Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols (born November 6, 1931) is a German-American television, stage and film director , writer, and producer. Nichols is one of only twelve people to have won an EGOT, all the major American entertainment awards : an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. In 2001, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts .

Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky ; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was a German-born American film and theatre director , producer, actor and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s with the improv troupe The Compass Players , predecessor of the Second City in Chicago , and as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May , along with Elaine May . May was also in the Compass. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate . His other films include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , Catch-22 , Carnal Knowledge , Silkwood , Working Girl , The Birdcage , Closer , Charlie Wilson's War (his final picture), and the TV mini-series Angels in America . He also staged the original theatrical productions of The Apple Tree , Barefoot in the Park , Luv , The Odd Couple and Spamalot . As well as winning an Academy Award, Nichols won a Grammy Award (the first for a comedian born outside the United States ), four Emmy Awards and nine Tony Awards . He was one of a small group of people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award . He was also a three-time BAFTA Award winner. His other honors included the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films garnered a total of 42 Oscar nominations and seven awards. National Endowment for the Arts .

German-American television director, writer, producer and comedian For other people named Mike Nichols, see Mike Nichols (disambiguation) . Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky ; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their experience. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe The Compass Players , predecessor of The Second City , in Chicago . He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May , to form the comedy duo Nichols and May . Their live improv act was a hit on Broadway , and the first of their three albums won a Grammy Award . After Nichols and May disbanded in 1961, he began directing plays, and quickly became known for his innovative productions and ability to elicit polished performances. His Broadway directing debut was Neil Simon 's Barefoot in the Park in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley . He next directed Luv in 1964, and in 1965 directed another Simon play, The Odd Couple . He received a Tony Award for each of those plays. In 2012, he won his sixth Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play with a revival of Death of a Salesman . Nichols directed and/or produced more than 25 Broadway plays. In 1966, Warner Brothers invited Nichols to direct his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton . The groundbreaking film inspired some critics to declare Nichols the "new Orson Welles ". It won five Academy Awards (out of 13 nominations) and was the top-grossing film of 1966. His next film, The Graduate (1967), starred then unknown actor Dustin Hoffman , alongside Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross . It was another critical and financial success, became the highest-grossing film of the year, and received seven Academy Award nominations, winning Nichols the Academy Award for Best Director . Among the other films Nichols directed were Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), Wolf (1994), The Birdcage (1996), Closer (2004) and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). Along with an Academy Award, Nichols won a Grammy Award (the first for a comedian born outside the United States), four Emmy Awards , nine Tony Awards, and three BAFTA Awards . His other honors included the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films received a total of 42 Academy Award nominations, and seven wins. He is one of the few people to have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards . National Endowment for the Arts .

American director (1931–2014) For other people named Mike Nichols, see Mike Nichols (disambiguation) . He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their experience. He is one of 18 people to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). His other honors included three BAFTA Awards , the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films received a total of 42 Academy Award nominations, and 7 wins. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe The Compass Players , predecessor of The Second City , in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May , to form the comedy duo Nichols and May . Their live improv act was a hit on Broadway , and each of their three albums was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album ; their second album, An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May , won the award in 1962. After they disbanded, he began directing plays, and quickly became known for his innovative theatre productions. His Broadway directing debut was Neil Simon 's Barefoot in the Park in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley . He continued to direct plays on Broadway, including Luv (1964), and The Odd Couple (1965) for each of which he received Tony Awards . He won his sixth Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play with a revival of Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman (2012) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman . Nichols directed and/or produced more than 25 Broadway plays throughout his prolific career. Warner Bros. invited Nichols to direct his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), followed by The Graduate (1967) for which Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director . Nichols also directed Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Primary Colors (1998), Closer (2004), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). Nichols also directed the HBO television film Wit (2001), and miniseries Angels in America (2003). National Endowment for the Arts .

American film and theatre director (1931–2014) For other people named Mike Nichols, see Mike Nichols (disambiguation) . Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky ; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their experience. He is one of 21 people to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). His other honors included three BAFTA Awards , the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films received a total of 42 Academy Award nominations, and seven wins. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe The Compass Players , predecessor of The Second City , in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May , to form the comedy duo Nichols and May . Their live improv act was a hit on Broadway , and each of their three albums was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album ; their second album, An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May , won the award in 1962. After they disbanded, he began directing plays, and quickly became known for his innovative theatre productions. His Broadway directing debut was Neil Simon 's Barefoot in the Park in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley . He continued to direct plays on Broadway, including Luv (1964), and The Odd Couple (1965) for each of which he received Tony Awards . He won his sixth Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play with a revival of Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman (2012) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman . Nichols directed and/or produced more than 25 Broadway plays throughout his prolific career. Warner Bros. invited Nichols to direct his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), followed by The Graduate (1967) for which Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director . Nichols also directed Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Wolf (1994), The Birdcage (1996), Primary Colors (1998), Closer (2004), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). Nichols also directed the HBO television film Wit (2001), and miniseries Angels in America (2003), both of which won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie . National Endowment for the Arts .