Michael Crichton
John McTiernan
GoldSmith

JOHN McTIERNAN (Director/Producer) has helmed some of the biggest and most exciting box office hits of the past decade, including the phenomenal box office success "Die Hard." McTiernan followed "Die Hard" with "The Hunt for Red October," the blockbuster adaptation of Tom Clancy's best-seller. Starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, the film represented a marked change from the explosives and high bullet count of "Die Hard." With "The Hunt For Red October," McTiernan further refined an active, fluid cinematic style and a theme that has distinguished all his films: the battle of wills between strong, opposing individuals. McTiernan grew up in a small farm town in upstate New York, and developed his interest in drama at an early age. After graduating from Exeter prep school, he enrolled at Juilliard to study theatre directing, but quickly realized his real interest was film. McTiernan earned a fellowship from the American Film Institute, where he began his formal education in movie directing. In 1986, McTiernan wrote and directed his first feature, the science fiction-fantasy "Nomads" starring Pierce Brosnan. The director was then given his first shot at a major studio feature and made the most of it with "Predator," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition, his film credits include "The Last Action Hero" and "Medicine Man." His most recent film is "The Thomas Crown Affair." In 1997 he received the A.F.I. Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Award which recognizes the artistic and distinguished achievements of an A.F.I. alumnus.