November 20, 2014
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay made the following statement upon learning of the passing of Mike Nichols:
“Mike Nichols was a cinematic legend and a one of a kind storyteller,” said Barclay. “He was funny and honest and a tremendous observer of human behavior, qualities that informed his working life as a director. Actors loved working with him; his loyal crew spent decades with him; and audiences thrilled at the prickle of recognition they felt when they watched his movies. There will never be another director quite like Mike Nichols – few have crossed the genres and styles from classic dramas like The Graduate, to broad comedies like The Birdcage, to the dark night of the soul that was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Mike believed that filmmaking is a collaborative art, and he worked long and hard to put together a team that shared his sensibilities, even candidly telling us in his DGA Quarterly cover interview in 2006 that his prime rule for casting and putting together a crew was, ‘No assholes. It’s an amazing thing what a difference it makes.’ We have lost a chameleon, an icon, and a hero to us. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and the many people who loved him.”
DGA Service and Awards:
Mike Nichols served on the DGA National Board from 1969-1971 and on the Eastern Directors Council for two terms starting in 1973. In 2004, he received the Guild’s highest honor, the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was also presented with the Filmmaker Award at DGA Honors in 2000 for his contributions to the craft. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series for Angels in America (2003) and the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Graduate (1967). He was also nominated for DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Working Girl (1988).
Nichols’ Filmography
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)
- The Graduate (1967)
- Catch-22 (1970)
- Carnal Knowledge (1971)
- The Day of the Dolphin (1973)
- The Fortune (1975)
- Gilda Live (1980)
- Silkwood (1983)
- Heartburn (1986)
- Biloxi Blues (1988)
- Working Girl (1988)
- Postcards from the Edge (1990)
- Regarding Henry (1991)
- Wolf (1994)
- The Birdcage (1996)
- Primary Colors (1998)
- What Planet Are You From? (2000)
- Wit (2001)
- Angels in America (2003)
- Closer (2004)
- Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
See links to more DGA articles on Mike Nichols in the right hand margin.