Michael Stephen Lehmann (born March 30, 1957) is an American film and television director known for directing the dark comedy ''
Heathers''.
Early life and education
In 1978, Lehmann graduated from
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
.
[Columbia College Today: "Michael Lehmann ’78: Satire and Subversion on the Silver Screen" By Jennifer Preissel]
November/December 2017
Lehmann is of
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
descent.
Career
Lehmann's first job in the film industry was answering phones at
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
's
American Zoetrope
American Zoetrope (also known as Omni Zoetrope from 1977 to 1980 and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1991) is a privately run American film production company, centered in San Francisco, California and founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Georg ...
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
The USC School of Cinematic Arts is an academic unit of the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. With a history that dates to the first years of Sound film, talkies, the school descends from America's first ...
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
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. Purportedly about
Mister Ed
''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...
's post-career life,
William Schallert
William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on ''Richard Diamond, Private ...
,
Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and actor. He is the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of the group's bassist John Mc ...
, and
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Woodward on '' Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television Se ...
appeared in it.
Lehmann is most known for directing the dark comedy ''
Heathers''. He also directed ''
40 Days and 40 Nights'', ''
The Truth About Cats & Dogs'', ''
Hudson Hawk
''Hudson Hawk'' is a 1991 American action comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. Bruce Willis stars in the title role and also co-wrote the story. Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, James Coburn, David Caruso, Lorraine Toussaint, Frank Stallo ...
'', ''
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
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
. Lehmann also directs for television, and has worked on ''
The Comeback'' and ''
The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...
''. Lehmann directed episodes of ''
The Larry Sanders Show
''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. Created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein, the show ran for six seasons and List of The Larry Sanders Show episodes, ...
'', ''
Watching Ellie'', ''
Century City
Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Los Angeles, Cent ...
'', ''
Big Love
''Big Love'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer that aired on HBO from 2006 to 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a Mormon fundamentalism, fundamentalist Mor ...
'', ''
True Blood
''True Blood'' is an American fantasy Horror fiction, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels ...
'', ''
Californication
Californication may refer to:
*Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S.
*Californication (album), ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
...
'', ''
Wonderfalls'', ''
White Famous'', ''
Betas'', ''
American Horror Story
''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...
'', ''
Snowfall
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
'', ''
Veronica Mars
''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen neo-noir Mystery fiction, mystery Drama (film and television), drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional city, fictional town of Ne ...
'', and ''
68 Whiskey''.
Lehmann said that he never would make a sequel to ''Heathers'' and that
Winona Ryder
Winona Laura Horowitz (born ), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder's L ...
wanted to do ''Heathers'' set in Washington, D.C., but he saw no potential for the project.
Filmography
Film
* ''
Heathers'' (1989)
* ''
Meet the Applegates'' (1990) (Also writer)
* ''
Hudson Hawk
''Hudson Hawk'' is a 1991 American action comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. Bruce Willis stars in the title role and also co-wrote the story. Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, James Coburn, David Caruso, Lorraine Toussaint, Frank Stallo ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Airheads'' (1994)
* ''
The Truth About Cats & Dogs'' (1996)
* ''
My Giant'' (1998)
* ''
40 Days and 40 Nights'' (2002)
* ''
Because I Said So'' (2007)
* ''
Flakes'' (2007)
Television
References
External links
*
1957 births
Living people
American television directors
Columbia College (New York) alumni
USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
Film directors from San Francisco
American comedy film directors
{{US-film-director-1950s-stub