directed Julia Stiles in the romatic comedy "The Prince and Me" | |
2002 | Directed episodes of the hit HBO series, "Sex and the City" | |
2001 | Helmed "The Ponder Heart" for PBS | |
2000 | Helmed one segment of the tripart "If These Walls Could Talk 2" (HBO), examining the lesbian experience in America | |
1999 | Directed the HBO biopic "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge", produced by and starring Halle Berry; received Emmy nomination | |
1997 | Helmed the feature comedy "Out to Sea", starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau | |
1995 | Directed the family drama "Three Wishes", starring Al Pacino and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | |
1994 | Appeared as a security guard in "Beverly Hills Cop III" | |
1993 | Steered the uneven film version of "Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers", an semi-autobiographical look at the author's upbringing based on his Pulitzer-winning play | |
1992 | Helmed the well-received made-for-cable movie "Crazy in Love" (TNT) | |
1991 | Won acclaim for her direction of "Rambling Rose"; real-life mother and daughter co-stars Laura Dern and Diane Ladd received Oscar nominations for their performances | |
1989 | TV-movie directing debut, "Trenchcoat in Paradise" | |
1986 | Helmed the pilot for the ABC sitcom "Sledge Hammer!" | |
1985 | First big budget ($13 million) Hollywood film, "Real Genius" | |
1983 | Breakthrough feature, "Valley Girl" starring Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman | |
| Returned to work on Canadian television | ||
1978 | Worked on rock and roll love story, "Photoplay" for Coppola's Zoetrope Studio (project abandoned when studio began its collapse c. 1980) | |
1976 | As American Film Institute/Academy intern, worked with Robert Wise on his film, "Audrey Rose" | |
| Helped start the Association of Independent/Video and Filmmakers | ||
1975 | Feature film debut, the semi-autobiographical, pseudo-documentary, "Not a Pretty Picture", about date rape; produced, wrote, directed, edited and starred | |
1973 | Edited, produced, wrote and directed "Old Fashioned Woman", a documentary portrait of her octogenarian grandmother | |
1972 | Wrote, produced, directed and edited the documentary "David: Off and On", about her brother | |
1968 | Wrote and produced daily children's TV show, "Magic Tom" in Canada | |
| Acted with a local theater company in Connecticut | ||
| Raised in New Haven, Connecticut | ||
Awards
2009 | Directors Guild of America Award for Children's Programs in An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong |
2000 | Directors Guild of America Award for Movies For Television and Mini-Series in If These Walls Could Talk 2 |
1999 | Directors Guild of America Award for Movies For Television and Mini-Series in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge |
1998 | Directors Guild of America Award for Aldrich Award |
1992 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director in Rambling Rose |