Cameron, James 1954–

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CAMERON, James 1954–

PERSONAL

Full name, James Francis Cameron; born August 16, 1954, in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada; immigrated to the United States, 1971; son of Phillip (an electrical engineer) and Shirley (an artist and nurse) Cameron; married Sharon Williams (a waitress), February 14, 1978 (divorced, 1984); married Gale Anne Hurd (a producer and screenwriter), 1985 (divorced, 1989); married Kathryn Bigelow (a motion picture director, writer, and producer), August 17, 1989 (divorced, 1991); married Linda Hamilton (an actress), July 26, 1997 (divorced, 1999); married Suzy Amis (an actress), June 4, 2000; children: (fourth marriage) Josephine Archer; (fifth marriage) Carol. Education: Studied physics at California State University. Avocational Interests: Flying, SCUBA diving, motorcycling.

Addresses: Agent—Endeavor, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Office—c/o Digital Domain, 300 Rose Ave., Venice, CA 90291; Lightstorm Entertainment, 919 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Career: Director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, and art director. New World Pictures, worked as production assistant, second unit director, production designer and miniature set builder for Roger Corman; Lightstorm Entertainment (production company), Santa Monica, CA, head of company, 1992—; Digital Domain (visual effects company), cofounder, partner, and chief executive officer, 1993—; Childspot! (a childhood center), Wichita, KS, co–owner (with Suzy Amis); also worked as a machinist and a truck driver.

Member: Directors Guild of America.

Awards, Honors: International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, Fantasporto, 1983, for Piranha Part Two: The Spawning; Grand Prize, Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, Saturn Award (with Gale Anne Hurd), best writing, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, Saturn Award nomination, best director, 1985, all for The Terminator; named director of the year, National Association of Theatre Owners, 1986; Reader's Choice Award, Kinema Junpo Awards, best foreign language film, 1986, Saturn Awards, best director and best writing, 1999, DVDX Award nomination (with others), best audio commentary (new for DVD), 2003, all for Aliens; Saturn Award, best director, 1991, for The Abyss; Ray Bradbury Award for Dramatic Screenwriting, People's Choice Award, favorite motion picture, Reader's Choice Award, Mainichi Film Concours, best foreign language film, 1991, Bradbury Award, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Saturn Award, best director, 1992, all for Terminator 2: Judgment Day; Saturn Award, best director, 1995, for True Lies; ShoWest Award, producer of the year, 1995; Academy Awards, best picture (with others), best directing, and best film editing (with Jon Landau), Special Citation, National Board of Review, 1997, Golden Globe award, best director—motion picture, Golden Globe Award nomination, best screenplay—motion picture, Writers Guild of America Award (screen) nomination, best screenplay written directly for the screen, Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award (with Jon Landau), Producers Guild of America, Online Film Critics Society Award, best director, Reader's Choice Award, Mainichi Film Concours, best foreign language film, Sierra Award, best director, Las Vegas Film Critics Society, Hochi Film Award, best foreign language film, Golden Satellite Awards, best director of a motion picture and best motion picture—drama (with Jon Landau), Golden Satellite Award nomination, best motion picture—original, Directors Guild of America Award (with others), outstanding directorial achievement in motion pictures, Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award, best director, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, best director, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, best director, Blue Ribbon Award, best foreign language film, David Lean Award for Direction nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Film Award nominations (with others), best editing and best film, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Eddie Award (with others), American Cinema editors, best edited feature film, Amanda Award, best foreign feature film, 1998, ALFS Award nomination, director of the year, London Critics Circle, International Monitor Award (with David Bernstein), theatrical releases—color correction, Cesar Award nomination, best foreign film, Audience Award, Czech Lions, 1999, all for Titanic; President's Award, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, 1998, 2003; Lifetime Achievement Award, Malibu Film Festival, 1999; Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, American Cinema Editors, 2000; Emmy Award nomination (with Gary Johnstone), outstanding directing for nonfiction programming, 2003, for Expedition: Bismarck; Vanguard Award, Producers Guild of America, 2004; Nicola Tesla Award, Golden Satellite Awards, 2004.

CREDITS

Film Work:

Director, Xenogenesis (short film), 1978.

Art director, additional photographer, miniature constructor, and miniature designer, Battle beyond the Stars, New World, 1980.

