Gus Van Sant | |
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.jpg) Van Sant in 2025 | |
| Born | Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (1952-07-24)July 24, 1952 (age 73)[1] Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Education | Rhode Island School of Design |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
Gus Green Van Sant Jr.[2] (born July 24, 1952) is an American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician. He has earned acclaim as anindependent filmmaker, and is considered to be one of the most prominentauteurs of thenew queer cinema movement. His films typically deal with themes of marginalizedsubcultures, especially withingay culture.
His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in thePacific Northwest. He made his feature-length directorial debut filmMala Noche (1985). He earned acclaim for a string of independent films such as the crime dramaDrugstore Cowboy (1989), the adventure filmMy Own Private Idaho (1991), and theblack comedyTo Die For (1995). He earnedAcademy Award for Best Director nominations for the dramaGood Will Hunting (1997), and the biographical filmMilk (2008), both of which also receivedBest Picture nominations.
Van Sant directed thepsychological dramaElephant (2003), a film based on theColumbine High School massacre, for which he won thePalme d'Or andBest Director Award at theCannes Film Festival.[3] Van Sant's creative output has since been mixed. He received positive reviews forFinding Forrester (2000),Paranoid Park (2007), andDon't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) while receiving negative receptions for his filmsEven Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993),Psycho (1998), andThe Sea of Trees (2015). His filmsLast Days (2005) andPromised Land (2012) received mixed reviews.
Also known for his work on television, he has directed and executive produced thepolitical drama seriesBoss (2011), thedocudrama miniseriesWhen We Rise (2018), and theanthology seriesFeud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024). Van Sant has written screenplays for several of his earlier works, and has also published the novel,Pink,[4] and a book of his photography,108 Portraits,[5] He has also released two musical albums.
Van Sant was born and raised inLouisville, Kentucky, the son of Betty (née Seay) and Gus Green Van Sant Sr., a clothing manufacturer and traveling salesman[2] who rapidly worked his way into middle class prosperity, holding executive marketing positions that included being president of theWhite Stag Manufacturing Company's apparel operation.[6] As a result of his father's job, the family moved continually during his childhood.
Van Sant's paternal family is of partial Dutch origin; the name "Van Sant" is derived from the Dutch name "Van Zandt". The earliest Van Zandt arrived in theNew Netherland area in the early 17th century, around what is nowNew York City.[7]
Gus Van Sant is an alumnus ofDarien High School inDarien, Connecticut,[8] andThe Catlin Gabel School inPortland, Oregon.[9] One constant in the director's early years was his interest in visual arts (namely, painting andSuper-8 filmmaking); while still in school he began making semi-autobiographical shorts costing between 30 and 50 dollars. Van Sant's artistic leanings took him to theRhode Island School of Design in 1970, where his introduction to various avant-garde directors inspired him to change his major from painting to cinema.[10]
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After spending time in Europe, Van Sant went toLos Angeles in 1976.[11] He secured a job as a production assistant to filmmakerKen Shapiro, with whom he developed a few ideas, none of which came to fruition. In 1981, Van Sant madeAlice in Hollywood, a film about a naïve young actress who goes to Hollywood and abandons her ideals. It was never released. During this period, Van Sant began to spend time observing the denizens of the more down-and-out sections ofHollywood Boulevard. He became fascinated by the existence of this marginalized section of L.A.'s population, especially in context with the more ordinary, prosperous world that surrounded them. Van Sant would repeatedly focus his work on those existing on society's fringes, making his feature filmdirectorial debutMala Noche.
It was made two years after Van Sant went to New York to work in an advertising agency. He saved $20,000 during his tenure there, enabling him to finance the majority of his tale of doomed love between a gay liquor store clerk and a Mexican immigrant. The film, which was taken from Portland street writerWalt Curtis' semi-autobiographical novella, featured some of the director's hallmarks, notably an unfulfilled romanticism, a dry sense of the absurd, and the refusal to treat homosexuality as something deserving of judgment. Unlike many gay filmmakers, Van Sant—who had long been openly gay—declined to use same-sex relationships as fodder for overtly political statements, although such relationships would frequently appear in his films.
Shot in black-and-white, the film earned Van Sant almost overnight acclaim on the festival circuit, with theLos Angeles Times naming it the year's bestindependent film.[12] The film's success attracted Hollywood interest, and Van Sant was briefly courted byUniversal; the courtship ended after Van Sant pitched a series of project ideas (including what would becomeDrugstore Cowboy andMy Own Private Idaho) that the studio declined to take interest in.
Van Sant returned to Portland, Oregon, where he set up house and began giving life to the ideas rejected by Universal. He directedDrugstore Cowboy about four drug addicts robbing pharmacies to support their habit. The film met with great critical success and revived the career ofMatt Dillon.
