Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures.
His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix.
He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, Pink. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 Portraits.
Known for
Entourage
Gus Van Sant
Portlandia
Gus Van Sant
Drugstore Cowboy
Himself (uncredited)
My Own Private Idaho
Man Behind Hotel Counter (uncredited)
The Trainer
Gus Van Sant
Zeroville
Film Archive Curator
Finding Forrester
Library Assistant (uncredited)
The Advocate for Fagdom
Self
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Self
Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open
Self (interview)
I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman
Self
Thank You for Supporting the Arts
The Canyons
Dr. Campbell
The Making of Last Days
Himself
A Special Day
Self
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Gus Van Sant
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
Willamette Week Editor
The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’
Self
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks
Self
Psycho
Man Talking to Man in Cowboy Hat (uncredited)
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
Self
About Elephant
Self
In the Mood for Doyle
Self
The Making of Drugstore Cowboy
The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft
himself
Rescued from the Closet
Self
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Self
Paranoid Park
Guy Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Mala Noche
Guy at Hotel (uncredited)
Here’s Looking at You, Boy
Self
Illegal Civilization 3
Self
Last Days
Phone Voice (voice)
Critic
Self
The Greatest Event in Television History
Self
Made in the USA
Self
About Cinema
Self
Hi Octane
Self
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
Self
Nightmare Typhoon
Gus
Saltlake Van Sant
Self
Andy by Gus
Five Ways to Kill Yourself
On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time
Himself
At the Video Store
Self
Guns on the Clackamas
Psycho Path
Self - Director
Making Paranoid Park
Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later
Self
Strange Parallel
Self
Junior
Himself
Leçon de Cinéma
Self