Birthdays September 17
Having a Birthday on September 17th includes 4 directors, Neill Blomkamp (38), Bryan Singer (52), Paul Feig (55), and Baz Luhrmann (55). Also having a birthday is Ella Purnell (21, Churchill), Danielle Brooks (28, Orange is the New Black), Sam Esmail (40, Mr. Robot), Ian Whyte (46, Game of Thrones), Malik Yoba (50, Designated Survivor), Kyle Chandler (52, Bloodline), Cassandra Peterson (66, Elvira), Anne Bancroft (1931-2005, The Graduate), and Roddy McDowall (1928-1998, Planet of the Apes).
Neill Blomkamp was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and often uses the country as a setting in his films. His first feature was District 9 (2009 sci-fi with Sharlto Copley) about aliens who land on Earth and live in slum-like conditions, part documentary and part thriller. He also co-wrote the film and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. More often choosing to make short films, his other feature lengths are Elysium (2013 sci-fi action with Matt Damon) and Chappie (2015 action drama with Dev Patel). A project of his that has been in production limbo for years is an Alien film, as in Ridley Scott’s franchise starring Sigourney Weaver.
Bryan Singer was born in New York City and has been a huge part of the X-Men cinematic universe since directing the first instalment, X-Men (2000 sci-fi action with Patrick Stewart). His first feature was Public Access (1993 thriller about a local cable tv show), followed by The Usual Suspects (1995 crime mystery with Kevin Spacey, who won an Oscar for his supporting role). He directed X-Men sequels in 2003, 2014, and 2016, as well as Apt Pupil (1998 thriller with Ian McKellen), Superman Returns (2006 sci-fi action with Brandon South), Valkyrie (2008 thriller with Tom Cruise), and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013 adventure with Nicholas Hoult). He is next working on the musical Broadway 4D (Hugh Jackman) and the music drama Bohemian Rhapsody (with Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen).
Paul Feig was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, got his first directing credit for Life Sold Separately (1997 drama about four strangers who meet in a field), and followed it with I Am David (2003 drama about a Bulgarian Communist concentration camp with Jim Caviezel). He went on to direct episodes of Arrested Development (2004-2005), Nurse Jackie (2009-2010), and The Office (2005-2011), and most recently has made a string of Melissa McCarthy films. Those include Bridesmaids (2011 with Kristen Wiig), The Heat (2013 with Sandra Bullock), Spy (2015 with Rose Byrne), and Ghostbusters (2016 also with Kristen Wiig). Feig is now working on A Simple Favor (crime mystery with Blake Lively) and a sequel to The Heat.
Baz Luhrmann was born in New South Wales, Australia, got his first directing credit for Strictly Ballroom (1992 rom-com about a dancer performing an unusual routine), and followed it with Romeo + Juliet (1996 romance drama with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes). His third feature, the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001 with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor) earned Luhrmann an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Like Blomkamp, he prefers to make short films and his other features include working with Nicole Kidman again in Australia (2008 drama with Hugh Jackman), and again with Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby (2013 drama with Carey Mulligan).
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