David Cronenberg Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

David Cronenberg is a Canadian writer, director, producer, and actor.

Early Life & Family

David Paul Cronenberg was born on March 15, 1943, in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His father was Milton Cronenberg, an editor, and writer. His mother was Esther Sumberg Cronenberg, a musician. His family was Jewish with Lithuanian origins.

Education

David Cronenberg studied at the North Toronto Collegiate Institute and the Harbord Collegiate Institute. In 1963, he enrolled at the University of Toronto. He initially studied science, but he later switched his major to English literature.

Career

David Cronenberg began his career with the two short sketch films From the Drain and Transfer. He followed up with the art films Crimes of the Future and Stereo. He then directed Rabid and Shivers. These two films marked the beginning of the body horror genre. He worked on several similar films, such as Videodrome, The Fly, The Brood, Dead Ringers, and Scanners.

He directed the drama films Naked Lunch, M Butterfly, Eastern Promises, Cosmopolis, and Maps to the Stars. He worked on thrillers such as Fast Company, Crash, Existenz, and Spider. He directed the short films To Each His Cinema, Camera, and The Nest.

David Cronenberg made cameos in some of his films, including Shivers, Videodrome, The Fly, and Dead Ringers. He also made a few brief appearances in other producers’ films, such as Trial by Jury, Blood and Donuts, Jason X, and The Stupids. He had slightly more significant roles in the horror Nightbreed and the drama Last Night. Apart from film, he also directed several TV show episodes.

They include Programme X, Peep Show, Scales of Justice, Teleplay, and Friday the 13th: The Series. He also directed commercials for Nike, Hydro, and Caramilk.

Awards

David Cronenberg received the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Companion of the Order of Canada. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

He became a patron of the University Philosophical Society in Dublin and earned a star on the Canada Walk of Fame. Magazines such as Strange Horizons, The Guardian, and Total Film featured him on their “Greatest Directors” lists.

Personal Life

From 1972 to 1979, David Cronenberg was married to Margaret Hindson. They had a daughter named Cassandra. In 1979, he married editor Carolyn Zeifman. They had a daughter named Caitlin and a son named Brandon. Both of them went on to become film directors.