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 James Gunn was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, to Leota and James Francis Gunn. He is from a large Catholic family, with Irish and Czech ancestry. His father and his uncles were all lawyers. He has been writing and performing as long as he can remember. He began making 8mm films at the age of twelve. Many of these were comedic splatter films featuring his brothers being disemboweled by zombies. He attended Saint Louis University High (SLUH) college preparatory school but later dropped out of college to pursue a rock and roll career.His band, "the Icons", released one album, "Mom, We Like It Here on Earth". He earned very little money doing this and so during this time, he also worked as an orderly in Tucson, Arizona, upon which many of the situations in his first novel, "The Toy Collector", are based. He wrote and drew comic strips for underground and college newspapers.Gunn eventually returned to school and received his B.A. at Saint Louis University in his native St. Louis. He moved to New York where he received an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, which he today thinks may have been a wonderfully expensive waste of time. While finishing his MFA, he started writing "The Toy Collector" and began working for "Troma Studios", America's leading B-Movie production company. While there he wrote and produced the cult classic Tromeo and Juliet (1996) and, with Lloyd Kaufman, he wrote "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger".Gunn had a spiritual awakening in Cannes in 1997 and quit Troma and relocated from New York to Los Angeles. He wrote and acted in the film The Specials (2000) with Rob Lowe, Jamie Kennedy, Thomas J. Churchill and his brother Sean Gunn. He wrote two scripts for Warner Brothers live action movies: Spy vs. Spy (1985) and Scooby-Doo (2002). In 1999, after almost five years, he finished "The Toy Collector". After doing Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Gunn made his directorial debut with Slither (2006). He later made the superhero film Super (2010) and the successful Marvel films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Gunn has four brothers, all of whom are in the entertainment industry. His brother, Patrick Gunn, is a Senior VP at Artisan Entertainment, the company responsible for distributing (and the marketing campaign of) The Blair Witch Project (1999). His brother, Brian Gunn, is a screenwriter who works in partnership with their cousin Mark Gunn.Gunn's brother, Matt Gunn wrote and starred in the winner of the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, Man About Town (1997). Gunn's brother, Sean Gunn, is an actor regularly seen in films, commercials, and such TV shows as Angel (1999). James and Sean have collaborated on two occasions Sean starred in Tromeo and Juliet (1996), and they acted together and co-produced The Specials (2000). The brothers have one sister, Beth, who is a lawyer.Gunn married actress and cartoonist Jenna Fischer in 2000. They divorced in 2008. He is now in a relationship with Jennifer Holland
Bio:
James Gunn was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, to Leota and James Francis Gunn. He is from a large Catholic family, with Irish and Czech ancestry. His father and his uncles were all lawyers. He has been writing and performing as long as he can remember. He began making 8mm films at the age of twelve. Many of these were comedic splatter films featuring his brothers being disemboweled by zombies. He attended Saint Louis University High (SLUH) college preparatory school but later dropped out of college to pursue a rock and roll career.His band, "the Icons", released one album, "Mom, We Like It Here on Earth". He earned very little money doing this and so during this time, he also worked as an orderly in Tucson, Arizona, upon which many of the situations in his first novel, "The Toy Collector", are based. He wrote and drew comic strips for underground and college newspapers.Gunn eventually returned to school and received his B.A. at Saint Louis University in his native St. Louis. He moved to New York where he received an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, which he today thinks may have been a wonderfully expensive waste of time. While finishing his MFA, he started writing "The Toy Collector" and began working for "Troma Studios", America's leading B-Movie production company. While there he wrote and produced the cult classic Tromeo and Juliet (1996) and, with Lloyd Kaufman, he wrote "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger".Gunn had a spiritual awakening in Cannes in 1997 and quit Troma and relocated from New York to Los Angeles. He wrote and acted in the film The Specials (2000) with Rob Lowe, Jamie Kennedy, Thomas J. Churchill and his brother Sean Gunn. He wrote two scripts for Warner Brothers live action movies: Spy vs. Spy (1985) and Scooby-Doo (2002). In 1999, after almost five years, he finished "The Toy Collector". After doing Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Gunn made his directorial debut with Slither (2006). He later made the superhero film Super (2010) and the successful Marvel films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Gunn