Born in Berlin in 1931, Mike Nichols fled Nazi Germany at the age of 7. He was certified a genius at 12, became half of the hit comedy act “Nichols and May” in his 20s, was an acclaimed director of stage and screen in his 30s, conquered television, and now, in his late 70s, remains a force equally at ease in all mediums. As such, he is one of the few artists to have received the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy.
The legendary director was honored with the AFI life achievement award. And the stars of good old Hollywood came out in droves, Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Cher, Harrison Ford and many more. The artist with his wife Diane Sawyer at the award show held June 10th 2010 at the Sony Studios in Culver City.
Having honed his craft on stage, Nichols moved to the big screen in 1966, when Elizabeth Taylor handpicked him to direct WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? Despite studio objections, Nichols shot the film in stark black and white, occasionally using handheld shots to intensify the dramatic tension. WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? was a box-office and critical success, earning 13 Academy Award nominations, including one each for the four actors as well as for Best Director. Nichols’s second film, THE GRADUATE (1967), won him the Best Director Oscar, and his film career has been distinguished by high-quality achievement ever since, including an adaptation of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 (in 1970); CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971); the first of several collaborations with actress Meryl Streep with SILKWOOD (1983); an adaptation of Carrie Fisher’s semiautobiographical Postcards from the Edge (in 1990); the Americanized version of the French stage and screen sensation La Cage Aux Folles, THE BIRDCAGE (1996); and the excellent 2004 screen adaptation of Patrick Marber’s play CLOSER.
Saluting Mery Streep at last years’ award show: