Born in post-war Portsmouth, England, John Madden studied English Literature at Clifton College, then the University of Cambridge. But his true passion for drama was fed outside of the classroom working with, and eventually running, the Oxford and Cambridge Shakespeare Company. He began his professional career at the BBC in the 1970's, but quickly left for an opportunity to develop and direct radio dramas for National Public Radio in the United States.
Madden’s most successful radio production became representative of his diverse career. He directed Wings, written by Arthur Kopit, for radio, the stage in New York, and as a television movie. The successful turns allowed Madden to direct and teach theater both in the United States and the United Kingdom.
When he returned to London he began directing independent television films and shows for the BBC, like The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986), Inspector Morse (1990-1995), Prime Suspect: The Lost Child (1995), and Truth or Dare (1996).
His first feature films were Ethan Frome (1993) and Golden Gate (1994), but the success of Mrs. Brown (1997), led to the opportunity to direct Shakespeare in Love (1998). His background in having staged many Shakespeare productions paid off as the film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 1999.
Madden’s other feature films include Proof (2005), The Debt (2010), and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). 2015 will see the release of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Madden also directed the pilot episode of Masters of Sex for Showtime in 2013.
For Shakespeare in Love, Madden was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director as well as the DGA Award for Outstand Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.