Jay Roach | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Roach in 2013 | |
| Born | Mathew Jay Roach (1957-06-14)June 14, 1957 (age 68) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Other names | M. Jay Roach |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (BA) University of Southern California (MFA) |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Notable work | Austin Powers Mystery, Alaska Meet the Parents Dinner for Schmucks The Campaign Trumbo Bombshell |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing theAustin Powers film series,Meet the Parents,Dinner for Schmucks,The Campaign,Trumbo, andBombshell as well as producing films includingBorat andMeet the Parents.[1]
Roach also earned critical acclaim for directing and producing the political television drama filmsRecount,Game Change, andAll the Way. He produced the films under his Everyman Pictures banner.[2] For his work, he has received fourPrimetime Emmy Awards from six nominations.
Roach was born and raised inAlbuquerque,New Mexico, U.S., where his father was a military worker.[3] He graduated fromEldorado High School in 1975.[4] He received a BA in economics fromStanford University in 1980[5][6] and later earned aMaster of Fine Arts in film production from theUniversity of Southern California in 1986.[7] Roach worked for 10 years as a writing apprentice and sound editor. He also worked as an adjunct film professor atUSC.[8]
Roach's early entrance into film was in music videos. His first job was working as a cameraman on the music video forEazy-E's "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn", which was directed by his film school friendJohn Lloyd Miller.[9] Roach made his directorial debut with the 1990 comedy filmZoo Radio. He received recognition for the commercially successful spy comedy filmAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), starringMike Myers as thetitle character. He returned to direct the sequelsAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) andAustin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
Roach also directed the sports comedy-drama filmMystery, Alaska, which was released in October 1999. He continued to direct critically and commercially successful comedies, includingMeet the Parents (2000) and its sequelMeet the Fockers (2004),Dinner for Schmucks (2010), andThe Campaign (2012). Roach expanded into other genres, directing the biographical period dramaTrumbo (2015) and the biographical dramaBombshell (2019), which earned multipleAcademy Award nominations.
Roach earned critical acclaim for directing multiple HBO political drama films. He directedRecount (2008), which earned him twoPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special andOutstanding Television Movie, in addition to theDirectors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film. He then directedGame Change, about the 2008 McCain/Palin campaign, which premiered March 2012 as one of the most watched films in HBO history. The film earned him additional Primetime Emmy Awards in the same categories as well as theGolden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and aPeabody Award.[10] He also directedAll the Way, which premiered in May 2016 and earned Roach two more Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the same categories.
Roach is married to musician and actressSusanna Hoffs ofThe Bangles, with whom he has two sons.[11] Roach was raised aSouthern Baptist, andconverted to Judaism before marrying Hoffs.[3]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Zoo Radio[a] | Yes | No |
| 1997 | Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | Yes | No |
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Yes | No |
| Mystery, Alaska | Yes | No | |
| 2000 | Meet the Parents | Yes | Yes |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Yes | No |
| 2004 | Meet the Fockers | Yes | Yes |
| 2010 | Dinner for Schmucks | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | The Campaign | Yes | Yes |
| 2015 | Trumbo | Yes | Uncredited |
| 2019 | Bombshell | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | The Roses | Yes | Yes |
Producer only
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Blown Away[b] | Writer and associate producer |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | American Candidate | No | Yes | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Earth to America | Yes | No | TV special |
| 2015 | The Brink | Yes | Yes | 10 episodes |
| 2023 | High Desert | Yes | Yes | 8 episodes |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Recount | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Game Change | Yes | Yes |
| 2016 | All the Way | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | Coastal Elites | Yes | Yes |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Space Rangers | Yes | Yes | Episode: "Fort Hope" |
| Lifepod | Co-producer | Yes | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | No | Yes | Episode: "Fear" |
| 2019 | Barry | No | No | Appeared as himself; Episode: "The Audition" |
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Roach's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 2015 | Bryan Cranston | Trumbo | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||
| 2019 | Charlize Theron | Bombshell | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 2019 | Margot Robbie | Bombshell | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
