Richard Loncraine Biography

Date of Birth: October 20, 1946

Born in Cheltenham, England, Richard Loncraine has gained a reputation as an extremely versatile director with a wide range of styles to his credit. He began his career as a sculptor, with his work being displayed from time to time at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He made a name for himself when he designed Newton's Cradle - swinging silver balls hanging from strings that clack from side to side. For a time, they were found on many executives' desks.

He made the transition to directing starting with commercials, documentaries, and educational programs. When director John Schlesinger asked him to create specialized toys for his 1971 film Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Loncraine agreed on the condition that he could play a role. Schlesinger cast him as Tony.

Loncraine made his feature directorial debut with the musical drama Flame (1975). The film was a success in Britain, and Loncraine was chosen to direct his first American-funded movie, Full Circle (1977), shot in England and starring Mia Farrow as an American living in London. The film won Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival.

His 1982 psychological thriller, Brimstone and Treacle, starring Sting, won the Grand Prix des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival. He proved his ability to direct any genre when he won a Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin Film Festival as Best Director for Shakespeare's Richard III (1995), starring Annette Bening and Ian McKellen. The film was a critical success, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, as well as two BAFTA film awards.

The 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers, produced for BBC in Britain and HBO in the U.S., was Loncraine's next big triumph, winning him an Emmy in the Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries category. After two more award-winning projects for TV - The Gathering Storm (2002) and My House in Umbria (2003) - Loncraine returned to the big screen to direct Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst in Wimbledon (2004).

Loncraine lives in London with his wife and enjoys cooking in his spare time.

Filmography:

Firewall (2006)
Wimbledon (2004)
Richard III (1995)
Bellman and True (1987)
Brimstone & Treacle (1982)
The Missionary (1982)
Full Circle (1977)
Flame (1975)