- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMichael David Apted
- Height5′ 10¾″ (1.80 m)
- Michael Apted was born on February 10, 1941 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Amazing Grace (2006), Rome (2005) and Gorillas in the Mist (1988). He was married to Paige Simpson, Dana Stevens and Jo Apted. He died on January 7, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpousesPaige Simpson(January 8, 2014 - January 7, 2021) (his death)Dana Stevens(1998 - 2009) (divorced, 1 child)Jo Apted(July 9, 1966 - ?) (divorced, 2 children)
- Directed three different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Jodie Foster, Sissy Spacek and Sigourney Weaver (Spacek won).
- On June 29, 2003, he was elected as the President of the Director's Guild of America. He replaced Martha Coolidge and was a DGA member since 1978.
- He was awarded the CMG (Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George) in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to British film and television industries.
- He was offered the opportunity of directing That'll Be the Day (1973), but turned it down. On seeing the film when it was released, he realised that he had made a mistake and accepted the chance of directing the sequel Stardust (1974).
- In 1975, filming started on 'Trick or Treat' directed by him, produced by David Puttnam, starring Bianca Jagger and co-starring Nigel Davenport. However, about six weeks into the shoot, Bianca refused to do the nude shots, which she had originally agreed to, resulting in the film being abandoned.
- When I joined Granada - which, you don't want to start crying about these things, but Granada was a very, very hot place to be, it was my good fortune to be there at that time - the BBC was firmly asleep.
- I've never much been interested in doing films that no one gets to see.
- [on the Up documentaries] There aren't many pieces of work, especially in film, that have the patience or the longevity or the time to honor the drama of ordinary life; and after all, the drama of what we all have to go through - children, jobs, marriage, the things that touch us - is the big drama of life, far more so than the drama of movies and television.
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