James Mangold

Writer-director James Mangold is known for a string of box-office hits. His biopic Walk the Line, which depicts the rise to stardom of Johnny Cash, starred Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her performance as June Carter Cash. His next film, 3:10 to Yuma—a remake of a 1957 Western—garnered critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations. The film starred Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

His most recent project was the action-comedy Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Other films have included Cop Land, whose all-star cast featured Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert DeNiro; Girl Interrupted, which won Angelina Jolie an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her supporting role in the film; Kate & Leopold, starring Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan; and the thriller Identity, starring John Cusack.

Mangold got his start in film as an undergrad at CalArts, where he studied film and acting. After graduating, he worked for Disney as a screenwriter, where he earned writing credits on Oliver and Company. After Disney, he returned to the study of film at Columbia, where he earned his MFA.