Tom Hooper
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ''Painted Faces'', broadcast on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
in 1992. At Oxford University, Hooper directed plays and television commercials. After graduating, he directed episodes of ''
Quayside The Quayside is an area along the banks ( quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom. History The area was once an industrial area and busy co ...
'', ''
Byker Grove Byker is a district in the east of the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. Home to the Byker Wall estate, made famous by TV series '' Byker Grove'', Byker’s population was recorded at 12,206 in the 2011 census. Byker is borde ...
'', ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'', and ''
Cold Feet Cold feet is a phrase that refers to a person not going through with an action, particularly one which requires long term commitment, due to fear, uncertainty, and doubt. A person is said to be "getting cold feet" when, after previously committin ...
'' on British television. In the 2000s, Hooper directed the major BBC costume dramas '' Love in a Cold Climate'' (2001) and '' Daniel Deronda'' (2002), as well as the 2003 revival of ITV's '' Prime Suspect'' series, starring
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...
. Hooper made his feature film debut with '' Red Dust'' (2004), a British drama starring
Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...
and Chiwetel Ejiofor, before directing Helen Mirren again in the
Company Pictures Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. It was set up in 1998 by Charles Pattinson and George Faber, colleagues at BBC Films. Their first film was ''Mo ...
/
HBO Films HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non- ...
historical drama ''
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
'' (2005). He continued working for HBO on the television film ''
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the mee ...
'' (2006) and in ''
John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
'' (2008), a seven-part serial on the life of the American president. Hooper returned to features with ''
The Damned United ''The Damned United'' is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel '' The Damned Utd'' – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of ...
'' (2009), a fact-based film about the English football manager
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Engli ...
(played by
Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
). The following year saw the release of the historical drama ''
The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...
'' (2010), starring
Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...
and
Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...
, which was met with critical acclaim. Hooper's next film was ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' (2012), which featured an all-star cast led by
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
. His 2015 film, ''
The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fir ...
'', was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film. Recently, Hooper has directed two episodes of ''
His Dark Materials ''His Dark Materials'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of '' Northern Lights'' (1995; published as ''The Golden Compass'' in North America), '' The Subtle Knife'' (1997), and '' The Amber Spyglass'' (2000). It follo ...
'' and a live-action adaptation of the musical ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'', for which he won two
Golden Raspberry Awards The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
for Worst Director and Worst Screenplay. Hooper's work was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for ''Prime Suspect'' and ''John Adams'', won one for ''Elizabeth I'', and was nominated for the British Academy (BAFTA) TV Craft Award for Best Director for ''Longford''. ''The King's Speech'' won multiple awards, including Best Director wins for Hooper from the
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...
and the
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and a Best Director nomination from BAFTA.


