Wes Anderson Biography

Growing up in Texas, Wes Anderson was always interested in filmmaking, shooting Super 8 movies in his spare time and filming shorts to air on the local cable access station in Houston, where he also learned the art of editing. He attended St. John's High School, during which time he wrote a number of plays. Studying philosophy at the University of Texas, Wes met Owen Wilson, and the two would go on to become friends. Wes was later accepted into Columbia University's film school, but decided not to go so that he could shoot his short film Bottle Rocket, starring Luke and Owen Wilson.

Two years after filming the short version of Bottle Rocket, Wes re-shot it with the same cast, but this time as a feature film. The well-received film led to Anderson receiving a number of awards, including a New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and Best New Filmmaker award from the MTV Movie Awards.

He followed his feature debut with the romantic comedy, Rushmore (1998), starring Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. The independent film not only impressed critics and exceeded expectation at the box office, it garnered numerous awards for both cast and crew, including Best Director and Best Screenplay from the Lone Star Film & Television Awards. Wes and Owen Wilson then co-wrote the comedy The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), starring Ben Stiller. Anderson and Wilson received an Oscar nomination as well as a BAFTA Film nomination and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Screenplay.

Bill Murray and Owen co-starred in Wes' next film, The Life Aquatic (2004), which Wes directed and co-wrote with Noah Baumbauch. He wrote, directed and produced the 2012 drama Moonrise Kingdom (2012), about two children who fall in love and run away together into the wilderness. Wes was nominated for a second Best Screenplay Academy Award for the film.

His next feature film, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) starring Ralph Fiennes, earned Wes not only a Best Original Screenplay nomination from the Academy Awards, but also nominations for Best Achievement in Directing and Best Picture.

In 2019, his feature film Isle of Dogs (2018) received an Oscar nod for Best Picture after winning the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2024, Wes won his first Academy Award, not for his star-studded feature film Asteroid City (2023) but for his short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

Wes currently lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography:

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
Asteroid City (2023)
The French Dispatch (2021)
Isle of Dogs (2018)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
The Life Aquatic (2004)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Rushmore (1998)
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Bottle Rocket (1994)