Michael Lehmann

This article is about the American film and television director. For German soccer player, see Michael Lehmann (footballer).

Michael Lehmann
Born
Michael Stephen Lehmann

(1957-03-30) March 30, 1957 (age 67)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma materColumbia University
Occupation(s)Film director, television director
Years active1985–present
Known forHeathers
SpouseHolland Sutton
ChildrenZander Lehmann and a younger daughter

Michael Stephen Lehmann (born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director known for directing the dark comedy Heathers.[1][2]

Early life and education

In 1978, Lehmann graduated from Columbia University.[3]

Lehmann is of Jewish descent.[4][5]

Career

Lehmann's first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders. Lehmann attended film school at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and graduated in 1985. While at USC he made a student film, The Beaver Gets a Boner, the title of which he believes helped get the attention of film executives who would later hire him.

A short film by Lehmann, titled "Ed's Secret Life (An Unauthorized Biography)", was shown on Saturday Night Live. Purportedly about Mister Ed's post-career life, William Schallert, Mick Fleetwood, and Heather Locklear appeared in it.

Lehmann is most known for directing the dark comedy Heathers.[6] He also directed 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Hudson Hawk, Meet the Applegates, Airheads and Because I Said So.

Lehmann directed his first television commercial through the Leo Burnett Company in June 1996 for McDonald's. Lehmann also directs for television, and has worked on The Comeback and The West Wing. Lehmann directed episodes of The Larry Sanders Show, Watching Ellie, Century City, Big Love, True Blood, Californication, Wonderfalls, White Famous, Betas, American Horror Story, Snowfall, Veronica Mars, and 68 Whiskey.

Lehmann said that he never would make a sequel to Heathers and that Winona Ryder wanted to do Heathers set in Washington, D.C., but he saw no potential for the project.[7]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ "Michael Lehmann - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times". The New York Times. November 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Columbia College Today". Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Columbia College Today: "Michael Lehmann ’78: Satire and Subversion on the Silver Screen" By Jennifer Preissel Archived August 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine November/December 2017
  4. ^ "Jews in the News: Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow and D.B. Weiss | Tampa JCCS and Federation".
  5. ^ "celebrity Jews – J." J. January 8, 2016.
  6. ^ Maslin, Janet (March 31, 1989). "Review/Film; When a Not-So-Bad Girl Turns Very, Very Bad (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Kyle Buchanan (July 2, 2009). "Michael Lehmann Administers Cup of Liquid Drainer to Heathers Sequel". Movieline. Retrieved May 14, 2015.


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