Early life and career
Soderbergh was born in Atlanta, the son of Mary Ann (née Bernard) and Peter Andrew Soderbergh, who was a university administrator and educator. He is of Swedish ancestry (the family's original surname in Swedish, Söderberg, was changed to Soderbergh when they immigrated to the United States). When he was a child, his family moved from Atlanta to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his father became Dean of Education at Louisiana State University (LSU). There he discovered filmmaking as a teenager, directing short Super 8 mm films with equipment borrowed from LSU students.
His primary high school education was at Louisiana State University Laboratory School, a K-12 school that is directed by the University. While still taking classes there around the age of fifteen, Soderbergh enrolled in the university's film animation class and began making short 16 mm films with secondhand equipment.
Career
Rise to prominence: Sex, Lies, and Videotape
It wasn't until Soderbergh came back to Baton Rouge that he conceived the idea for Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), which he wrote in eight days. The independent film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, became a worldwide commercial success and greatly contributed to the 1990s independent film revolution. At age 26, Soderbergh became the youngest director to win the festival's top award. Movie critic Roger Ebert dubbed Soderbergh the "poster boy of the Sundance generation".
1993 to 1998
Sex, Lies, and Videotape was followed by a series of low-budget box-office disappointments: Kafka, a biopic mixing fact and Kafka's own fiction (notably The Castle and The Trial), written by Lem Dobbs and starring Jeremy Irons as Franz Kafka; King of the Hill (1993), a critically acclaimed Depression-era drama; The Underneath (1995), a remake of Robert Siodmak's 1949 film noir Criss Cross; and Schizopolis (1996), a comedy which he starred in, wrote, composed, and shot as well as directed. He also directed the Spalding Gray monologue film Gray's Anatomy in 1996.
1999 and 2000
Soderbergh followed up on the success of Out of Sight by making another crime caper, The Limey (1999), from an original screenplay by Lem Dobbs and starring veteran actors Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda. The film was well-received, but not as much as Erin Brockovich (2000), written by Susannah Grant and starring Julia Roberts in her Oscar-winning role as a single mother taking on industry in a civil action. Later that year, Soderbergh released Traffic, a social drama written by Stephen Gaghan and featuring an ensemble cast.
2001 to 2007
Ocean's Eleven (2001), a remake from a Rat Pack-movie from 1960, featuring an all-star cast and flashy aesthetics, is Soderbergh's highest grossing movie to date, grossing more than $183 million domestically and more than $450 million worldwide. The film's star, George Clooney, subsequently appeared in Solaris (2002), marking the third time the two have headlined a film. In the same year, Soderbergh made Full Frontal which was shot mostly on digital video in an improvisional style that deliberately blurred the line between which actors were playing characters and which were playing fictionized versions of themselves. A film within a film, the title is a film industry reference to an actor or actress appearing fully nude (a.k.a., "full frontal nudity"). Also in 2002, Soderbergh was elected First Vice President of the Directors Guild of America.
Following up Full Frontal stylistically was Soderbergh next project, K Street (2003), a ten-part political HBO series he co-produced with Clooney.
Latest work
In 2006, Soderbergh raised eyebrows with Bubble, a $1.6 million film featuring a cast of nonprofessional actors. It opened in selected theaters and HDNet simultaneously, and four days later on DVD. Industry heads were reportedly watching how the film performed, as its unusual release schedule could have implications for future feature films. Theater-owners, who at the time had been suffering from dropping attendance rates, did not welcome so-called "day-and-date" movies. National Association of Theatre Owners president and CEO John Fithian indirectly called the film's release model "the biggest threat to the viability of the cinema industry today." Soderbergh's response to such criticism: "I don't think it's going to destroy the movie-going experience any more than the ability to get takeout has destroyed the restaurant business." The film did poor business both at the box office and on the home video market. Nevertheless, Soderbergh is on contract to deliver five more day-and-date movies. In fall of 2006 he contributed a mini-essay on hotel pornography, along with an accompanying series of long-exposure photographs, to Anthem magazine's November/December issue.