Set dresser assistant, Happy Birthday, Gemini, United Artists, 1980.

(With Ovidio Assonitis) Director, Piranha II: The Spawning (also known as Piranha II: Flying Killers, Piranha paura, and The Spawning), Columbia, 1981.

Production designer and unit director, Galaxy of Terror (also known as An Infinity of Terror, Mindwarp, Mindwarp: An Infinity of Terror, Planet of Horrors, and Quest), New World, 1981.

Special effects assistant, matte artist, and special effects cinematographer, Escape from New York (also known as John Carpenter's "Escape from New York"), Avco Embassy, 1981.

Design consultant, Android, New World, 1982.

Director, The Terminator, Orion, 1984.

Director and (uncredited) alien queen designer, Aliens, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1986.

Director, The Abyss, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1989.

Producer and director, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (also known as T2, El Exterminator 2, T2—Terminator 2: Judgment Day, T2: Extreme Edition, T2: Ultimate Edition, and Terminator 2—Le jugement dernier), TriStar, 1991.

Executive producer, Point Break, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1991.

Additional photography, Under Pressure: Making "The Abyss" (documentary), 1993.

Producer and director, True Lies, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1994.

Producer and editor, Strange Days, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1995.

(Uncredited) Visual effects consultant, Apollo 13 (also known as Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience), 1995.

Director, Terminator 2: 3–D (also known as T2 3–D: Battle across Time, Terminator 2: 3–D, and T2: Terminator 2:3–D), 1996.

Producer, director, editor, cinematographer: Titanic deep dive camera, special camera equipment designer, and camera operator, Titanic, Paramount, 1997.

Producer, Solaris, Twentieth Century–Fox, 2002.

Director, producer, and reality camera system designer, Ghosts of The Abyss (documentary; also known as Titanic3D: Ghosts of the Abyss), Buena Vista, 2003.

Executive producer, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea (documentary short film), 2003.

Director, producer, and cinematographer, Aliens of the Deep (documentary), Buena Vista, 2005.

Producer, Godspeed, 2005.

Film Appearances:

Himself, The Making of "Terminator": A Retrospective (documentary short film), Live Home Video, 1992.

Himself, Under Presser: Making "The Abyss" (documentary), Twentieth Century–Fox Home Entertainment, 1993.

Himself, T2: More Than Meets the Eye, 1993.

Himself, Your Studio and You, 1995.

Himself, Directors: James Cameron (documentary), 1997.

Cameo, Titanic, Paramount, 1997.

Himself, The Muse, October Films, 1999.

Himself, Virus: Ghost in the Machine (documentary short film), Universal Studios Home Video, 1999.

Himself, Auto Motives, 2000.

Himself, Other Voices: Creating "The Terminator" (documentary), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Home Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking (documentary short film), Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, Iron and Beyond (documentary short film), 2002.

Himself, No Feat But What We Make: "Terminator 2" and the Rise of Digital Effects (documentary short), Artisan Entertainment, 2002.

Himself, Ghosts of the Abyss (documentary short film; also known as Titanic3D: Ghosts of the Abyss), Buena Vista, 2003.

Himself, Superior Firepower: The Making of "Aliens" (documentary), Twentieth Century–Fox Home Entertainment, 2003.

Himself, The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of "Star Wars" (documentary short film), 2004.

Himself, Aliens of the Deep (documentary), Buena Vista, 2005.

Television Work; Series:

Executive producer and creator, Dark Angel (also known as James Cameron's "Dark Angel"), Fox, 2000–2002.

Television Work; Pilots:

Executive producer, Dark Angel (also known as James Cameron's "Dark Angel"), Fox, 2000.

Television Work; Specials:

Earthship.TV, 2001.

Expedition: Bismarck (documentary; also known as James Cameron's "Expedition: Bismarck"), The Discovery Channel, 2002.

Television Director; Episodic:

"Freak Nation," Dark Angel (also known as James Cameron's "Dark Angel"), Fox, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Himself, The Making of "Terminator" (documentary), 1984.

Himself, The Making of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (documentary), 1992.

Himself, The Making of "Alien 3" (documentary), 1992. Secrets Revealed, ABC, 1994.

Interviewee, "Stan Lee: The ComiX–MAN!," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1995.

Himself, Hollywood Aliens & Monsters, Arts and Entertainment, 1997.

Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People of 1998, ABC, 1998.

Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger, TNT, 1998.

Host, Martian Mania: The True Story of "War of the Worlds" (documentary), Sci–Fi Channel, 1998.

The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft, 1998.

Titanic Mania, E! Entertainment Television, 1998.

Titanic: Breaking New Ground, Fox, 1998.

Himself, Beyond Titanic (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1998.

Himself, From Star Wars to Star Wars (also known as From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light and Magic), 1999.

Himself, Ray Harryhausen: Working with Dinosaurs (documentary), Channel 4, 1999.

The Ultimate Auction, Fox, 2000.

Himself, The Making of "Terminator 2: 3–D" (documentary), 2000.

Himself, Alien Evolution (documentary), Channel 4, 2001.

Heroes for the Planet—A Tribute to National Geographic, CNBC, Fox News, and National Geographic, 2001.

George Lucas: Creating an Empire (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2002. (Uncredited) Himself, The Alien Saga (documentary), 2002.

ROV pilot (submersible dive team), Expedition: Bismarck (also known as James Cameron's "Expedition: Bismarck"), The Discovery Channel, 2002.

(Uncredited) Himself, Who Is Alan Smithee? (documentary), AMC, 2002.

Himself, Terminator: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2002. The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (documentary), Starz!, 2004.

The Making of Alien vs. Predator (documentary), Fox, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1992.

The 1998 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1998.

The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998.

Presenter, The 5th Annual ALMA Awards, ABC, 2000.

Presenter, World Stunt Awards, ABC, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Guest, Late Night with David Letterman, 1989.

Himself, "Hollywood's Robots," Movie Magic, 1997.

Himself, Howard Stern, 1998.

Himself, "The Finale," Mad about You, NBC, 1998.

(Uncredited) Himself, Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1999.

Himself, Revealed with Jules Asner, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

Himself, The Buzz, YTV, 2003.

Himself, The View, ABC, 2005.

Also appeared as himself, "James Cameron," The Directors; himself, "Roger Corman," The Directors.

RECORDINGS

Video Games (Appearances):

Voice of himself, Titanic Explorer (also known as James Cameron's "Titanic Explorer"), 1997.

Video Games (Work):

Executive producer, Titanic Explorer (also known as James Cameron's "Titanic Explorer"), 1997.

Music Videos:

Directed Martini Ranch's "Reach."

WRITINGS

Screenplays:

Xenogenesis (short film), 1978. (With Gale Anne Hurd and William Wisher, Jr.) The Terminator, Orion, 1984.

(With Sylvester Stallone) Rambo: First Blood, Part II, TriStar, 1985.

Aliens (based on a story by Cameron, David Giler and Walter Hill; based on characters created by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1986.

Alien Nation, 1988.

The Abyss, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1989.

(With Wisher) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (also known as T2, El Exterminator 2, T2—Terminator 2: Judgment Day, T2: Extreme Edition, T2: Ultimate Edition, and Terminator 2—Le jugement dernier), TriStar, 1991.

(With Kathryn Bigelow) Point Break, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1991.

True Lies (based on the French film La totale!), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1994.

Strange Days (based on a story by Cameron), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1995.

Terminator 2: 3–D (also known as T2 3–D: Battle across Time, Terminator 2: 3–D, and T2: Terminator 2:3–D), 1996.

Titanic, Paramount, 1997.

Television Pilots:

Dark Angel (also known as James Cameron's "Dark Angel"), Fox, 2000.

Television Awards Presentations:

(Special material) The 74th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2002.

Television Episodes:

"The Sound of the Guns," Screenplay, ITV, 1979.

Television Episodes; Stories:

"Freak Nation," Dark Angel, Fox, 2002.

Books:

(Author of forward) Charles R. Pellegrino, Ghosts of the Titanic: New Discoveries from the Depths of the Ocean Floor, William Morrow, 2000.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Authors, Volume 137, Gale, 1992. Film Directors: A Complete Guide, Lone Eagle Press, 1987, pp. 3–5, 8–9.

Heard, Christopher, Dreaming Aloud: The Films of James Cameron, Bantam Books, 1998.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, 4th ed., St. James Press, 2000.

Parisi, Paula, Titanic and the Making of James Cameron: The Inside Story of the Three–Year Adventure That Rewrote Motion Picture History, Newmarket Press, 1998.