Damien Chazelle

Damien Chazelle
Chazelle on the set of La
La Land in October 2015
Born (1985-01-19) January 19, 1985
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Citizenship
  • France[1]
  • United States
Alma mater Harvard University
Occupation
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active 2008–present
Spouse(s)
  • Jasmine McGlade
    (m. 2010; div. 2014)
  • Olivia Hamilton
    (m. 2018)
Parent(s)
Awards Full list
Signature

Damien Chazelle (/ʃəˈzɛl/; born January 19, 1985)[2] is an American director, film producer, and screenwriter.[3] He made his feature film directorial debut with the musical Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) and followed it with his breakthrough film, Whiplash (2014). The latter received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Chazelle received widespread recognition in 2016 for writing and directing the musical film La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It emerged as one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time and received a record-tying fourteen Oscar nominations, winning six, including Best Director, making Chazelle the youngest winner in that category.[4][5] He also received several other accolades for the film, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. He reunited with Gosling for his next feature, First Man (2018), a biopic of Neil Armstrong.

Early life

Chazelle was born in Providence, Rhode Island[2] to a Roman Catholic family.[6][7] His father Bernard Chazelle, is the Eugene Higgins Professor of computer science at Princeton University, and was born in Clamart, France.[8] His mother, Celia,[9] is from a Canadian family based in Calgary, Alberta, and teaches medieval history at The College of New Jersey.[10]

Chazelle was raised in Princeton, New Jersey, where, although a Catholic, he attended a Hebrew school for four years due to his parents' dissatisfaction with other local schools.[7] Chazelle has a sister, Anna, who is an actress.[9] Their English-born maternal grandfather, John Martin, is the son of stage actress Eileen Earle.[9]

Filmmaking was Chazelle's first love, but he subsequently wanted to be a musician and struggled to make it as a jazz drummer at Princeton High School. He has said that he had an intense music teacher, who was the inspiration for the character of Terence Fletcher in Chazelle's breakout film Whiplash. Unlike the film's protagonist Andrew Neiman, Chazelle stated that he knew instinctively that he never had the talent to be a great musician and after high school, pursued filmmaking again.[11] He studied filmmaking in the Visual and Environmental Studies department at Harvard University and graduated in 2007.[12][13]

At Harvard he lived in Currier House as roommates with composer and frequent collaborator Justin Hurwitz.[14] The two were among the original members of the indie-pop group Chester French, formed during their freshman year.[15]

Career

Early work

Chazelle wrote and directed his debut feature, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, as part of his senior thesis project with classmate Justin Hurwitz at Harvard.[16] The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2009 and received various awards on the festival circuit, before being picked up by Variance Films for limited release and opening to critical acclaim.[17]

After graduation, Chazelle moved to Los Angeles with the ultimate goal of attracting interest to produce his musical La La Land.[18] Chazelle worked as a "writer-for-hire" in Hollywood; among his writing credits are The Last Exorcism Part II (2013) and Grand Piano (2013). He was also brought in by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions to re-write a draft of 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) with the intention of also directing, but Chazelle ultimately chose to direct Whiplash instead.[19]

Breakthrough and success

Chazelle promoting Whiplash at the Deauville American Film Festival in France, September 2014

Chazelle initially described Whiplash as a writing reaction to being stuck on another script: "I just thought, that's not working, let me put it away and write this thing about being a jazz drummer in high school." He stated he initially did not want to show the script around, as it felt too personal, and "I put it in a drawer".[11] Although nobody was initially interested in producing the film,[20] his script was featured on Black List in 2012 as one of the best unmade films of that year. The project was eventually picked up by Right of Way Films and Blumhouse Productions, who suggested that Chazelle turn a portion of his script into a short film as proof-of-concept. The 18-minute short was accepted at Sundance Film Festival 2013, where it was well-received;[21] financing was then raised for the feature film, and in 2014 it was released to an overwhelmingly positive critical reaction.[22] Whiplash received numerous awards on the festival circuit[23][24] and earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Chazelle, winning three.[25]

Thanks to the success of Whiplash, Chazelle was able to attract financiers for his musical La La Land.[18] The film opened the Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016 and began a limited release in the United States on December 9, 2016, with a wider release on December 16, 2016.[26][27] It has received rave reviews from critics and numerous awards.[28] Chazelle was particularly praised for his work on the film and received several top honors, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Director, making Chazelle the youngest director to win both awards at age 32.[5]

Chazelle next reunited with Gosling on First Man (2018), a film from a screenplay by Josh Singer for Universal Pictures. The biopic is based on author James R. Hansen’s First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, written about the astronaut.[29][30] It received positive reviews,[31] with Owen Gleiberman of Variety writing that "Chazelle orchestrates a dashingly original mood of adventure drenched in anxiety".[32]

Upcoming projects

In 2017, Oceanside Media optioned the rights to produce Chazelle's mystery-thriller screenplay The Claim, which made the Black List in 2010,[33] with an expected release in 2018.[34] Chazelle is also set to direct the first two episodes of the Netflix musical drama television series The Eddy.[35][36] The series will be written by Jack Thorne, with Grammy-winning songwriter Glen Ballard and Alan Poul attached as executive producers. In 2018, Apple announced that they were partnering with Chazelle for a new original television series. Chazelle will write and direct the entire first season.[37]

Personal life

Chazelle married producer Jasmine McGlade in 2010; they divorced in 2014.[38][39]