Drugstore Cowboy's exploration of the lives of those living on society's outer fringes, as well as its Portland setting, were mirrored in Van Sant's next effort, the similarly acclaimedMy Own Private Idaho (1991). Only with the success ofCowboy was Van Sant now given license to makeIdaho (a film he had originally pitched that was knocked back several times because the studios deemed the script 'too risky').New Line Cinema now gave Van Sant the green light, and he went on a mission to get theIdaho script into the hands ofRiver Phoenix andKeanu Reeves, his preferred choice for the two young leads. After months of struggle with agents and managers over the content of the script, Van Sant finally secured Phoenix and Reeves, who played the roles of Mike Waters and Scott Favor, respectively.
Centering on the dealings of two male hustlers (played by Phoenix and Reeves), the film was a compelling examination of unrequited love, alienation and the concept of family (a concept Van Sant repeatedly explores in his films). The film won him anIndependent Spirit Award for his screenplay (he had won the same award for hisDrugstore Cowboy screenplay), as well as greater prestige. The film gained River Phoenix best actor honors at theVenice Film Festival among others. It helped Reeves—previously best known for his work in theBill and Ted movies—to get the critical respect that had eluded him.
Van Sant's next film, a 1993adaptation ofTom Robbins'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, was an excessive flop, both commercially and critically. Featuring an unusually large budget (for Van Sant, at least) of $8.5 million and a large, eclectic cast includingUma Thurman,John Hurt, Keanu Reeves and a newcomer in the form of River Phoenix's younger sisterRain (at Phoenix's suggestion), the film was worked and then reworked, but the finished product nonetheless resulted in something approaching a significant disaster.
Van Sant's 1995 filmTo Die For helped to restore his luster. An adaptation ofJoyce Maynard's novel, theblack comedy starredNicole Kidman as a murderously ambitious weather girl; it also starsMatt Dillon as her hapless husband and, the third Phoenix sibling in as many projects,Joaquin Phoenix, as her equally hapless lover (River had died of a drug overdose a year and half earlier). It was Van Sant's first effort for a major studio (Columbia), and its success paved the way for further projects of the director's choosing. The same year, he served as executive producer forLarry Clark'sKids; it was a fitting assignment, due to both the film's subject matter and the fact that Clark's photographs of junkies had served as reference points for Van Sant'sDrugstore Cowboy.
In 1997, Van Sant gained mainstream recognition and critical acclaim thanks toGood Will Hunting, which was written byMatt Damon andBen Affleck. The film, about a troubled, blue-collar mathematical genius, was a huge critical and commercial success. It was nominated for nineAcademy Awards, including Best Director for Van Sant. It won two, including Best Screenplay for Damon and Affleck, and Best Supporting Actor Oscar forRobin Williams, who, in his acceptance speech, referred to Van Sant as "being so subtle you're almost subliminal."[13] Van Sant, Damon and Affleck parodied themselves and the film's success inKevin Smith'sJay and Silent Bob Strike Back.[14]
Van Sant received the opportunity toremakeAlfred Hitchcock's classicPsycho. As opposed to reinterpreting the 1960 film, Van Sant opted to recreate the film shot-for-shot, in color, with a cast of young Hollywood A-listers. His decision was met with equal parts curiosity, skepticism, and derision from industry insiders and outsiders alike, and the finished result met with a similar reception. It starredAnne Heche,Vince Vaughn andJulianne Moore, and met with a negative critical reception and didpoorly at the box office.
In 2000, Van Sant directedFinding Forrester, about a high-school student (Rob Brown) fromthe Bronx unlikely becoming a friend of a crusty, reclusive author (Sean Connery). Critical response was generally positive[15] and became a box office success. In addition to directing, he devoted considerable energy to releasing two albums and publishing a novel,Pink, which was a thinly veiled exploration of his grief over River Phoenix's death.[citation needed]
Van Sant traveled to the deserts ofArgentina,Utah, andDeath Valley for the production of 2002'sGerry, a loosely devised, largely improvised feature in which stars Matt Damon andCasey Affleck—both playing characters named Gerry—wander through the desert, discussingWheel of Fortune, video games, and nothing in particular. The film premiered at theSundance Film Festival.
It tookGerry over a year to make it to theaters, in which time Van Sant began production on his next film,Elephant. Approached byHBO and producerDiane Keaton to craft a fictional film based on the 1999Columbine High School massacre, the director chose to shoot in his hometown of Portland, employing dozens of untrained, teen actors. Melding improvisational long takes like those inGerry withHarris Savides' fluid camerawork, the film was influenced by Alan Clarke's 1989 film of the same name (seeElephant). The finished film provoked strong reactions from audiences at the2003 Cannes Film Festival. At theCannes festival, the jury awardedElephant with their top prize, thePalme d'Or, and Van Sant with his first Best Director statue from the festival.[16]
In 2005, Van Sant releasedLast Days, the final component of what he refers to as his "Death Trilogy", (the other parts beingGerry andElephant). It is a fictionalized account of what happened toNirvana frontmanKurt Cobain in the days leading up to his death. In 2006, Van Sant began work onParanoid Park based on the book byBlake Nelson, about a skateboarding teenager who accidentally causes someone's death. The film was released in Europe in February 2008. He also directed the "Le Marais" segment of the omnibus filmParis, je t'aime.
