Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)
[''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485.] is a British-Australian filmmaker. Known for his work in film and television he has received
numerous accolades including an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, a
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
, a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
and three
Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
.
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 channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
in 1992. At Oxford University, he directed plays and television commercials. After graduating, he directed episodes of ''
Quayside'', ''
Byker Grove'', ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television 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 East End of London, the ...
'', and ''
Cold Feet
''Cold Feet'' is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his 1997 Comedy Premieres, Comedy ...
'' on British television. In the 2000s, Hooper directed the major
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
costume dramas ''
Love in a Cold Climate'' (2001) and ''
Daniel Deronda'' (2002), as well as the 2003 revival of
ITV's ''
Prime Suspect'' series. He gained acclaim for directing the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
projects ''
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
'' (2005), ''
Longford'' (2006), and ''
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
'' (2008), the former of which earned him the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie.
Hooper made his feature film debut with the British drama ''
Red Dust'' (2004) followed by the
sports drama ''
The Damned United'' (2009). He directed the historical drama ''
The King's Speech'' (2010) which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Director
The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibit ...
. He followed up with the musical epic ''
Les Misérables'' (2012), and the romantic drama ''
The Danish Girl'' (2015), the later of which was nominated for the
BAFTA Award for Best British Film. He directed the
2019 live-action adaptation of the musical ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
'', for which he won three
Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director, Worst Picture, and Worst Screenplay. That same year he directed two episodes of the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
fantasy series ''
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 ...
'' (2019).
Early life and education
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 and ]Westminster School
Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
. 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 opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
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
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 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 ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
.[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
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.[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 annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a Futures studies, theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radi ...
.[
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 channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
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 held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October.
In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...
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
A gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is a period of time when students take a break from their studies, usually after completing high school or before beginning graduate school. During this time, students engage in a variety of educatio ...
to finance ''Painted Faces'', Hooper read English at University College, Oxford. He joined the Oxford University Dramatic Society
The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...
, where he directed Kate Beckinsale in '' A View from the Bridge'' and Emily Mortimer 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
is a 1994 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Like previous ''Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic'' games, players traverse side-scrolling levels while collecting Rings (Sonic the Hedgehog), ri ...
'' 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, Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley, various accolades throughout Ben Kingsley on screen and stage, his career spanning fi ...
, and Mark Strong, which aired during Super Bowl XLV. His commercial work is produced through international production company SMUGGLER.
Career
1997–2003: 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 an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...
, Tony Scott
Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was a British film director and producer.
He made his theatrical film debut with ''The Hunger (1983 film), The Hunger'' (1983) and went on to direct highly successful action and t ...
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'' in 1997, four episodes of the Children's BBC television series '' Byker Grove'' in the same year, and his first episodes of the ]BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
soap opera ''EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television 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 East End of London, the ...
'' 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 British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955.
Background
The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...
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). 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 ensemble ca ...
'' and '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and tried to work that style into his ''EastEnders'' episodes; one scene featuring Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp) involved a crane shot, 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 (TV network), 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 on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...
's comedy-drama television series ''Cold Feet
''Cold Feet'' is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his 1997 Comedy Premieres, Comedy ...
'', 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) was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford family#Mitford sisters, Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the ...
'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. In 2002, Hooper directed '' Daniel Deronda'', adapted from George Eliot's novel. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s 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 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'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
'': "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 British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955.
Background
The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...
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''.
2004–2008: Film debut and HBO works
Hooper made his debut as a feature film director with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission
A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state ac ...
drama '' Red Dust'' (2004), which stars Hilary Swank, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jamie Bartlett. The film was not widely seen, which Hooper attributed to media coverage of torture during the Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
: "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 service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
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 List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
'', 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''. The film dramatises the failed efforts of Lord Longford (played by Jim Broadbent) to secure the release from prison of Moors murderer Myra Hindley (played by ]Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her work in independent film with dark and tragic themes, particularly in period dramas. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the BAFTA Fellowship ...
). The film was broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
in October 2006. Seb Morton-Clark for the ''Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' 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 data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...
'' 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 a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
'' for Playtone and HBO. Hooper had been working on a biographical film with Joan Didion about Katharine Graham, publisher of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', since 2006 when he was asked by Hanks to helm the programme. The miniseries, starring Paul Giamatti as John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
, was based on David McCullough
David Gaub McCullough (; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian. He was a two-time winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United S ...
's Adams biography
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
and was Hooper's first wholly American production. 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
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
''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
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
''s film Hotlist.
2009–2010: 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'', 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 spent as manager of Leeds United. It was originally developed by Stephen Frears
Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...
for Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...
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, ]Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney (; ; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor. Known for his performances across screen and stage, he has received seven nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning twice for 2001's '' How Harry Became a Tree'', and ...
as Don Revie and Jim Broadbent as 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'', began in the same year. Hooper explained: "It was a stage play, and my mother who's Australian was invited to a fringe heatrereading 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 as ]George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue
Lionel George Logue (26 February 1880 – 12 April 1953) was an Australian speech and language therapist and amateur stage actor who helped George VI, King George VI manage his Stuttering, stammer.
Early life and family
Logue was born on 26 F ...
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 Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is a film festival held annually in Telluride, Colorado, during Labor Day, Labor Day weekend (the first Monday in September). The 51st Telluride Film Festival, 51st edition took place on August 30–September ...
. The film won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
and Hooper won the 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
The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibit ...
, 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''s Adam Dawtrey wrote, "Hooper's 2009 film ''The Damned United'' did not 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."
2011–present: 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
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, 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
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' British Film Power 100. In March 2009, Hooper met with Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
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
''Iron Man 3'' is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' (2008) an ...
'' for Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
but declined and instead signed on to direct '' Les Misérables'' for Working Title Films, which he had first heard about while discussing a different project with screenwriter 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 musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
, the film starred Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...
, 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, 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 athaway, who plays Fantineis 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'', was released in late 2015. It loosely tells the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery
Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their gender identity. The phrase is most often associat ...
, 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
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
'', 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
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
, James Corden, Idris Elba and Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
, was released on 20 December 2019 but was a critical and commercial failure. Hooper co-produced the original song " Beautiful Ghosts" with Lloyd Webber and Greg Wells, written by Swift and Lloyd Webber.
In 2023, he co-supervised a new digital remix and remaster of ''Les Misérables'' in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, in collaboration with producer Cameron Mackintosh, music producer Lee McCutcheon, music director Stephen Metcalfe and sound mixer Andy Nelson. This version of the film was released theatrically in Dolby Cinema on 14 February 2024 in the United Kingdom and 23 February 2024 in North America to celebrate the stage musical's upcoming 40th anniversary in 2025.
In February 2024, Hooper revealed that some upcoming projects with him set to direct are in the works, following a five-year hiatus from the medium caused by the critical and financial failure of ''Cats'' and spending time directing commercials for clients such as Vodafone
Vodafone Group Public Limited Company () is a British Multinational company, multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates Service (economic ...
, 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 ...
, Santander and Vanish, saying, "I'm certainly quite close on a couple of things ... I've been busy. I'm very happy to get back behind the camera."
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".]
''Cats'' VFX accusations
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 little understanding of the process of visual effects, thus the VFX department could not show Hooper the step-by-step process of what he wanted, such as animatics, unless it was already rendered. He reportedly would send emails 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
Under Hooper's direction, these actors have received Academy Awards, Academy Award nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles.
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
Television producers from London
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
Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners
Governors of the British Film Institute