John G. Avildsen Biography
John Guilbert Avildsen (1935 – 2017) was an American director. He won the Oscar for best director in 1977 for Rocky. Other films he has directed include Joe, Save the Tiger, Fore Play, The Formula, Neighbors, For Keeps, Lean on Me, The Power of One, 8 Seconds, Inferno, Rocky V and the first three The Karate Kid films. Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He studied at the Hotchkiss School and New York University. After starting as an assistant director on the films of Arthur Penn and Otto Preminger, John Avildsen enjoyed his first success with the low-budget film Joe (1970), which received critical acclaim for star Peter Boyle and a moderate box office receipts. This was followed by another critical success, Save The Tiger (1973), which was nominated for three Oscars, winning Best Actor for star Jack Lemmon. Avildsen's biggest success was Rocky (1976), earning ten Oscar nominations and winning three, including Best Picture and Best Director. He later directed what was supposed to be the last installment of the series, Rocky V (1990). His other films include Cry Uncle! (1971), Neighbors (1981), The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), Lean on Me (1989) and 8 Seconds (1994).
