Mark Rydell- Biography

About Mark Rydell

A former jazz pianist who appeared on Broadway and TV before beginning his directing career with series such as "Ben Casey," "I Spy" and "Gunsmoke", Rydell earned critical acclaim for his debut feature, "The Fox" (1968). He also won plaudits for his helming of "Cinderella Liberty" (1973) and "The Rose" (1979). "On Golden Pond" (1981), a typical film, in that it displayed its director's fondness for sentiment and nostalgia, earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Director. Rydell has subsequently made films only occasionally, some ("The River" 1984) doing fairly well with critics, while others ("Intersection" 1994 and the somewhat overly maligned "For the Boys" 1991) did less well with critics and public alike.

Partners

wife

Esther Rydell.

Family

daughter

Amy Rydell.

son

Christopher Rydell. born c. 1963; played Bette Midler s son in Rydell s For the Boys (1991)

Education

The Neigborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, New York, New York

Career Milestones

Appeared on CBS soap, As the World Turns, for six years
Began career as jazz pianist in New York
Broadway debut in Seagulls over Sorrento
Formed Sanford Productions (film, TV) with Sidney Pollack

1956

Film acting debut in Crime in the Streets

1963

Worked as TV director in Hollywood, beginning with Ben Casey

1968

Directed first feature, The Fox

1971

Produced first film, The Cowboys , which he also directed

1973

Helmed Cinderella Liberty , co-starring James Caan and Marsha Mason; Mason received a Best Actress Oscar nomination

1973

Played the violent Jewish mob kingpin, Marty Augustine in Robert Altman s The Long Goodbye

1979

Directed Bette Midler to an Oscar nomination with The Rose

1981

Received Academy Award nomination for Best Director for On Golden Pond ; stars Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn received Oscars as Best Actor and Best Actress

1991

Reteamed with Midler and Caan for For the Boys ; Midler received her second Oscar nomination as Best Actress

1994

Directed Intersection , starring Richard Gere and Sharon Stone

1996

Helmed the HBO drama Crime of the Century , about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping

2001

Appeared as Jack Warner in the TNT biopic James Dean ; also directed

2002

Acted in Woody Allen s Hollywood Ending

2007

Helmed Even Money, a crime film about three strangers who become addicted to gambling, starring Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Kelsey Grammer, and Ray Liotta
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