His next directing effort was to be a 3-D live-action rock musical film based on Cleopatra's life entitled "Cleo", with Catherine Zeta-Jones in talks to play Cleopatra, and with music by the band Guided by Voices. Soderbergh and scriptwriter James Greer were said to be rewritting the lyrics of the songs to fit the story. Hugh Jackman was approached to play Mark Antony but withdrew. However, Soderbergh is no longer pursuing this film.
In 2009, Soderbergh directed a play titled Tot-Mom for the Sydney Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia. The play is based on the real-life case of Caylee Anthony. Rehearsals commenced in early November 2009, and the production opened December 2009. Soderbergh also shot a small improvised film with the cast of the play, The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg, a comedy about a theatre company staging Chekhov's Three Sisters. His next film is the virus thriller Contagion, which is based on a screenplay written by Scott Z. Burns.
On March 11, 2011, Soderbergh announced on the National Public Radio program Studio 360 that he would be retiring from the film industry after finishing production on the Matt Damon and Michael Douglas biopic Liberace and the George Clooney film The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He stated that "when you reach the point where you're saying, 'If I have to get into a van to do another scout, I'm just going to shoot myself,' it's time to let somebody who's still excited about getting in the van, get the van."[33] Soderbergh later confirmed that he would retire from filmmaking and begin to explore painting.[34]
[edit]Directorial style and collaborations
Soderbergh frequently works with actors on more than one occasion. The following is a list of notable collaborators (in order of first film appearance):
Peter Gallagher (sex, lies, and videotape and The Underneath)
Ron Vawter (sex, lies, and videotape and King of The Hill)
Jeroen Krabbe (Kafka, King of the Hill and Ocean's Twelve)
Spaulding Gray (King of the Hill, Gray's Anatomy and And Everything is Going Fine)
Eddie Jemison (Schizopolis, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, and The Informant!)
Don Cheadle (Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen)
George Clooney (Out of Sight, Ocean's Eleven, Solaris, Ocean's Twelve, The Good German, Ocean's Thirteen and The Man from U.N.C.L.E)
Viola Davis (Out of Sight, Traffic and Solaris)
Luis Guzmán (Out of Sight, The Limey, and Traffic)
Catherine Keener (Out of Sight and Full Frontal)
Terrence Stamp (The Limey and Full Frontal)
Albert Finney (Erin Brokovich, Traffic and Ocean's Twelve)
Julia Roberts (Erin Brokovich, Ocean's Eleven, Full Frontal and Ocean's Twelve)
Michael Douglas (Traffic, Haywire and Liberace)
Topher Grace (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve)
Benicio del Toro (Traffic and Che)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Traffic and Ocean's Twelve)
Matt Damon (Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, Che Part 2: Guerrilla, The Informant!, Contagion and Liberace)
Elliott Gould (Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen and Contagion)
Brad Pitt (Ocean's Eleven, Full Frontal, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen)
Channing Tatum (Haywire and Magic Mike)
"I've always gotten along with them," says Soderbergh of actors, "I try and make sure they're OK, and when they're in the zone, I leave them alone. I don't get in their way." His non-intrusive directorial style has attracted repeat performances by many high-profile movie stars.[35] Julia Roberts had supporting roles in Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, and Full Frontal, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her lead in Erin Brockovich. Benicio del Toro, who also won an Academy Award for his work in a Soderbergh film (Traffic), later starred in Guerrilla and The Argentine. Catherine Zeta-Jones won a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Helena in Traffic (2000) and reteamed with him for box-office hit Ocean's Twelve (2004). They're currently working together for the musical Cleo (2011), with Zeta-Jones in the title role. But the actor who played the leading role in no fewer than six of his films is George Clooney, with whom he co-owns the film production company, Section Eight Productions. Section Eight produced the critical hits Far From Heaven, Insomnia, and Syriana as well as the Clooney-directed films Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck.
