Irwin Winkler (born May 25, 1931) is an American film producer and director. He is the producer or director of over 58 motion pictures, dating back to 1967's Double Trouble, starring Elvis Presley. The fourth film he produced, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), starring Jane Fonda, was nominated for nine Academy Awards. He won an Oscar for Best Picture for 1976's Rocky. As a producer, he has been nominated for Best Picture for four films: Rocky (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Right Stuff (1983), and Goodfellas (1990).
Early life and education
Winkler was born on May 25, 1931 to a Jewish family in New York City, to Sol and Anna Winkler. Growing up in Coney Island, one of his first jobs was on a bumper ride on the boardwalk. Winkler graduated early from high school and got into New York University, but felt out of place among the older and more mature students, many of whom were former World War II soldiers that had entered university under the G.I. Bill. At the outbreak of the Korean War, he volunteered to join the Army and was stationed in Louisiana for two years.
Early career
Winkler's first job after graduating university was at the William Morris talent agency. Among his first clients as an agent were comedians Sammy Shore and Jackie Vernon, though Winkler says of himself he was a "mediocre" agent.
After meeting Robert Chartoff, who managed several comedians, including Jackie Mason, the two set up their own talent management company. One of the "unsuccessful clients" Through another of their clients, Winkler and Chartoff brokered the John Schlesinger film Darling to film producer Joseph E. Levine. This deal led them from talent management to film production. and told the tale of a depressed dying man (Kevin Kline) who funnels his energies into rebuilding the dilapidated beach shack he inherited from his abusive father and, in the process, building bridges between himself and his disaffected son (Hayden Christensen). After this film received critical praise, Winkler re-teamed with Kline for the follow-up De-Lovely (2004), casting the actor as the lead in his biographical film about American composer Cole Porter, which centered on his unique relationship with his wife and muse (Ashley Judd) and was chosen as the closing night film at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
While his directorial career would last through 2006, Winkler continued to produce his share of films, including The Shipping News (2001), Enough (2002), the 2014 remake of The Gambler—he'd also produced James Toback's 1974 original—and his further return to the Rocky franchise with Rocky Balboa (2006) and the spin-offs Creed (2015), which was nominated for multiple awards including 6 NAACP Image Awards, winning 4, and Creed II (2018). His work with Scorsese continued on with The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Silence (2016), and The Irishman (2019) which was Winkler's first collaboration with Netflix. The New York Times wrote: "Winkler looks back fondly on a career producing some of the most successful films of the 20th century."
Personal life
Winkler married his wife Margo Winkler in 1959 while still working at WMA in New York. They moved to Los Angeles in 1966. Margo was originally from California and her parents, Irma and Charlie Melson, were former vaudeville performers.
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| 1980
| Raging Bull
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| 1983
| The Right Stuff
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| 1990
| Goodfellas
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| 2003
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards
| Board of Governors Award
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| 2001
| Aspen Filmfest
| Audience Favorite Feature Award
| Life as a House
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| 2016
| Awards Circuit Community Awards
| Best Motion Picture
| Silence
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| 2015
| Black Reel Awards
| Outstanding Film
| Creed
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| 1990
| British Academy Film Awards
| Best Film
| Goodfellas
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| 1991
| Cannes Film Festival
| Palme d'Or
| Guilty by Suspicion
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| 2019
| Chicago Indie Critics Awards
| Best Studio Film
| The Irishman
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| 1989
| Chicago International Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
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| 2015
| Christopher Awards
| Best Feature Film
| Creed
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| 1995
| Deauville American Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
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| 2016
| Gold Derby Awards
| Best Motion Picture
| Silence
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| 1976
| rowspan="4"| Golden Globe Awards
| rowspan="4"| Best Motion Picture – Drama
| Rocky
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| 1980
| Raging Bull
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| 1983
| The Right Stuff
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| 1990
| Goodfellas
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| rowspan="2"| 1985
| rowspan="3"| Golden Raspberry Awards
| rowspan="3"| Worst Picture
| Revolution
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| Rocky IV
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| 1990
| Rocky V
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| 1999
| Hollywood Film Awards
| Outstanding Achievement in Producing
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| 2008
| Israel Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
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| 1999
| Joseph Plateau Awards
| Joseph Plateau Honorary Award
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| 2006
| National Board of Review Awards
| Career Achievement Award in Producing
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| 2019
| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| Best Picture
| The Irishman
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| 2002
| Palm Springs International Film Festival
| Lifetime Achievement Award
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| 2016
| Producers Guild of America Awards
| David O. Selznick Achievement Award
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| 1985
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
| Worst Picture
| Revolution
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| 2003
| Swiss Film Fund
| Helvetian Award for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement
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Honors
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Winkler has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard. He was also the recipient of the 2017 Producers Guild of America's David O. Selznick Achievement Award for his work in motion pictures and was awarded the Commandeur des Arts et Lettres by France.
References
Sources
- Winkler, Irwin. A Life in Movies: Stories from 50 years in Hollywood. New York, Abrams Press, 2019