Early life

Tom Hooper was born on 5 October 1972 in London, England, the son of Meredith Jean (Rooney) and Richard Hooper. Meredith is an Australian author and academic and Richard is an English media businessman. Hooper was educated at
Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgat ...
and
Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...
. His initial interest in drama was triggered by his English and drama teacher at Highgate, former
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
actor Roger Mortimer, who produced an annual school play.Hulse, Tim (6 April 2011).
What I've Learned: Tom Hooper
. babusinesslife.com (Business Life). Retrieved 16 July 2011
archived
by WebCite on 20 August 2011).
At the age of 12, Hooper read a book entitled ''How to Make Film and Television'' and decided he wanted to become a director. For the next year Hooper researched filmmaking from publications such as ''On Camera'' by Harris Watts. Aged 13, he made his first film, entitled ''Runaway Dog'', using a clockwork 16mm
Bolex Bolex International S. A. is a Swiss manufacturer of motion picture cameras based in Yverdon located in Canton of Vaud. The most notable products of which are in the 16 mm and Super 16 mm formats. Originally Bol, the company was founded by C ...
camera his uncle had given to him. Hooper said: "The clockwork would run out after thirty seconds, so the maximum shot length was thirty seconds. I could only afford a hundred feet of Kodachrome reversal film, which cost about twenty-five ounds and you had to send off for two weeks to be processed. I could only make silent movies, because sound was too expensive and complicated."Simmons, Alan (24 January 2011).
Tom Hooper On Done In 60 Seconds, The King’s Speech And James Bond
. FilmShaft. Retrieved 24 January 2011
archived
by WebCite on 24 January 2011).
He slowed down the frame rate of the camera so he could maximise what little film stock he had. Hooper classified the short, about a dog which kept running away from its owner, as a comedy, and filmed it on location in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...
.Fendelman, Adam (24 January 2011). "Interview: 'The King's Speech' Director Tom Hooper on Colin Firth's Masterful Stutter". HollywoodChicago.com. Retrieved 25 January 2011
archived
by WebCite on 25 January 2011).
When Hooper was 14, his film ''Bomber Jacket'' came runner-up in a BBC younger filmmakers' competition. The short starred Hooper's brother as a boy who discovers a bomber jacket and a photograph hidden in a cupboard and learns his grandfather died in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.Gritten, David (24 December 2010).
King who came from nowhere
. ''The Daily Telegraph'' (Telegraph Media Group): p. 20. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
Another of Hooper's short films, entitled ''Countryside'', depicts a
nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...
. Hooper finished school aged 16, then wrote the script for his first professional short film, entitled ''Painted Faces''. He spent the next two years raising capital for the short by courting advertisement directors, whose financial dominance during the late 1980s was noticed by Hooper. Director Paul Weiland invested in the short, which provided Hooper with the equipment he needed. After two years of financing and production, ''Painted Faces'' was completed. Hooper wrote, produced, directed and edited it. It was sold to
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
and broadcast on the channel's ''First Frame'' strand in 1992, had a screening at the 35th
London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...
and had a limited theatrical release.Brown, Maggie (16 October 2006).
Prime candidate
. ''The Guardian'' (Guardian News & Media): p. 6 (''MediaGuardian'' supplement). Retrieved 25 January 2008.
After taking a gap year to finance ''Painted Faces'', Hooper read English at
University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...
. He joined the Oxford University Dramatic Society, where he directed
Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
in ''
A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...
'' and
Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performanc ...
in '' The Trial''. Hooper also had his first paid directing work, earning £200 for a corporate Christmas video, and he directed his first television advertisements, including one for '' Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' featuring Right Said Fred.Burrell, Ian (26 February 2009).
Tackling Old Big 'Ead
. ''The Independent'' (Independent News & Media): p. 14. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
He continues to direct advertisements alongside television and film projects. In 1996 he joined the commercial production company John S. Clarke Productions and in 2001 he signed with Infinity Productions. Hooper has also directed commercials including an ad for Jaguar with
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...
,
Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...
, and Mark Strong, which aired during
Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. His commercial work is produced through international production company SMUGGLER.


