Gus Van Sant

Personal Info

Known For

Directing

Known Credits

51

Gender

Male

Birthday

1952-07-24 (73 years old)

Place of Birth

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Gus Van Sant

Biography

Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon. His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures. His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix. He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, Pink. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 Portraits.

Known For

  • Entourage

    Entourage

  • Psycho

    Psycho

  • Portlandia

    Portlandia

  • Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

    Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

  • The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft

    The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft

  • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

    Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

  • Paranoid Park

    Paranoid Park

  • Last Days

    Last Days

  • Finding Forrester

    Finding Forrester

  • Drugstore Cowboy

    Drugstore Cowboy

  • Here’s Looking at You, Boy

    Here’s Looking at You, Boy

  • Zeroville

    Zeroville

  • My Own Private Idaho

    My Own Private Idaho

  • Critic

    Critic

  • The Canyons

    The Canyons

  • About Elephant

    About Elephant

  • Mala Noche

    Mala Noche

  • The Trainer

    The Trainer

  • Illegal Civilization 3

    Illegal Civilization 3

  • Junior

    Junior

  • Leçon de Cinéma

    Leçon de Cinéma

  • The Greatest Event in Television History

    The Greatest Event in Television History

  • Nightmare Typhoon

    Nightmare Typhoon

  • The Story of Film: An Odyssey

    The Story of Film: An Odyssey

  • A Special Day

    A Special Day

  • Five Ways to Kill Yourself

    Five Ways to Kill Yourself

  • The Advocate for Fagdom

    The Advocate for Fagdom

  • Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

    Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

  • William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

    William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

  • In the Mood for Doyle

    In the Mood for Doyle

  • About Cinema

    About Cinema

  • The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’

    The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’

  • Rescued from the Closet

    Rescued from the Closet

  • Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

    Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

  • The Making of Last Days

    The Making of Last Days

  • Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

    Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

  • Made in the USA

    Made in the USA

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks

    Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks

  • The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

    The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

  • Hi Octane

    Hi Octane

  • At the Video Store

    At the Video Store

  • I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman

    I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman

  • Andy by Gus

    Andy by Gus

  • On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time

    On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time

  • Saltlake Van Sant

    Saltlake Van Sant

  • Thank You for Supporting the Arts

    Thank You for Supporting the Arts

  • Strange Parallel

    Strange Parallel

  • Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later

    Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later

  • Guns on the Clackamas

    Guns on the Clackamas

  • Psycho Path

    Psycho Path

  • Making Paranoid Park

    Making Paranoid Park