Anthony Bennett is a highly acclaimed English film director whose career spans over four decades. He is best known for directing numerous Academy Award-winning films such as The Madness of King George (1994), The King’s Speech (2010) and the Oscar-winning Les Miserables (2012).
Bennett was born in London, England in 1944. He began his career as an actor but his true passion was for directing. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and subsequently worked on stage productions and television productions.
In 1984, he directed his first feature film, A Private Function, which starred Maggie Smith and Michael Palin. This film was a critical success and earned Bennett a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film. He followed this up with the critically acclaimed Prick Up Your Ears (1987) and the adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V (1989).
In 1994, Bennett directed The Madness of King George, which won him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This was followed by the highly acclaimed Mrs. Brown (1997) and the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Bennett’s career continued to flourish with the critically acclaimed The King’s Speech (2010), which won him his second Academy Award, this time for Best Director. He followed this up with the box office hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and Les Miserables (2012), which won him his third Oscar.
Bennett’s most recent films include the critically acclaimed The Lady in the Van (2015) and his latest film, Mary Poppins Returns (2018). He is currently working on an adaptation of the novel The Catcher in the Rye.
Bennett’s films have earned him numerous awards, including three Oscars, four BAFTAs, two Golden Globe awards, and a Directors Guild of America award. He has also received honorary degrees from the University of London and the University of Oxford.
Bennett is widely considered one of the greatest film directors of all time, and his influence on cinema is undeniable. His films have been hailed for their unique blend of drama, humour, and emotion. His passion for filmmaking has resulted in some of the most memorable films of the last four decades.
