Director of Freaky Friday

Background:

Director Mark Waters, sometimes credited as Mark S. Waters, began directing off-Broadway and Super8 films before making an auspicious debut in the cinematic industry with “The House of Yes” (1997), from which he was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. However, the American Film Institute graduate did not experience a box office hit until he directed Lindsay Lohan and Golden Globe nominee Jamie Lee Curtis on the flourishing remake “Freaky Friday” (2003). His next hit, “Mean Girls” (2004), also featured Lindsay Lohan in the lead. Waters said, “Lindsay is incredibly talented, but she's more interested in being a star than being an actress.

Other projects Waters has directed include 2001's “Head Over Heels,” 2002's “Warning: Parental Advisory” (TV), 2005's “Just Like Heaven” and 2008's “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” Moviegoers may also enjoy the upcoming “Will Sebastian” (2008) and “The Ghost of Girlfriends Past” (2009).

Waters was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2006.

As for his personal life, Waters is the husband of Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress Dina Spybey. He directed his wife in “Freaky Friday” and “Just Like Heaven.” Waters' older brother, Daniel Waters, is a scriptwriter and wrote the teen comedy “Heathers” (1989) and “Batman Returns” (1992).

AFI

Childhood and Family:

Mark Stephen Waters was born on June 30, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio, to a lower-middle class family. He and his older brother, future scriptwriter Daniel Waters (born on November 10, 1962), were raised by both parents until they divorced. Mark enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in pre-med, but later switched his attention to theater. He graduated in 1986. In 1994, Mark earned a Master's Degree from the directing program at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA.

On November 10, 2000, Mark married actress Dina Spybey (born on August 29, 1965).

Mean Girls

Career:

Ohio native Mark Waters moved to San Francisco to try his hand in acting and directing after completing college. Eventually, he left acting behind and focused his attention on directing.

Waters finished his studies in 1994 and within two years, worked on what would become his feature directorial debut, “The House of Yes,” which he also adapted the screenplay from the Wendy MacLeod play. Debuting at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1997, the dark comedy garnered the director adequate critical praise and acknowledgment on festival circuits and won star Parker Posey Sundance's Special Jury Prize for her performance. In addition to a Sundance's Grand Jury Prize nomination, Waters also picked up a Gold Hugo nomination for Best Film at the Chicago International Festival Film and a Deauville Film Festival nomination for Grand Special Prize.

In 2001, Waters resurfaced with his sophomore project, “Head Over Heels,” a comedy/romance starring Monica Potter and Freddie Prinze Jr. Unlike its predecessor, the Robert Simonds-produced film received a negative response from critics and was largely ignored by audiences. As a result, Waters was dropped by studios and production companies for directing projects, but he kept busy by turning to television. The television movie “Warning: Parental Advisory,” which starred Jason Priestly and Mariel Hemingway, premiered on VHI on April 21, 2002, and went on to become one of the network's major original movies.

Waters' big breakthrough arrived in 2003 with the release of “Freaky Friday,” a remake of the 1976 Gary Nelson film about a mother and daughter who trade bodies. With Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan starring in the film, the comedy enjoyed success at the box office and grossed $110 million in America.

The director had another hit when he reunited with Lindsay Lohan for his next feature, “Mean Girls” (2004). Written by Tina Fey and adapted from Rosalind Wiseman's book “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” the comedy became one of the most successful movies of the year.

In 2005, Waters directed Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo in “Just Like Heaven.” The fantasy/comedy netted a Teen Choice Award for Movies- Choice Chick Flick. Waters' real-life wife, Dina Spybey, was also cast in the movie as Witherspoon's sister. The couple previously worked together in 2003's “Freaky Friday.”

Waters returned to the big screen after three years with the adventure/fantasy “The Spiderwick Chronicles” (2008), based on the series of children's books by Holly Black, and teamed up with writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore for his upcoming film, “The Ghost of Girlfriends Past,” which is slated for a 2009 release. The comedy/romance stars Matthew McConaughey, Michael Douglass, Emma Stone, Jennifer Garner and Lacey Chabert.

The director is also set to direct the comedy/drama “Will Sebastian” (2008), written by David Hubbard.

Awards:
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