Cameron Crowe (original) (raw)

Cameron Crowe was born on July 13, 1957, in Palm Springs, California. At the age of 15, he finished high school and one year later started writing for Rolling Stone. He pursued screenwriting and wrote the script for the 1982 classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His career has included hits such as Say Anything… and Jerry Maguire. The semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous won him an Oscar in 2000.

Director, writer. Born July 13, 1957 in Palm Springs, California. The son of a teacher and a real estate agent, Crowe graduated high school at age 15 and began writing for Rolling Stone when he was 16. He briefly attended San Diego City College, but dropped out to pursue his screenwriting career.

With the screenplay for 1982's legendary teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Crowe tapped into an ability to portray both the humorous and poignant aspects of teenage life. He followed the hit with 1989's romantic comedy Say Anything ... starring John Cusack and 1992's Singles featuring Matt Dillon and Bridget Fonda. Though his films resonated deeply with Gen X audiences, he achieved his greatest commercial and critical success with the 1986 blockbuster Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise and a then-anonymous Renée Zellweger. Crowe earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for the film.

His next undertaking, 2000's Almost Famous, was a semi-autobiographical story of an aspiring teenage rock journalist who is hired by Rolling Stone to go on tour with an up-and-coming band. The film received success at the box office and with critics, winning a Golden Globe for Best Film Comedy and an Academy Award for Crowe for Best Original Screenplay. In 2001, Crowe directed a remake of the Spanish film Open Your Eyes titled Vanilla Sky. Starring Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise, the much-hyped romantic thriller did not do as well at the box office.

Crow has been married to musician Nancy Wilson, a former member of rock group Heart, since 1986. Their twin boys were born in 2000.