Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
	Zemeckis in 2015
Born	Robert Lee Zemeckis; May 14, 1952; Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Bob Zemeckis
Alma mater	Northern Illinois University; University of Southern California (BFA)
Occupations	Film director; producer; screenwriter;
Years active	1972–present
Spouses	Mary Ellen Trainor (m. 1980; div. 2000); Leslie Zemeckis (m. 2001);
Children	4
Awards	Full list

Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952)^[3] is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential films, often blending cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling. He has received several accolades including two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for five British Academy Film Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award.

Zemeckis gained small recognition for directing his short film A Field of Honor in 1973, which awarded him a Student Academy Award for Special Jury Prize at USC.^[4] He started his career directing the comedy films I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Used Cars (1980), and Romancing the Stone (1984). He gained prominence directing the science-fiction comedy Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990), the fantasy comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and the comedy-drama Forrest Gump (1994), the latter of which won his Academy Award for Best Director.^[5] He is one of few people to achieve Academy Awards for both student and competitive.^[6]

He has also directed the satirical black comedy Death Becomes Her (1992), the science fiction film Contact (1997), and the drama films Cast Away (2000), Flight (2012), The Walk (2015), and Allied (2016). His exploration of motion capture techniques can be seen in the animated films The Polar Express (2004) and A Christmas Carol (2009) as well as the action fantasy drama Beowulf (2007), and the drama Welcome to Marwen (2018). He has collaborated with film composer Alan Silvestri since 1984, and directed Tom Hanks in five films.

^ Attanasio, Paul (July 3, 1985). "Bob Zemeckis, Zooming Ahead". Washington Post. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
^ Leicester, John (July 24, 2021). "At Tokyo Olympics, a debt to 'Back to the Future' and 'E.T.'". ABC News. Retrieved December 12, 2021. 'The skateboard associations and the BMX associations should be giving Bob Zemeckis, myself and Steven Spielberg lifetime achievement awards,' joked 'Back to the Future' screenwriter Bob Gale in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the competitions.
^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 9–15". Associated Press. May 14, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Harris, Mark (July 15, 1994). "Movie Review: Forrest Gump". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
^ "Student Academy Awards | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. August 13, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.

[1] Attanasio, Paul (July 3, 1985). "Bob Zemeckis, Zooming Ahead". Washington Post. Retrieved December 12, 2021.

[2] Leicester, John (July 24, 2021). "At Tokyo Olympics, a debt to 'Back to the Future' and 'E.T.'". ABC News. Retrieved December 12, 2021. 'The skateboard associations and the BMX associations should be giving Bob Zemeckis, myself and Steven Spielberg lifetime achievement awards,' joked 'Back to the Future' screenwriter Bob Gale in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the competitions.

[3] "Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 9–15". Associated Press. May 14, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.

[:0-4] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Harris, Mark (July 15, 1994). "Movie Review: Forrest Gump". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2007.

[6] "Student Academy Awards | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. August 13, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.

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