has four brothers, all of whom are in the entertainment industry. His brother, Patrick Gunn, is a Senior VP at Artisan Entertainment, the company responsible for distributing (and the marketing campaign of) The Blair Witch Project (1999). His brother, Brian Gunn, is a screenwriter who works in partnership with their cousin Mark Gunn.Gunn's brother, Matt Gunn wrote and starred in the winner of the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, Man About Town (1997). Gunn's brother, Sean Gunn, is an actor regularly seen in films, commercials, and such TV shows as Angel (1999). James and Sean have collaborated on two occasions Sean starred in Tromeo and Juliet (1996), and they acted together and co-produced The Specials (2000). The brothers have one sister, Beth, who is a lawyer.Gunn married actress and cartoonist Jenna Fischer in 2000. They divorced in 2008. He is now in a relationship with Jennifer Holland
Tivia:
Gunn was the first person in cinema history to write back-to-back #1 for the weekend box office hits, with Dawn of the Dead (2004) on 19 March 2004 and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) one week later.Told the New York Times in August 2011 that the horror film with the most profound impact on him when he was young was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), because the most frightening aspect of all was that it moved him to relate to, or empathize, with the killer.Brother of actor Sean Gunn, writer Brian Gunn, filmmaker Matt Gunn and movie exec Patrick Gunn. Cousin of Mark Gunn. Former son-in-law of Anne Fischer.The character "Gunn" on the TV series Angel (1999) was named such after Angel (1999) creator Joss Whedon worked with both James and his brother Sean Gunn.Gunn worked as a hospital orderly, bar musician, and quarry worker before landing an interview for a summer job filing papers at Troma Films, but instead wound up being hired to write the screenplay for Tromeo and Juliet (1996) (and was paid $150 dollars to do so). He later choreographed the sex scenes for Tromeo and Juliet (1996). It would take him five years to write his first novel, "The Toy Collector". He also wrote the screenplays for The Specials (2000) and Tromeo and Juliet (1996) in two week binges. Was hired to write Scooby-Doo (2002) after doing a draft of Spy vs. Spy (1985) for Warner Bros. and director Jay Roach.Is an avid comic book reader.Gunn is one of several real-world horror celebrities who are in the fictional town of Pine Deep when monsters attack in the 2008 novel "Bad Moon Rising" by Jonathan Maberry. (Other such celebrities include Tom Savini, Brinke Stevens, Ken Foree, Stephen Susco, Debbie Rochon, Joe Bob Briggs (aka John Bloom) and blues musician Mem Shannon.).He wrote and directed Guardian Of The Galaxy, which was the 10th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also wrote and directed The Suicide Squad, which was the 10th entry in the DC Extended Universe.Autistic blogger and advocate James Ward-Sinclair praised Gunn for writing Drax the Destroyer as autistic in an accurate and positive light.His favorite movies include The Brood (1979), Together (2000), Jackie Brown (1997), United 93 (2006), Hail The Conquering Hero (1944), Jaws (1976), In the Mood for Love (2000), Taxi Driver (1976), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and The Godfather Part 2 (1974).Owns a hand-painted movie poster, directly sourced from Ghana, for Slither (2006).Was part of a consortium of teenaged amateur filmmakers called "The Splicers" in his native St. Louis; the consortium also included George Hickenlooper, Bill Boll, Tim Gallaher, Steve Goedde, and Chris Curtis.He is of Irish and Bohemian Czech, as well as German and English, ancestry.Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was the movie that that made him want to be a director.Growing up, he was influenced by low-budget horror films like Night of the Living Dead (1968), and Friday the 13th (1980).When he was 12, he and his brother made 8 mm zombie films in the woods near their home.Growing up, he was influenced by low-budget genre films like Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), and Friday the 13th (1980), as well reading magazines like Fangoria.Ex-brother-in-law of Emily Fischer. |
| Name: |
James Gunn |
Type: |
Writer,Producer,Director (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Writer,Producer,Director |
| Products for sale: |
Writer,Producer,Director |
| Model rank: |
239 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 02:44:24 |
| Height: |
6' (1.83 m) |
| Biography: |
James Gunn was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, to Leota and James Francis Gunn. He is from a large Catholic family, with Irish and Czech ancestry. His father and his uncles were all lawyers. He has been writing and performing as long as he ca |
| Trivia: |