Released in 2008, Van Sant'sMilk is a biopic ofopenly gay San Francisco politicianHarvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. The film received eightOscar nominations at the81st Academy Awards, includingBest Picture, winning two forBest Actor in a Leading Role forSean Penn, who starred as Milk, andBest Original Screenplay for writerDustin Lance Black. Van Sant was nominated forBest Director.[17][18] Van Sant later stated that his experience with Sean Penn on the film was "amazing".[19] His 2011 filmRestless[20] was screened in theUn Certain Regard section at the2011 Cannes Film Festival, and starred Henry Hopper andMia Wasikowska.[21][22]
Van Sant's film,Promised Land, was released on December 28, 2012.[23] The film starsFrances McDormand, Matt Damon, and John Krasinski—the latter two co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by Dave Eggers. Filmed in April 2012, the production company, Focus Features, selected the release date so that the film is eligible to qualify for awards consideration.[24][25] AfterPromised Land, Van Sant directed a film titledSea of Trees, which starredMatthew McConaughey andKen Watanabe. The film tells the story of a man who travels to the infamousAokigahara suicide forest in Japan to kill himself, only to encounter another man wishing to kill himself as well, with whom he then embarks on a "spiritual journey".[26] The film was selected to compete for thePalme d'Or at the2015 Cannes Film Festival but was met with harsh critical reception at the Cannes, being booed and laughed at.[27][28]
In December 2016, it was announced Van Sant would directDon't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, a biopic about cartoonistJohn Callahan, starringJoaquin Phoenix,Rooney Mara,Jonah Hill,Jack Black, andMark Webber.[29][30][31][32] Principal photography began in March 2017.[33][34]
In December 2024, he was reported to be directingDead Man's Wire starringBill Skarsgard andDacre Montgomery, and produced by Elevated Films and Balcony 9 Productions.[35]
Van Sant released two musical albums:Gus Van Sant and18 Songs About Golf. Van Sant played himself in episodes of the HBO seriesEntourage and the IFC seriesPortlandia.
Van Sant was credited for all photography, paintings and art direction on theRed Hot Chili Peppers' albumBlood Sugar Sex Magik, and directed the video for "Under the Bridge". He directed the pilot for the Starz television programBoss, starringKelsey Grammer. Van Sant went ontoTheBret Easton Ellis Podcast in 2014 to discuss filmmaking, writing, film history and their collaborations that never got made (The Golden Suicides) and the one that did (The Canyons).[36]
Van Sant isgay and lives in theLos Feliz neighborhood ofLos Angeles, California.[37]
The moving image collection of Gus Van Sant is held at theAcademy Film Archive.[38] The archive has preserved many of Van Sant's short films, includingThe Happy Organ,Ken Death Gets Out of Jail,Five Ways to Kill Yourself, and others.[39]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Mala Noche | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Drugstore Cowboy | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 1991 | My Own Private Idaho | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 1993 | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1995 | To Die For | Yes | No | No | No |
| 1997 | Good Will Hunting | Yes | No | No | No |
| 1998 | Psycho | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 2000 | Finding Forrester | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2002 | Gerry | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2003 | Elephant | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2005 | Last Days | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | Paranoid Park | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2008 | Milk | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2011 | Restless | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Promised Land | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2015 | The Sea of Trees | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2018 | Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2025 | Dead Man's Wire | Yes | No | No | No |
Executive producer only
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Himself |
| 2013 | The Canyons | Dr. Campbell |
| 2024 | The Trainer |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Boss | Yes | Yes | Episode "Listen" |
| 2015 | The Devil You Know | Yes | Yes | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2017 | When We Rise | Yes | Yes | Episode "Part 1" |
| 2024 | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans | Yes | Yes | 6 episodes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Entourage | Himself | "Return to Queens Blvd." |
| 2014 | Portlandia | "Trailblazers" |
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Thanksgiving Prayer" | William Burroughs |
| "Fame '90" | David Bowie | |
| 1991 | "I'm Seventeen" | Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers |
| 1992 | "Under the Bridge" | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| "Bang Bang Bang" | Tracy Chapman | |
| "Runaway" | Deee-Lite | |
| "The Last Song" | Elton John | |
| 1993 | "San Francisco Days" | Chris Isaak |
| "Just Keep Me Moving" | k.d. lang | |
| "Creep" (alternative version) | Stone Temple Pilots | |
| 1995 | "Understanding" | Candlebox |
| 1996 | "Ballad of the Skeletons" | Allen Ginsberg withPaul McCartney,Philip Glass,Lenny Kaye et al. |
| 1998 | "Weird" | Hanson |
| 2005 | "Who Did You Think I Was" (turntable version) | John Mayer Trio |
| 2007 | "Desecration Smile"[41] | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| 2016 | "Ain't it Funny" | Danny Brown |
Van Sant became one of only two filmmakers—the other beingJoel Coen—to win both thePalme d'Or and Best Director accolades at theCannes Film Festival in the same year.[16]
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Van Sant's direction, these actors have receivedAcademy Award nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
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