Barry Sonnenfeld
- Producer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Barry Sonnenfeld was born and raised in New York City. He graduated
from New York University Film School in 1978. He started work as
director of photography on the Oscar-nominated
In Our Water (1982). Then
Joel Coen and
Ethan Coen hired him for
Blood Simple (1984). This film
began his collaboration with the Coen Bros., who used him for their
next two pictures,
Raising Arizona (1987) and
Miller's Crossing (1990). He
also worked with Danny DeVito on his
Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
and Rob Reiner on
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
and Misery (1990). Sonnenfeld got his
first work as a director from Orion Pictures on
The Addams Family (1991), a
box-office success released in November 1991 followed by its sequel,
Addams Family Values (1993).
He received critical
acclaim for his fourth directorial effort,
Get Shorty (1995). Produced by Jersey
Films and based on a novel by
Elmore Leonard, the film won a Golden
Globe for best male performance. In 1996
Steven Spielberg asked him to direct
Men in Black (1997). Starring
Tommy Lee Jones and
Will Smith, the movie was a critical
and financial smash. Producer
Jon Peters then asked Sonnenfeld to
direct Wild Wild West (1999), an
adaptation of an old TV series.
He also directed the comedy
Big Trouble (2002), after which he
made his most successful film sequel,
Men in Black II (2002).
from New York University Film School in 1978. He started work as
director of photography on the Oscar-nominated
In Our Water (1982). Then
Joel Coen and
Ethan Coen hired him for
Blood Simple (1984). This film
began his collaboration with the Coen Bros., who used him for their
next two pictures,
Raising Arizona (1987) and
Miller's Crossing (1990). He
also worked with Danny DeVito on his
Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
and Rob Reiner on
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
and Misery (1990). Sonnenfeld got his
first work as a director from Orion Pictures on
The Addams Family (1991), a
box-office success released in November 1991 followed by its sequel,
Addams Family Values (1993).
He received critical
acclaim for his fourth directorial effort,
Get Shorty (1995). Produced by Jersey
Films and based on a novel by
Elmore Leonard, the film won a Golden
Globe for best male performance. In 1996
Steven Spielberg asked him to direct
Men in Black (1997). Starring
Tommy Lee Jones and
Will Smith, the movie was a critical
and financial smash. Producer
Jon Peters then asked Sonnenfeld to
direct Wild Wild West (1999), an
adaptation of an old TV series.
He also directed the comedy
Big Trouble (2002), after which he
made his most successful film sequel,
Men in Black II (2002).