Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone
Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Oliver Stone
Caption	Stone in 2016
Birth date	15 September 1946
Birth place	New York City, U.S.
Education	New York University (BFA)
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer
Years active	1971–present
Spouse	Najwa Sarkis (m. 1971; div. 1977), Elizabeth Stone (m. 1981; div. 1993), Sun-jung Jung (m. 1996)

Oliver Stone is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his controversial and politically charged works. His career, spanning over five decades, is marked by films that critically examine pivotal moments in modern American history, often exploring themes of conspiracy, militarism, and media bias. A recipient of numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, his filmmaking style is characterized by its visceral energy and confrontational approach to subject matter.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, he spent part of his childhood in France and Connecticut before attending The Hill School in Pennsylvania. His parents' divorce and his father's work on Wall Street influenced his later perspectives on family and finance. After a brief enrollment at Yale University, he worked as a teacher in Vietnam and later served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and artistic vision. He was wounded in action and awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Upon returning, he studied filmmaking under Martin Scorsese at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1971.

Film career

His early screenwriting success came with Alan Parker's *Midnight Express* (1978), which won him his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He transitioned to directing with the horror film *The Hand* (1981) before achieving major critical and commercial success with *Salvador* (1986) and his seminal Vietnam War trilogy: *Platoon* (1986), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director, *Born on the Fourth of July* (1989), earning him a second Best Director Oscar, and *Heaven & Earth* (1993). He further explored American politics and history with films like *JFK* (1991), *Nixon* (1995), and *W.* (2008), often generating significant public debate. His later work includes the financial crisis drama *Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps* (2010) and the *Snowden* (2016) biopic.

Political views and activism

A self-described democratic socialist, his films and public commentary frequently critique U.S. foreign policy, corporate power, and the mainstream media, which he has labeled a "propaganda machine." He has conducted extensive interviews with world leaders like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, and Vladimir Putin for documentary projects such as *The Putin Interviews* (2017). His documentary series *The Untold History of the United States* (2012) presents a revisionist perspective on 20th-century American history. These activities have led to his being characterized as a conspiracy theorist and an apologist for authoritarian regimes by some critics, while others praise his willingness to challenge orthodox historical narratives.

Personal life

He has been married three times: to journalist Najwa Sarkis, and then to Elizabeth Stone, with whom he had two children, before marrying Sun-jung Jung, a Korean American assistant, with whom he has one child. He has been open about his past struggles with substance abuse, including cocaine and marijuana use, and his experiences with psychedelic drugs. A resident of Los Angeles, he has also been involved in various real estate ventures. His son, Sean Stone, has appeared in several of his films and is also a filmmaker.

Filmography and accolades

His extensive body of work as a director includes notable films such as *Talk Radio* (1988), *The Doors* (1991), *Natural Born Killers* (1994), and *World Trade Center* (2006). In addition to his three Academy Awards, his honors include a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for *Born on the Fourth of July*, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for *Platoon*, and a César Award for Best Foreign Film. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 and was awarded the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2016 for his contribution to cinema.

Category:American film directors Category:American screenwriters Category:Academy Award winners