Steven Spielberg (Steven Allan Spielberg, born 18 December 1946) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter who is among the most commercially successful filmmakers in history. His films, including Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, have grossed almost $11 billion worldwide. He has won three Academy Awards. His latest film, Disclosure Day, opened at number one in June 2026. This biography follows his life and career up to November 2026.
Steven Spielberg at a Glance
| Full name | Steven Allan Spielberg |
| Born | 18 December 1946, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Age | 79 (turns 80 on 18 December 2026) |
| Profession | Film director, producer and screenwriter |
| Debut | Duel (1971) |
| Best-known films | Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998) |
| Academy Awards | Three: Best Director twice and Best Picture |
| Honours | Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015); Kennedy Center Honors (2006); National Medal of Arts (2023) |
| Spouse | Kate Capshaw (married 1991) |
Early Life
Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He began making films as a teenager, and his directing debut was the television film Duel, released in 1971. His first major success came with Jaws in 1975, which set a box-office record in the United States and is often called the first summer blockbuster.
The Blockbuster Years
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) won two Academy Awards, and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) won five. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) grossed $700 million worldwide and won four Academy Awards. Jurassic Park (1993) won three Academy Awards and became the highest-grossing film made up to that time.
Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan
Schindler's List (1993) won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Spielberg's first Academy Award for Best Director. He won Best Director for a second time with Saving Private Ryan (1998). He has won three Academy Awards in total, and he also has four Golden Globes, four BAFTAs, twelve Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy, which makes him one of 22 people to achieve EGOT status.
Recent Films
Spielberg directed Lincoln (2012), West Side Story (2021) and the autobiographical The Fabelmans (2022). His science-fiction film Disclosure Day opened on 12 June 2026 at number one at the North American box office with about $44 million, and it took $92.8 million worldwide in its opening weekend. It was reported to have a budget of $115 million.
Honours and Family
Spielberg received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995, an honorary knighthood in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2009, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and the National Medal of Arts in 2023. He has been married to the actress Kate Capshaw since 1991, and he was previously married to Amy Irving from 1985 to 1989. He has six children.
Legacy
Spielberg's films combine large-scale spectacle with stories about family, memory and history, and they have shaped what audiences expect from popular cinema. His career now spans more than 50 years.
