Gavin Hood

Infobox actor
name = Gavin Hood


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birthdate = birth date and age|1963|5|12
location = Johannesburg, South Africa
occupation = film director, screenwriter & actor
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spouse = Janine Eser
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academyawards = Best Foreign Language Film
2005 "Tsotsi"

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Gavin Hood (b. May 12 1963 in Johannesburg) - South African director, writer, producer and actor, best known for winning the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards for the 2005 film "Tsotsi".

Early life and career

Hood was born in Johannesburg and educated at St Stithians College and the University of the Witwatersrand, where he studied law, and at the film school of the University of California, Los Angeles.

He first came to the South African public's attention when he starred in the SABC TV production "The Game", a drama series focusing on the game of rugby union.

Directing career

Hood got his start at directing when he was commissioned to make several short educational dramas for the South African Department of Health. He directed his first commercial short film, "The Storekeeper", in 1998, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

His first feature film, "A Reasonable Man", followed in 1999. The film portrays the accidental killing of a young child who is mistaken for a tokoloshe. He also starred in, co-produced and wrote the script for this movie. Hood then went on to direct the Polish language 2001 feature film "In Desert and Wilderness" ("W pustyni i w puszczy") when the original director fell ill.

This was followed by "Tsotsi" in 2005.

In 2000, "Variety" magazine named him as one of its "Ten Directors to Watch".

He directed "Rendition" (2007), his first Hollywood feature, for New Line Cinema. He has also been announced as the director of "", based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, with Hugh Jackman reprising his role from the "X-Men" films. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117968868.html?categoryid=13&cs=1]

Acting appearances

He also acts occasionally, most notably in "In Enemy Hands" and the "Stargate SG-1" episode "Lockdown".

External links

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