Irwin Winkler (born May 25, 1931) served as co-producer of all six films of Rocky film series, where he along with co-producer Robert Chartoff won a Best Film Oscar for the first Rocky film in 1976. He is the producer or director of 50 major motion pictures, dating back to 1967's Double Trouble, starring Elvis Presley. The fourth film he produced, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), starring Jane Fonda, was nominated for nine Academy Awards. As a producer, he has been nominated for Best Picture for three other films: Raging Bull, The Right Stuff, and Goodfellas.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Winkler was born in New York City to Sol and Anna Winkler. He received a BA from New York University in 1955, after serving in the U.S. Army.
Career[]
In partnership with Robert Chartoff from the late 1960s, Irwin Winkler produced an impressive array of modern American gems, beginning with their first effort (along with Judd Bernard), John Boorman's taut thriller Point Blank (1967), largely ignored in its day but now regarded as a top film of the time. Adding Sydney Pollack to their production team for a one-shot-deal, they garnered critical acclaim for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). Their next film, The Strawberry Statement (1970), won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival but Chartoff and Winkler roared to the top with Rocky (1976), which earned the Academy Award as Best Picture. Subsequently, the producing duo picked up Best Picture Oscar nominations for Raging Bull (1980) and The Right Stuff (1983), their last project together before Winkler launched his solo career with the disappointing Revolution (1985).
Irwin produced such noteworthy features as Bertrand Tavernier's Round Midnight (1986) and back-to-back Costa-Gavras films, Betrayed (1988) and Music Box (1989), before receiving another Best Picture Oscar nomination for Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas (1990). He also returned to the franchise to oversee Rocky IV (1985) and Rocky V (1990), continuing the association forged with Sylvester Stallone on the first three Chartoff-Winkler productions.
The director delivered one of his most potent films yet with Life as a House (2001), which starred Kevin Kline and Hayden Christensen. Receiving a healthy dose of critical praise, Winkler re-teamed with Kline for the follow-up De-Lovely (2004), casting the actor as the lead in his elegant and sophisticated biopic of American composer Cole Porter centered on his unique relationship with his wife and muse (Ashley Judd).
As his directorial career flourished, Winkler continued to produce his share of films as well, including The Shipping News (2001) and Enough (2002).
Honors[]
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Irwin Winkler has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Group | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Academy Awards | Best Picture | Rocky | Won |
| 1981 | Academy Awards | Best Picture | Raging Bull | Nominated |
| 1984 | Academy Awards | Best Picture | The Right Stufff | Nominated |
| 1991 | Academy Awards | Best Picture | Goodfellas | Nominated |
| 2001 | Aspen Filmfest | Audience Favorite Feature | Life as a House | Won |
| 1991 | BAFTA Awards | Best Film | Goodfellas | Won |
| 1991 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Guilty by Suspicion | Nominated[1] |
| 1999 | Hollywood Film Festival | Hollywood Film Award | Outstanding Achievement in Producing | Won |
References[]
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Guilty by Suspicion". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/92/year/1991.html. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
External links[]
- Irwin Winkler at the Internet Movie Database