Chris Columbus Biography.

Born on September 10, 1958 in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, Chris Columbus was first inspired to make movies after seeing “The Godfather’ at the age of 15. After enrolling at the NYU film school, he sold his first screenplay (never produced) while a sophomore there.

After graduation, Columbus tried to sell his fourth script, “Gremlins”, with no success, until Steven Spielberg optioned it. Columbus moved to Los Angeles for a year during working on the project in Spielberg’s bungalow at Universal.

After writing two more scripts for Spielberg, The Goonies and Young Sherlock Holmes, Columbus own directing career was launched a few years later with Adventures in Babysitting. He is best known to audiences as the director of the runaway hit, Home Alone, written and produced by John Hughes, its sequel, Home Alone 2, and most recently, Mrs. Doubtfire.

He got the directing gig on Harry Potter after longtime front-runner Steven Spielberg passed on the project. He met author J.K. Rowling in England and won the job over several other candidates after promising her he would film entirely in the United Kingdom and use an all-British cast. Most of the crew was also British.

Trivia

At one time lived in River Forest, Illinois which shares a high school with the suburb, Oak Park, in which Adventures in Babysitting (1987) was based. Oak Park and River Forest High School’s name was changed for the movie, however, they kept the style of the high school’s jackets same for the film.

Quote

“By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.”-Christopher Columbus