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

  • Portlandia

    Portlandia

  • My Own Private Idaho

    My Own Private Idaho

  • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

    Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

  • Illegal Civilization 3

    Illegal Civilization 3

  • Finding Forrester

    Finding Forrester

  • Psycho Path

    Psycho Path

  • The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’

    The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’

  • The Canyons

    The Canyons

  • Psycho

    Psycho

  • Paranoid Park

    Paranoid Park

  • The Story of Film: An Odyssey

    The Story of Film: An Odyssey

  • The Advocate for Fagdom

    The Advocate for Fagdom

  • Zeroville

    Zeroville

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

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

  • Critic

    Critic

  • Five Ways to Kill Yourself

    Five Ways to Kill Yourself

  • About Elephant

    About Elephant

  • The Trainer

    The Trainer

  • At the Video Store

    At the Video Store

  • Here’s Looking at You, Boy

    Here’s Looking at You, Boy

  • Leçon de Cinéma

    Leçon de Cinéma

  • The Making of Last Days

    The Making of Last Days

  • A Special Day

    A Special Day

  • Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

    Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks

    Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks

  • In the Mood for Doyle

    In the Mood for Doyle

  • The Greatest Event in Television History

    The Greatest Event in Television History

  • Drugstore Cowboy

    Drugstore Cowboy

  • William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

    William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

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

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

  • Andy by Gus

    Andy by Gus

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

    On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time

  • Last Days

    Last Days

  • Rescued from the Closet

    Rescued from the Closet

  • Junior

    Junior

  • who is Gus Van Sant?

    who is Gus Van Sant?

  • Hi Octane

    Hi Octane

  • Made in the USA

    Made in the USA

  • The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

    The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

  • About Cinema

    About Cinema

  • Mala Noche

    Mala Noche

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

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

  • Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

    Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

  • Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

    Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

  • Thank You for Supporting the Arts

    Thank You for Supporting the Arts

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

    Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later

  • Saltlake Van Sant

    Saltlake Van Sant

  • Strange Parallel

    Strange Parallel

  • Making Paranoid Park

    Making Paranoid Park

  • Guns on the Clackamas

    Guns on the Clackamas