Career


BBC and ITV productions

After graduating from Oxford, Hooper directed further television commercials, intending to break into the film industry the same way
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
,
Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as '' Top Gun'' (1986), '' Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''D ...
and Hugh Hudson did. He was introduced by his father to the television producer Matthew Robinson, who mentored Hooper and gave him his first television directing work. For Robinson, Hooper directed episodes of the short-lived Tyne Tees Television soap opera ''
Quayside The Quayside is an area along the banks ( quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom. History The area was once an industrial area and busy co ...
'' in 1997, four episodes of the Children's BBC television series ''
Byker Grove Byker is a district in the east of the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. Home to the Byker Wall estate, made famous by TV series '' Byker Grove'', Byker’s population was recorded at 12,206 in the 2011 census. Byker is borde ...
'' in the same year, and his first episodes of the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' in 1998.Tom Hooper filmography
. British Film Institute. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
Hooper directed several ''EastEnders'' episodes between 1998 and 2000, two of which were hour-long specials that represented the soap when it won the
British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...
for Best Soap Opera in 2000 and 2001; the first was the episode in which Carol Jackson ( Lindsey Coulson) learns her daughter Bianca ( Patsy Palmer) had an affair with her fiancé Dan Sullivan (
Craig Fairbrass Craig John Fairbrass (born 15 January 1964) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles as Delmar in the thriller film ''Cliffhanger'' (1993), Dan Sullivan in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1999–2001) ...
). The Jackson episode marked the beginning of a week of episodes that led to Palmer's departure from the soap, and Robinson had hired Hooper to direct the key episodes of that storyline. Hooper worked 10-hour days on ''EastEnders'', and learned to direct with speed. He was influenced in his early career by the cinematic style of American TV series such as '' ER'', ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...
'' and '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and tried to work that style into his ''EastEnders'' episodes; one scene featuring Grant Mitchell (
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...
) involved a
crane shot Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname ...
, which Hooper believes made him infamous among the ''EastEnders'' production crew. In 1999, Hooper directed two episodes of
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
's comedy-drama television series ''
Cold Feet Cold feet is a phrase that refers to a person not going through with an action, particularly one which requires long term commitment, due to fear, uncertainty, and doubt. A person is said to be "getting cold feet" when, after previously committin ...
'', which marked his move to bigger-budget productions.Halper, Jenny (24 September 2009).
AWFJ Women On Film – Tom Hooper On "The Damned United" – Jenny Halper interviews
. Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved 24 September 2010
archived
by WebCite on 3 January 2011).
There was initially concern at Granada that Hooper might be an unsuitable director for the series given his background in drama. In 2001, Hooper directed his first of two costume dramas for the BBC; '' Love in a Cold Climate'' was based on
Nancy Mitford Nancy Freeman-Mitford (28 November 1904 – 30 June 1973), known as Nancy Mitford, was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the London ...
's novels '' The Pursuit of Love'' and '' Love in a Cold Climate''. Hooper, the writer Deborah Moggach, and the producer Kate Harwood researched the period details of the production by interviewing Nancy's sister
Deborah According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...
. In 2002, Hooper directed '' Daniel Deronda'', adapted from
George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...
's novel. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''s
Mark Lawson Mark Gerard Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster and author. Specialising in culture and the arts, he is best known for presenting the flagship BBC Radio 4 arts programme '' Front Row'' between 1998 and 2014.Padraic Flanaga"Mark Lawson ...
said of Hooper's two costume dramas, "he brought verve and intelligence to television's most conservative form". Hooper returned to Granada the next year to direct the revival of '' Prime Suspect'', entitled ''The Last Witness''. The two-part serial was the first ''Prime Suspect'' instalment to be made since 1995, when star
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom ...
quit. Hooper initially declined to direct the production because he believed the series was tired. Granada's head of drama Andy Harries introduced Hooper to Mirren, who persuaded him to take the job by promising that he could make the serial his own way. The two-part serial was broadcast on the ITV network in November 2003. Hooper's direction received praise from Andrew Billen in the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'': "Tom Hooper proved an outstanding director, imposing a bleak, overlit hyper-realism on the search for a killer in a hospital, isolating Mirren in rows of empty chairs and playing on the eyewitness/optical visual metaphors." The serial was also broadcast on PBS in the United States. Hooper received nominations for the
British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...
for Best Drama Serial and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special for his work on ''Prime Suspect''.


Film debut and HBO works

Hooper made his debut as a feature film director with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission drama '' Red Dust'' (2004), which stars
Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...
, Chiwetel Ejiofor and
Jamie Bartlett James Bartlett (9 July 1966 – 23 May 2022) was a British-born South African actor best known for his role as the wicked puppet master, David Genaro, in '' Rhythm City'' and his theatre work. Career Television Bartlett was a well-known South ...
. The film was not widely seen, which Hooper attributed to media coverage of torture during the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
: "When I started making it you could watch the movie with a wonderful sense of 'we'd never do it in our own country…they're the horrible people but it's not us.' By the time the film came out (there were) these revelations that the Americans were torturing, the British were torturing. The film became a lot more uncomfortable for the very audiences it was designed to target. I have learned that sadly the theatrical audience does not run to see films that are openly issue-led." The premiere of the film in the United Kingdom came on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
in 2005, making it eligible for the BAFTA Television Awards; it was nominated in the Best Single Drama category at the 2006 ceremony. In 2005, Hooper was asked by Helen Mirren to direct the Company Pictures/HBO Films two-part serial ''
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
'', in which she was starring. The serial won Hooper his first Emmy Award, for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special. In January 2006, Hooper commenced filming the Granada/HBO television film ''
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the mee ...
''. The film dramatises the failed efforts of Lord Longford (played by
Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film '' Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for ...
) to secure the release from prison of Moors murderer Myra Hindley (played by Samantha Morton). The film was broadcast on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
in October 2006. Seb Morton-Clark for the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' called ''Longford'' one of the most accomplished television dramas of 2006, and praised the writer and director: "Morgan and director Tom Hooper wove a seamless narrative about obsession – and not just that of the misguided philanthropist for the incarcerated Hindley or even that that existed between the sadistic lovers themselves. More significantly, by using chunks of original television footage, they painted a stark picture of the zealotry of a vengeful nation and its press over the supposed embodiment of evil." Hooper's continued successes led him to be ranked at number four in the Directors category of ''
Broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...
'' magazine's annual Hot 100. The following year he was nominated for the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Director for ''Longford''. ''Elizabeth I'' and ''Longford'' led directly to Hooper being selected by
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
to direct the epic miniseries ''
John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
'' for
Playtone Playtone (stylized on-screen as PLAY•TONE; a.k.a. The Playtone Company) is an American film and television production company established in 1998 by actor Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman. It was named after the fictional record compan ...
and HBO. Hooper had been working on a biographical film with Joan Didion about Katharine Graham, publisher of ''The Washington Post'', since 2006 when he was asked by Hanks to helm the programme. The miniseries, starring Paul Giamatti as John Adams, was based on David McCullough's Adams John Adams (book), biography and was Hooper's first wholly American production. He was surprised to learn that the American Revolutionary War was not a well-documented period in film and television; Abigail Adams actress Laura Linney told him that, for her generation, the musical ''1776 (musical), 1776'' was the most well-known depiction of the era. He worked on the miniseries for a total of 16 months; principal photography lasted 110 days on locations in the United States, France, England and Hungary and he controlled a $100 million budget. ''The Boston Globe''s Matthew Gilbert complimented Hooper's style of direction in the first two episodes "Join or Die" and "Independence":
Director Tom Hooper lets his actors shine, as he did so marvelously in Helen Mirren's ''Elizabeth I'' and the child-killer drama ''Longford'', but he complements them, too, with this kind of immediate point of view. And when he does give us panoramic shots from afar – of the Adams farm in Braintree, for example – they're askew, to keep us out of the classroom mode. At the end of episode 2 [...] Hooper showcases all his directorial strength with one bold choice. When the long-fretting Congress finally decides to break with Britain, he refrains from using any visual or aural tweaks. Upon the announcement, "The resolution carries," the scene remains perfectly silent for one long moment. The terror of responsibility hangs heavily in the room, while a victorious soundtrack surely would have chased it away.
''John Adams'' received 23 Emmy Award nominations, including another Outstanding Direction nomination for Hooper, and won 13, the highest number for any nominee in a single year. He was also nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement. At the beginning of 2009, he was profiled for ''The Observer''s film Hotlist.


