James Cameron

James Cameron (born 16.8.1954)

James Cameron is a Canadian Oscar-winning film director, editor, screenwriter and producer.

James Cameron: Childhood

James Cameron was born to Shirley and Philip Cameron in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. His mother was a nurse and an artist; his father was an electrical engineer.

After attending Stamford Collegiate in Niagara Falls, Cameron's family moved to Brea, California. He studied physics and English at Fullerton College and would visit the film archive at the University of Southern California.

James Cameron: Film Career

James Cameron taught himself how to operate cameras by dismantling. At an early stage, he was interested in combining science and film. He started out by working as a miniature model maker at Roger Corman Studios. In 1980, he worked as art director on Battle Beyond the Stars. The following year, he worked on the special effects for John Carpenter's Escape From New York, starring Kurt Russell and Isaac Hayes. He also worked as production designer on Galaxy of Terror and design consultant on Android.

1984 was a turning point in James Cameron's career, as The Terminator was released. Initially, he struggled to find a production company to support a first-time director, until he contacted Hemdale Pictures. Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast in the lead role and the film went on to become a global hit.

James Cameron then wrote the screenplay to Rambo: First Blood Part II. The screenplay was eventually re-written by Sylvester Stallone, who stars in the film's title role.

In 1979, James Cameron started working on the sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien, starring Sigourney Weaver. The sequel, entitled Aliens. Despite resistance from many members of the crew and cast, the film went on to be a huge success, winning two Oscars and a number of further nominations.

Cameron then went on to write the screenplay for The Abyss, which starred Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn.

The follow-up to Terminator, Terminator 2 was released in 1991, with Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising their roles. The film used groundbreaking special effects and was another huge success, winning four Oscars.

With True Lies, Schwarzenegger and Cameron were reunited once more, with Jamie Lee Curtis playing the role of Schwarzenegger's on-screen wife. Tom Arnold played the role of Schwarzenegger's sidekick.

1997 became another pivotal year for James Cameron, with the release of Titanic. The film starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane. Titanic held the title of the biggest-grossing film of all time, until Cameron beat his own record with the release of 2010's Avatar.

Cameron went on to create the Dark Angel series, starring Jessica Alba and Charles H. Eglee.

In 2007, James Cameron, along with Simcha Jacobovici, made a documentary about the unearthing of the Talpiot Tomb, entitled The Lost Tomb of Jesus.

Avatar was released in December 2009 and comprised almost entirely of CGI footage. The film was shown in 3D in cinemas around the world - the first film of its kind to compel cinemas to install 3D projectors. Avatar immediately overtook Titanic as the highest-grossing film of all time. The film featured the voices and likenesses of Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Michelle Rodriguez.