Gunn was the first person in cinema history to write back-to-back #1 for the weekend box office hits, with Dawn of the Dead (2004) on 19 March 2004 and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) one week later.Told the New York Times in August 2011 that the horror film with the most profound impact on him when he was young was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), because the most frightening aspect of all was that it moved him to relate to, or empathize, with the killer.Brother of actor Sean Gunn, writer Brian Gunn, filmmaker Matt Gunn and movie exec Patrick Gunn. Cousin of Mark Gunn. Former son-in-law of Anne Fischer.The character "Gunn" on the TV series Angel (1999) was named such after Angel (1999) creator Joss Whedon worked with both James and his brother Sean Gunn.Gunn worked as a hospital orderly, bar musician, and quarry worker before landing an interview for a summer job filing papers at Troma Films, but instead wound up being hired to write the screenplay for Tromeo and Juliet (1996) (and was paid $150 dollars to do so). He later choreographed the sex scenes for Tromeo and Juliet (1996). It would take him five years to write his first novel, "The Toy Collector". He also wrote the screenplays for The Specials (2000) and Tromeo and Juliet (1996) in two week binges. Was hired to write Scooby-Doo (2002) after doing a draft of Spy vs. Spy (1985) for Warner Bros. and director Jay Roach.Is an avid comic book reader.Gunn is one of several real-world horror celebrities who are in the fictional town of Pine Deep when monsters attack in the 2008 novel "Bad Moon Rising" by Jonathan Maberry. (Other such celebrities include Tom Savini, Brinke Stevens, Ken Foree, Stephen Susco, Debbie Rochon, Joe Bob Briggs (aka John Bloom) and blues musician Mem Shannon.).He wrote and directed Guardian Of The Galaxy, which was the 10th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also wrote and directed The Suicide Squad, which was the 10th entry in the DC Extended Universe.Autistic blogger and advocate James Ward-Sinclair praised Gunn for writing Drax the Destroyer as autistic in an accurate and positive light.His favorite movies include The Brood (1979), Together (2000), Jackie Brown (1997), United 93 (2006), Hail The Conquering Hero (1944), Jaws (1976), In the Mood for Love (2000), Taxi Driver (1976), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and The Godfather Part 2 (1974).Owns a hand-painted movie poster, directly sourced from Ghana, for Slither (2006).Was part of a consortium of teenaged amateur filmmakers called "The Splicers" in his native St. Louis; the consortium also included George Hickenlooper, Bill Boll, Tim Gallaher, Steve Goedde, and Chris Curtis.He is of Irish and Bohemian Czech, as well as German and English, ancestry.Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was the movie that that made him want to be a director.Growing up, he was influenced by low-budget horror films like Night of the Living Dead (1968), and Friday the 13th (1980).When he was 12, he and his brother made 8 mm zombie films in the woods near their home.Growing up, he was influenced by low-budget genre films like Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), and Friday the 13th (1980), as well reading magazines like Fangoria.Ex-brother-in-law of Emily Fischer. |
| Trademarks: |
Heavy use of tongue-in-cheek dialogue.
Unconventional characters
Nearly always casts Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Lloyd Kaufman, brother Sean Gunn and Rob Zombie in his movies. His dog Wesley Von Spears often get the roles as well
His spiky hair
His films almost always deal with preserving humanity and optimism, through hard circumstances and bizzare events unfolding |
| Quotes: |
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy happier.
<br />
<hr>
On Scooby-Doo: "With all the difficulties plaguing the world over the past year, isn't it about time we had a hero who tells kids it's okay to be afraid?" "Scooby's the greatest cartoon character ever. He isn't cute like Mickey, or smart like Bugs, or fearless like Woody and Buzz -- he's a talking dog who's more human than I am. It's his humanity and imperfections that make him special."
<br />
<hr>
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade, if life gives you assholes, make a Troma movie.
<br />
<hr>
I saw Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) in a theater when it first came out, and it was so gritty and dark I felt sick to my stomach for a couple of days afterwards - like the evil of it stuck to my soul. Part of what was so frightening was Rooker, Michael's incredible performance. We normally distance ourselves from villains, but I almost felt for him as Henry. The last thing you want to do is identify with a serial killer. That's scarier than anything jumping out of the corner of a film frame.
<br />
<hr>
I can't be told life is beautiful through a normal positive thinking book or a Hallmark movie; that language doesn't work for me. |
| Job title: |
Writer,Producer,Director |
| Others works: |
"Everything I Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger" -- Book, Putnam/Penguin, 1998
"The Toy Collector" -- Novel, Bloomsbury Press, 2000
Album: "Mom, We Like It Here on Earth," with The Icons, 1994
Play: &q |
| Spouse: |
Jennifer Holland (September 30, 2022 - present) Jenna Fischer (October 7, 2000 - 2008) (divorced) |
| Parents: |
James Francis Gunn
Leota Gunn |
| Relatives: |
Beth Gunn (Sibling)
Sean Gunn (Sibling)
Matt Gunn (Sibling)
Brian Gunn (Sibling)
Patrick Gunn (Sibling)
Mark Gunn (Cousin) |
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