Independent feature films

The wake of ''John Adams''' Emmy wins brought offers to Hooper from studios to direct spy and comic book films, which he declined. In November 2007, he signed on to direct ''
The Damned United ''The Damned United'' is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel '' The Damned Utd'' – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of ...
'', reuniting him with Peter Morgan and Andy Harries. The film was an adaptation of David Peace's novel ''The Damned Utd'', a fictional version of the 44 turbulent days English football manager
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Engli ...
spent as manager of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United. It was originally developed by Stephen Frears for
Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
to play Clough. Frears quit the project after he was unable to translate the book to film. Hooper received a copy of the script while shooting ''John Adams'' in Hungary and noticed a similarity between the "egotistical, flawed, brilliant" Adams and the "egotistical, flawed, brilliant" Clough.Hooper, Tom. Television interview with Stephen Sackur. ''Hardtalk''. BBC News 24. 26 March 2009. He was not put off by joining the project later, as Morgan's script was in only its first draft. During pre-production, Hooper engaged in meticulous research, particularly on the locations and the football grounds of the era. He cast Timothy Spall as Clough's assistant Peter Taylor (footballer born 1928), Peter Taylor, Colm Meaney as Don Revie and Jim Broadbent as Derby County F.C., Derby County chairman Sam Longson. During editing, it was decided to make the tone of the film lighter to attract audiences and to appease the real people depicted in the film. ''The Damned United'' was released in 2009. Work on Hooper's next film, ''
The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...
'', began in the same year. Hooper explained: "It was a stage play, and my mother who's Australian was invited to a fringe [theatre] reading in London because she's part of the Australian community. The play's about the relationship between King George the Sixth and his Australian speech therapist. She came back and said 'you've got to read this play,' and I read it and it was brilliant ...". Hooper cast
Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...
as George VI of the United Kingdom, George VI and
Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...
as Lionel Logue and spent three weeks with the actors reading the script and rehearsing.Kung, Michelle (6 November 2010).
AFI Fest Honors 'The King's Speech' Collaborators Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Tom Hooper
. Speakeasy (WSJ.com). Retrieved 7 November 2010
archived
by WebCite on 3 January 2011).
Principal photography took place on location around the UK from November 2009 to January 2010. During editing, Hooper continued to consult with Firth and Rush by sending them cuts of the film and listening to their feedback. Hooper completed the final cut of the film at the end of August 2010 and presented it a few days later at the Telluride Film Festival. The film won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and Hooper won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. In February 2011, he was presented with the Academy Award for Best Director, though lost the BAFTA Award for Best Direction to David Fincher.2011 Film Awards Winners
. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
In comparing the two films, ''Variety (magazine), Variety''s Adam Dawtrey wrote, "Hooper's 2009 film ''The Damned United'' didn't register among awards selectors, but ''King's Speech'' is a much more personal project. His Anglo-Australian parentage reflects the culture clash at the heart of the movie, and it pays off with beautifully crafted, crowd-pleasing drama."


