Robert Lee Zemeckis (May 14, 1952) is an American director , producer and screenwriter . In 1984, he achieved popularity with his first featured film, Romancing the Stone , where an adventure of a couple in Colombia is narrated. A year later he received universal recognition and criticism was very favorable with his science fiction film Back to the Future . His career continued with very successful films at the box office but without so many favorable reviews until he directed Forrest Gump in 1994, for which he won the Oscar for best director.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Birthday | May 14, 1952 |
| Age | 72 years |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Occupation | Director |
| Net worth | $4.328 billion |
Robert Zemeckis was born in the city of Chicago , Illinois , the son of a Lithuanian and an Italian-American . He studied at the University of Southern California .
He married for the first time on July 26, 1980 with actress Mary Ellen Trainor , whom he participated in many of his films during the time they were married. From this marriage a son was born. The marriage concluded in divorce in the year 2000.
On December 4, 2001 he married Leslie Harter. Harter also worked on many of his films, especially the most recent. The marriage has two children.
His first films have focused mainly on the special effects instead of the plot or the development of the characters. Zemeckis’ style follows the line of director Steven Spielberg , who produced many of his films.