About Michael Anderson (director)
Michael Joseph Anderson Sr (30 January 1920 – 25 April 2018) was an English film and television director. His career spanned nearly 50 years across three countries, working at various times in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. His most critically and commercially successful works include the World War II film The Dam Busters (1955), the dystopian sci-fi film Logan's Run (1976), and the comedy adventure epic Around the World in 80 Days (1956), which won the 1957 Academy Award for Best Picture. Anderson received nominations for the Best Director Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Director for Around the World in 80 Days. He was twice nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (for Logan's Run and for the Ray Bradbury miniseries The Martian Chronicles), and for a Directors Guild of America Award and the Palme d'Or. In 2012, he received the Directors Guild of Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award. Anderson was the father of actor Michael Anderson Jr., and the stepfather of actress Laurie Holden. Michael had made only small films before that, having previously been the best first assistant director in the business. His great-aunt was Mary Anderson of Louisville, Kentucky, who became one of the first US Shakespearean actresses; the Mary Anderson Theatre in Louisville was dedicated to her. Todd recalled when first told Anderson was to direct "I thought this was typical ABPC cheese-paring, instead of getting an expensive well-known director.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.