Studio films

Following the success of ''The King's Speech'' during the awards season, Hooper joined the 15-person board of governors at the British Film Institute, was invited to join the directors branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was ranked at number 19 in ''The Times'' British Film Power 100. In March 2009, Hooper met with Nelson Mandela in preparation for directing a film adaptation of Mandela's autobiography ''Long Walk to Freedom''. By 2012, however, he had left the project.Lyus, Jon (3 January 2011).
Interview: The King’s Speech Director Tom Hooper Talks Awards, The Beauty of Silence and Directing Bond
. HeyUGuys. Retrieved 3 January 2011
archived
by WebCite on 3 January 2011).
He was offered the chance to direct ''Iron Man 3'' for Marvel Studios but declined and instead signed on to direct ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' for Working Title Films, which he had first heard about while discussing a different project with screenwriter William Nicholson (writer), William Nicholson in 2010. Hooper had not seen the musical, so watched a performance of it in London's West End.Freer, Ian (January 2013). "Hugo Cabaret". ''Empire'' (Bauer Media): pp. 120–125. Adapted from the Les Misérables (musical), musical, the film starred
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Eddie Redmayne. As the film required the actors to sing and dance, they were auditioned in front of Hooper, producers and composers. The role of Fantine was hugely contested; Hooper said, "It was like half a dozen of the biggest female movie stars on the planet wanted to play the role".Vena, Jocelyn (28 August 2012).
Anne Hathaway Is 'Breathtaking' In 'Les Miserables,' Director Gushes'
. MTV News. Retrieved 19 November 2012
archived
by WebCite on 28 November 2012).
Hooper investigated filming the feature in 3D film, 3D, and performed some camera tests before deciding to film it with traditional 2D methods. He stated "[...] I slightly worry with 3D that some people will physically struggle with it. If you have a certain type of eyesight it can be more demanding than watching a normal movie." Unlike other musical films, ''Les Misérables'' features the actors singing live on camera, rather than miming to backing vocals. Hooper told ''Los Angeles Times'' that he thought there was a "slightly strange falseness" when he saw musical films where the actors sang to recordings. The actors wore wireless earpieces on set so they could sing to accompanying piano music. Hooper believed this method allowed the actors to have emotional control over their songs: "When Annie [Hathaway, who plays Fantine] is singing 'I Dreamed a Dream', if she needs to take a tenth of a second to have a thought before she sings it, or to have an emotion before she sings a line, she can take it."Gettell, Oliver (4 November 2012). "Holiday Movie Sneaks; The Singing; Power of the passion; Director Tom Hooper's 'Les Miserables' taps the heat of live performances". ''Los Angeles Times'' (Tribune Company): p. D12.''Les Miserables'' was released in North America on 25 December 2012, and received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.Les Misérables (2012)
. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
Hooper's fifth feature film, ''
The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fir ...
'', was released in late 2015. It loosely tells the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery, and wife Gerda Wegener. It stars Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, both of whom received Academy Award nominations. Critics were generally positive about the film. In May 2016, it was announced that he would direct an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical, ''Cats (2019 film), Cats'', which is in turn, based on T. S. Eliot's ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats''. Filming commenced in November 2018 and the film, which stars Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, James Corden, Idris Elba and Taylor Swift, was released on 20 December 2019 but was a critical and Box-office bomb, commercial failure. Hooper co-produced the original song "Beautiful Ghosts" with Lloyd Webber and Greg Wells, written by Swift and Lloyd Webber.


Directorial style

Hooper uses camera styles "that encode the DNA of the storytelling in some way" and will reuse and develop filming styles in successive productions.Hooper, Tom (21 January 2011).
The King's Speech director Tom Hooper answers your questions – live!
. guardian.co.uk (Guardian News & Media). Retrieved 6 July 2011
archived
by WebCite on 6 July 2011).
Hooper identifies research as being key to his process of directing period dramas such as ''John Adams'' to make the scenes authentic.Thompson, Anne (22 November 2010).
Oscar Watch Q &A: Tom Hooper Talks Long Road to King’s Speech
. Thompson on Hollywood. Retrieved 6 July 2011
archived
by WebCite on 6 July 2011).
For ''The Damned United'', Hooper and director of photography Ben Smithard researched the look of the late 1960s and early 1970s through football photography books. Hooper has also been influenced by cinematographer Larry Smith (cinematographer), Larry Smith, who worked with Stanley Kubrick and advised Hooper of techniques used by Kubrick. Hooper and Smith have worked together on ''Cold Feet'', ''Love in a Cold Climate'', ''Prime Suspect'', ''Red Dust'' and ''Elizabeth I''. Hooper also uses uncommon framing techniques to emphasise story; in ''John Adams'', he wanted to imply American independence seemed unlikely during the Revolutionary War, so he used "a very rough camera style—almost all hand held, wide lenses close to the actors, lots of movement, many cameras shooting at once so there was often not a settled master "point of view", and lots of unmatching dutch tilts so the horizon lines of the frame were often being thrown off." The America-set scenes were contrasted by the scenes set in France, in which more traditional filming techniques were employed to evoke a feel of entrenched values. Similarly, in ''The Damned United'', Hooper began to experiment with using wide-angle lenses and putting actors in the extreme edges of the frame. He was influenced by the unusual framing from social photography of the 1970s, and he and Ben Smithard decided to adopt the framing style while scouting locations. Hooper used the same style in ''The King's Speech'', particularly in the scene where Bertie and Logue meet in Logue's consulting room; Colin Firth is framed to the extreme left of the picture, leaving most of the shot dominated by the rough wall behind Firth.O'Connell, Seann (22 December 2010).
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech – For Your Consideration
. HollywoodNews.com (Hollywood Movie News). Retrieved 6 July 2011
archived
by WebCite on 6 July 2011).
Another frequently used technique is Hooper's tendency to use a variety of focal length camera lenses to distort the resulting picture.Oppenheimer, Jean (December 2010). "Production Slate: A Future King Finds His Voice". ''American Cinematographer'' (American Society of Cinematographers) 91 (12): pp. 18–22. In ''The Damned United'' he used a 10mm lens, notably in the scene where Clough stays inside during the Derby–Leeds match. Hooper operated the camera in this scene himself.Hope-Jones, Mark (November 2009). "Kicked Off the Pitch". ''American Cinematographer'' (American Society of Cinematographers) 90 (11): pp. 58–65. In ''The King's Speech'', Hooper used "typically 14mm, 18mm, 21mm, 25mm and 27mm" lenses and put the camera close to the actors' faces. Hooper said the use of this method in the first consulting room scene served to "suggest the awkwardness and tension of Logue and Bertie's first meeting".


Controversy

Following the release of ''Cats,'' reports came from the film's visual effects departments of Hooper's "hurtful," "horrible," "disrespectful" and "demeaning attitude" towards them and their work. The VFX team reportedly were forced to work upwards of 90 hour working weeks, with some employees staying at the offices for two to three days at a time just to finish the film. One member of the VFX team said Hooper's treatment "was pure, almost slavery for us", with six months to complete the trailer, and only four months to complete the film. Hooper supposedly had no inclination as to the process of visual effects, thus the VFX department couldn't show Hooper the step-by-step process of what he wanted, such as animatics, unless it was already rendered. He reportedly would send e-mails to individual VFX artists on the film to denigrate their work. Hooper would also insult them during conference meetings, calling the work "garbage." Neither Hooper nor Universal have commented on the accusations.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations

Directed Academy Award performances Hooper has directed multiple Academy Award-nominated performances, three of which have won.


See also

*List of directorial debuts *List of EastEnders crew members, List of ''EastEnders'' crew members *List of English Academy Award nominees and winners *List of University of Oxford people


Notes


References


External links

*
Hooper's Academy Award for Best Director acceptance speech
(video) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooper, Tom 1972 births Alumni of University College, Oxford Best Directing Academy Award winners English people of Australian descent English film directors English film producers English television directors English male screenwriters Living people People educated at Westminster School, London Film directors from London Film producers from London Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at Highgate School Directors Guild of America Award winners English-language film directors Australian people of English descent Australian television directors Australian film directors Australian film producers Australian screenwriters Australian expatriates in England