In October 2017, he and actress Olivia Hamilton, a Princeton University graduate and former McKinsey & Company executive, announced their engagement.[40][39] The couple married 22 September 2018.[41]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2009 Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench Yes Yes Yes Also cinematographer, editor, and soundtrack lyricist
2013 The Last Exorcism Part II No Yes No Co-wrote with director Ed Gass-Donnelly
Grand Piano No Yes No
2014 Whiplash Yes Yes No
2016 10 Cloverfield Lane No Yes No Co-wrote with Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken
La La Land Yes Yes No
2018 First Man Yes No Yes

Television

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
TBA The Eddy Yes No Yes Filming

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ "Born in Providence, Rhode Island, to a French father and American mother, Chazelle found his early life divided between their different countries and cultures as the couple moved back and forth, gifting the boy with dual nationality" Damien Chazelle Shoots the Moon: Oscar's Youngest Best Director Grows Up With 'First Man', The Hollywood Reporter, August 22, 2018
  2. 1 2 "Damien Chazelle: Screenwriter, Director (1985–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Damien Chazelle, réalisateur de LALALAND - C à vous - 13/01/2017". 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  4. ↑ F. Brinley Bruton (February 27, 2017). "Oscars 2017: Damien Chazelle Is Youngest to Win Best Director". NBC News.
  5. 1 2 Roberts, Amy (January 4, 2017). "Who's The Youngest Best Director Winner In Golden Globes History? 'La La Land' Director Damien Chazelle Could Break The Record". Bustle. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  6. ↑ "La La Land's Jewish composer nominated for Oscar", Connecticut Jewish Ledger, January 25, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Friedman, Gabe (February 23, 2017). "Oscars 2017: 7 unexpected Jewish facts". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Bernard Chazelle – Curriculum Vitae" (PDF).
  9. 1 2 3 Eric Volmers (February 3, 2017). "La La's local connection: Calgary grandparents proud of Oscar-nominated Damien Chazelle". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Their daughter, Damien's mother Celia, is the oldest of three children and married French-American Bernard Chazelle, a professor of computer science at Princeton
  10. ↑ Hirschberg, Lynn (December 1, 2016). "Can Damien Chazelle and 'La La Land' Make Americans Fall in Love with Musicals Again?". W. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Myers, Scott (October 12, 2014). "Damien Chazelle interview". The Black List.
  12. ↑ Sweeney, Sarah (May 14, 2015). "A movie as a mirror". Harvard Gazette.
  13. ↑ Rottenberg, Josh (February 13, 2015). "Damien Chazelle's wild, crazy ride to the Oscars with 'Whiplash'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ "From Harvard to 'La La Land'". Harvard Gazette. 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  15. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Chester French - Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  16. ↑ "Tribeca '09 Interview: "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench" Director Damien Chazelle". IndieWire. April 17, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  17. ↑ Knegt, Peter (March 11, 2010). "Fest Fave "Guy and Madeline" Lands at Variance". IndieWire. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Ford, Rebecca (November 3, 2016). "How 'La La Land' Went From First-Screening Stumbles to Hollywood Ending". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  19. ↑ Rome, Emily (March 15, 2016). "'10 Cloverfield Lane' director explains why they changed the movie's ending". HitFix. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  20. ↑ Stern, Marlow (January 24, 2014). "'Whiplash' Is Sundance's Hottest Film, A Music-Themed Drama Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons". The Daily Beast.
  21. ↑ Bahr, Lindsey (May 14, 2013). "'Whiplash': Sundance-winning short to become full-length feature – BREAKING". Entertainment Weekly. CNN. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  22. ↑ "'Metacritic Reviews of "Whiplash"".
  23. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven; Mark Olsen (January 25, 2014). "Sundance 2014 winners: 'Whiplash' wins big". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  24. ↑ Richford, Rhonda. "'Whiplash' Takes Top Prize in Deauville". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  25. ↑ "2015 Oscar Nominations". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  26. ↑ Ford, Rebecca Ford (July 9, 2015). "J.K. Simmons to Reunite With 'Whiplash' Director for 'La La Land' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  27. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (June 17, 2016). "Damien Chazelle's 'La La Land' to Open Venice Film Festival in Competition". Variety. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  28. ↑ Ciras, Heather (August 31, 2016). "Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's 'La La Land' gets rave reviews in Venice". Boston Globe. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  29. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (November 24, 2015). "Ryan Gosling Orbiting Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong Movie at Universal?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  30. ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 29, 2016). "Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle to Reteam on Neil Armstrong Biopic". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  31. ↑ "First Man (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  32. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (August 29, 2018). "Venice Film Review: Ryan Gosling in First Man". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  33. ↑ "The Black List 2010: Screenplay Roster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  34. ↑ "Damien Chazelle script 'The Claim' to begin production this year". Screendaily. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  35. ↑ "Damien Chazelle Plans TV Project 'The Eddy' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  36. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (2017-09-01). "Damien Chazelle & Netflix Have 'The Eddy' Musical Drama Series On Dance Card". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  37. ↑ "Apple Goes Deeper Into La La Land with Damien Chazelle Project". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  38. ↑ Lang, Brent (December 7, 2016). "'La La Land' Director's Ex-Wife Gets Last-Minute Executive Producer Credit (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  39. 1 2 Rossi, Madison (October 9, 2017). "La La Land Director Damien Chazelle Is Engaged to 'Love of His Life' Olivia Hamilton". People. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Olivia Hamilton: Photos of Damien Chazelle's Girlfriend". Heavy.com. January 8, 2017. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017. Additional WebCitation archive on October 9, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Damien Chazelle Shoots the Moon: Oscar's Youngest Best Director Grows Up With 'First Man'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
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