Top 20 Director celebrities in the world
Here is the latest list of the world's top 20 Director celebrities [Updated February 7, 2023].
George Lucas was born
on May 14, 1944
in Modesto, United States.
Director and producer who is best known for creating the groundbreaking science fiction franchise Star Wars. He first received acclaim for his 1973 coming of age film American Graffiti and he also created the action hero Indiana Jones, most famously portrayed by Harrison Ford in the original 1980's trilogy.
His estimated net worth was $3.9 billion in 2013 after he sold Star Wars to Disney.
Net Worth 2020: $6.5 Billion
Joseph H. Lewis was born
on April 6, 1907
in United States.
Net Worth 2020: $5.7 Billion
Steven Spielberg was born
on December 18, 1946
in Cincinnati, United States.
Celebrated director who achieved box office records with the blockbuster films Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park. He received the Academy Award for Best Director for the films Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He also directed the action/adventure classic trilogy Indiana Jones, starring Harrison Ford, in the '80s.
His 1977 science fiction feature Close Encounters of the Third Kind was labeled "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Net Worth 2020: $3.7 Billion
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Salary 2020: $150 Million
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Earnings and Salary: For his own films, Steven frequently opts for a relatively low upfront salary, $10 million, in exchange for backend points on the gross revenue. One such deal for 1993's "Jurassic Park", resulted in a $250 million payday for Steven. That's the same as roughly $360 million in today's dollars. He earned at least $150 million from the sequel and $75 million from the third installment, which he did not even direct.
He famously refused to accept a salary for "Schindler's List", calling any money earned "blood money". He instead directed all proceeds owed to him in perpetuity be used to fund the USC Shoah Foundation in 1994 which honors and remembers Holocaust survivors.
Earnings and Salary: For his own films, Steven frequently opts for a relatively low upfront salary, $10 million, in exchange for backend points on the gross revenue. One such deal for 1993's "Jurassic Park", resulted in a $250 million payday for Steven. That's the same as roughly $360 million in today's dollars. He earned at least $150 million from the sequel and $75 million from the third installment, which he did not even direct.
He famously refused to accept a salary for "Schindler's List", calling any money earned "blood money". He instead directed all proceeds owed to him in perpetuity be used to fund the USC Shoah Foundation in 1994 which honors and remembers Holocaust survivors.
James Cameron was born
on August 16, 1954
in Kapuskasing, Canada.
He began development of Avatar in 1994, but he had to wait over a decade for the proper technologies to begin filming. In December 2009, the highly-anticipated blockbuster was released and it went on to set a number of box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of all-time with over $2 billion in earnings.
Net Worth 2020: $700 Million
James Burrows was born
on December 30, 1940
in Los Angeles, United States.
Veteran television director with more than 50 TV pilots to his name who co-created the NBC series Cheers. James Burrows directed every episode of Will & Grace and is also notable for directing Taxi, Friends and Frasier, among numerous other classic sitcoms.
NBC aired a tribute called Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows in February of 2016. James Burrows was nominated for an Emmy Award every year between 1980 and 2005, except for 1997, on his way to winning 10 of them in addition to 4 Directors Guild of America Awards out of 15 nominations.
Net Worth 2020: $600 Million
Peter Jackson was born
on October 31, 1961
in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand.
He produced the critically acclaimed science fiction film District 9 in 2009. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture.
Net Worth 2020: $500 Million
Personal Life and Net Worth Details: Jackson's net worth was estimated at $370 million in 2009 when he purchased a Gulfstream G650 private jet. The jet, which seats 18 people, is powerful enough to fly from New Zealand to the United States without having to stop to refuel, and is rumored to have cost Jackson $60 million. In addition to his Gulfstream, Jackson also owns over 40 airworthy World War I-era warbirds. He is an aviation enthusiast, and houses his warbird collection at Hood Aerodome near Masterton, New Zealand. Additionally, his collection of WWI aircraft and paraphernalia have been exhibited at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, as part of their Knights of the Sky exhibition. He also owns Wingnut Wings, a scale modeling company specializing in World War I subjects.
Jackson's partner is Fran Walsh, fellow New Zealander and a screenwriter, film producer, and lyricist. Together they have two children. The couple work closely together, and Walsh has contributed in some way to all of Jackson's films that he has made since 1989. Jackson lives on a $5 million property in New Zealand that features a private lake and Frodo Baggins' home set from the LOTR movies. Some of Jackson's charitable activities include giving NZ $500,000 to stem cell research, saving an old church in Wellington from demolition by purchasing it for around $10 million, and securing the futures of the BATS Theatre in Wellington by purchasing it in 2011, among others.
Michael Bay was born
on February 17, 1965
in Los Angeles, United States.
Net Worth 2020: $450 Million
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Salary 2020: $65 Million Per Year
Ridley Scott was born
on November 30, 1937
in Tyne and Wear, England.
He earned Academy Award nominations for Best Director for Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down.
Net Worth 2020: $400 Million
Francis Ford Coppola was born
on April 7, 1939
in Detroit, United States.
Acclaimed director of the iconic 1972 film The Godfather, for which he won the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. He also directed The Godfathers Part II and Part III as well as the Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now with Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando.
His 1974 film The Conversation was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Net Worth 2020: $400 Million
Clint Eastwood was born
on May 31, 1930
in San Francisco, United States.
In 2006, he released a pair of films about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima: Flags of Our Fathers, which told a story of American soldiers, and Letters from Iwo Jima, which focused on Japanese soldiers.
Net Worth 2020: $375 Million
JJ Abrams was born
on June 27, 1966
in New York City, United States.
He won two Emmy Awards in 2005 for his work on Lost, one for Best Director and the other for Outstanding Drama Series.
Net Worth 2020: $300 Million
Christopher Nolan was born
on July 30, 1970
in London, England.
In 2003, he approached Warner Bros. with his pitch for a new Batman franchise more grounded in a realistic world than a comic book world. He signed a contract with the studio, and produced three Batman features from 2005 to 2012: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. The series became one of the most financially successful trilogies in film history.
Net Worth 2020: $250 Million
Rob Reiner was born
on March 6, 1947
in New York City, United States.
He co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights to oppose California's Prop 8, even paying for the defense team.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
Alfred Hitchcock was born
on August 13, 1899
in London, England.
Known for his brief cameos, he made an appearance in every one of his films.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
Ron Howard was born
on March 1, 1954
in Duncan, United States.
Director, producer, and actor who first became known as Andy Griffith's son Opie on The Andy Griffith Show and also played teenager Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. His 2001 film A Beautiful Mind received the Academy Award for Best Picture and earned Howard the Academy Award for Best Director. He also directed the films Apollo 13 and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
He served as executive producer and narrator on the popular comedy series Arrested Development.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
Roland Emmerich was born
on November 10, 1955
in Stuttgart, Germany.
He directed his first feature, The Noah's Ark Principle, in 1984.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
Tony Scott was born
on June 21, 1944
in England.
He sadly ended his own life after jumping of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
Todd Phillips was born
on December 20, 1970
in New York City, United States.
He frequently makes cameos in his films, typically playing bizarre or awkward characters.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
James Glickenhaus was born
on July 24, 1950
in New York City, New York, United States.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million
John Madden was born
on April 8, 1949
in Portsmouth, England.
He directed radio adaptations of Star Wars Episode IV and V.
Net Worth 2020: $200 Million