- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn Guilbert Avildsen
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- John G. Avildsen was born on December 21, 1935 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. He was a director and editor, known for Rocky (1976), Rocky V (1990) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). He was married to Tracy Brooks Swope and Marie Olga Maturevich. He died on June 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpousesTracy Brooks Swope(February 27, 1987 - August 28, 2003) (divorced, 1 child)Marie Olga Maturevich(February 15, 1964 - 1979) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- Underdog films complete with realistic character development and montage sequences
- Directed seven actors in Oscar nominated performances: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Burgess Meredith, Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Pat Morita and Burt Young. Lemmon won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Save the Tiger (1973).
- Was going to direct Serpico (1973), but was replaced just before filming due to differences with the producer.
- Declined to direct Rocky II (1979).
- Died a month and a half before the release of John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017), a documentary about his life, career and films, directed by Derek Wayne Johnson.
- He was the original director of Saturday Night Fever (1977) but pulled out. He was replaced by John Badham.
- When I read Rocky V (1990), it was a terrific story, a great script. Rocky died at the end. He has this devastating fight with Tommy Gunn, ends up in an ambulance with his head in Adrian's lap, and by the time they get to the hospital, he's dead.
- I thought boxing was stupid.
- My dream was to have my own advertising agency by the time I was 30, and that was before I got into movies.
- [on A Night in Heaven (1983) flopping in theaters : I knew it....I have absolutely no defense for it. I'd almost be willing to give people their money back.
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