Soderbergh often acts as his own director of photography under the alias of Peter Andrews and occasionally as his own editor under the alias of Mary Ann Bernard. While shooting Traffic, Soderbergh wanted a credit of "Photographed and Directed by". The Writer's Guild (WGA) wouldn't allow another credit ahead of the writer. Because Soderbergh didn't want his name used more than once, he adopted a pseudonym, Peter Andrews, his father's first and middle names.
Soderbergh often utilizes Cliff Martinez to construct/compose the soundtracks to his movies, and when not cutting his own films, he relies on editor Stephen Mirrione.
[edit]Aesthetics
Soderbergh has made big-budget Hollywood films as well as art-house independent films; works with above-the-title movie stars and unknowns; directs adaptations and original material, both of which written by himself as well as other screenwriters.[36] His versatility is also apparent with the genres which he chooses to film and his trades as a filmmaker behind the scenes. Traffic screenwriter and Syriana director Stephen Gaghan named Soderbergh "the Michael Jordan of filmmaking" for his ability to assume so many distinct roles in film production.
Soderbergh has, nonetheless, been dubbed a stylistic chameleon by Anne Thompson of Premiere Magazine. Drew Morton has extensively researched Soderbergh and has tied him to a modern movement much like the French New Wave.
Soderbergh also has a track record of honorable contributions in the cinematic arts; when the papers of Terry Southern were potentially in limbo following his untimely death in 1995, Soderbergh purchased and then donated the papers to the New York Public Library. Naqoyqatsi, the final chapter of the Qatsi trilogy, was completed after a delay of more than 10 years, only after Soderbergh stepped in to provide the necessary funding.
Views
Soderbergh is not a fan of possessory credits, and prefers not to have his name front and center at the start of a film. "The fact that I'm not an identifiable brand is very freeing," says Soderbergh, "because people get tired of brands and they switch brands. I've never had a desire to be out in front of anything, which is why I don't take a possessory credit.
On Monday, April 5, 2009, Soderbergh appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, and "cited the French initiative in asking lawmakers to deputize the American film industry to pursue copyright pirates", indicating he supports anti-piracy laws and internet regulation.
Personal life
Soderbergh is married to writer/journalist Jules Asner whom he often credits for influencing his female characters. Soderbergh claims he no longer reads reviews of his movies. "After Traffic I just stopped completely", says the director. "After winning the LA and New York film critics awards, I really felt like, this can only get worse". Stephen has a daughter, Sarah Soderbergh with his first wife, Betsy Brantley. He also has a daughter, Pearl Button Anderson, born August 2010, from an extramarital affair with Australian Frances Anderson.
Soderbergh, lives in New York City. He is an atheist. Soderbergh is also an avid fan of Austin musician Jon Dishon.
Filmography
Director
2000 Erin Brockovich 5 (incl. Best Director) 1
Traffic 5 (incl. Best Director) 4 (incl. Best Director)
2001 Ocean's Eleven
2002 Full Frontal
Solaris
2004 Ocean's Twelve
2005 Bubble
2006 The Good German 1
2007 Ocean's Thirteen
2008 Che
2009 The Girlfriend Experience
The Informant!
2010 And Everything is Going Fine
2011 Contagion
2012 Haywire
Screenwriter
1995: The Underneath as Sam Lowry
1996: Schizopolis
1997: Nightwatch
2002: Solaris
2004: Eros – the segment "Equilibrium"
Cinematographer
1996: Schizopolis
2000: Traffic – as Peter Andrews
2001: Ocean's Eleven – as Peter Andrews
2002: Full Frontal – as Peter Andrews
2002: Solaris – as Peter Andrews
2004: Ocean's Twelve – as Peter Andrews
2004: Eros – the segment "Equilibrium"
2006: Bubble – as Peter Andrews
2006: The Good German – as Peter Andrews
2007: Ocean's Thirteen – as Peter Andrews
2008: Che – as Peter Andrews
2009: The Girlfriend Experience – as Peter Andrews
2009: The Informant! – as Peter Andrews
2011: Haywire - as Peter Andrews
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