Kathryn Bigelow (born 1952) is known as a movie director having placed her distinctive style on male-dominated genres like science fiction, action and horror. She was born in San Carlos, California, USA, as the only child of a paint store manager and a librarian.
Bigelow entered the cinema by way of the art world, starting her creative life as a painter. She took up formal studies at the San Francisco Art Institute for two years before winning a prestigious scholarship to the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program in 1971.
Bigelow entered the graduate film programme at Columbia University where she studied theory and criticism. Her first short film, The Set-Up (1978), is a 20-minute deconstruction of violence in film.
After co-directing Mont Montgomery on the biker movie The Loveless (1982), she co-wrote and directed Near Dark (1987). After some other work Bigelow's star was definitely in the ascendant, but her career was derailed by the failure of Strange Days (1995) at the box office.
Besides being a director, Bigelow has also modelled for a Gap ad as well as acted in Born in Flames (1983).
Her TV credits include episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street (1997-1998), the post-Twin Peaks TV series Wild Palms (1993) and several others. She also directed the music video for the New Order song "Touched by the Hand of God".
Bigelow was married to fellow director James Cameron from 1989 - 1991.
Her latest feature films have been The Weight of Water (2000) and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
Filmography:
- K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
- The Weight of Water (2000)
- Strange Days (1995)
- Wild Palms (1993) TV Series (Episode: 4)
- Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-99) TV Series (Episode: "Fallen Heroes: Part 1", "Fallen Heroes: Part 2", "Lines of Fire")
- Point Break (1991)
- Blue Steel (1990)
- Near Dark (1987)
- The Loveless (1982)
- The Set-Up (1978)
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