Mike Nichols

Also known as Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky

American director and comedian (1931–2014)

OverviewAI-generated

Mike Nichols was an American film director, film producer, actor, and theatrical director. Born Mikhail in Berlin in 1931, he held United States citizenship and spoke English and German. He was educated at the University of Chicago and began his work period in 1955. Nichols was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He received the National Medal of Arts, the Directors Guild of America Award, an Academy Award for Best Director, and a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director and Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical. His recognized works include *The Birdcage* and *Silkwood*.

Nichols was married to Diane Sawyer and had three children. He died of a myocardial infarction from natural causes in New York City on November 19, 2014. His works are held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Synthesized by Vinony from 33 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, Open Library, TMDb, Vinony collections. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works: 18

Top works

Business Aviation Book
Just A Few Sleeps Away
The Birdcage
Silkwood
How to Lead with Purpose and Compassion

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Berlin, Germany

Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was a German-born American film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their acting experience. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe,…

Known for

Arthur Miller: Writer — Self (archive footage)2017
Becoming Mike Nichols — Himself2016
Mike Nichols: An American Master — Self2016
Everything Is Copy — Self2015
Inventing David Geffen — Self2012
Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner — Self2006
The Madness of Boy George — Self2006
Can't Buy Me Lunch: Another Look at The Rutles — Self - Interviewee2003
Love & Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day' — Self2001
The Designated Mourner — Jack1997

via TMDB

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Mikhail
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Berlin
Place of death: New York City
Occupation: playwright
Educated at: University of Chicago
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Image: Mike Nichols.jpg
Number of children: 3

Show 15 more facts

date of death: 2014-11-19
Commons category: Mike Nichols
date of birth: 1931-11-06
nominated for: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
member of: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
cause of death: myocardial infarction
manner of death: natural causes
related category: Category:Films directed by Mike Nichols
start of work period: 1955-00-00
end of work period: 2014-00-00
partner in business or sport: Elaine May
writing language: English language
birth name: Michael Igor Peschkowsky
P8168: Zorge
name in native language: Mike Nichols

Sources (12)

via Wikidata · CC0

~33 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their experience. He is one of 28 people to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). His other honors included three BAFTA Awards, the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films received a total of 42 Academy Award nominations, and seven wins.

Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe The Compass Players, predecessor of The Second City, in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May, to form the comedy duo Nichols and May. Their live improv act was a hit on Broadway, and each of their three albums was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album; their second album, An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, won the award in 1962. After they disbanded, he began directing plays, and quickly became known for his innovative theatre productions.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Mike Nichols” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.