Roger Donaldson

Roger Lindsey Donaldson ONZM, known for his career in films, was born on November 15, 1945. He is a remarkable Australian and New Zealand film director, screenwriter, and producer. He commenced his career with his 1977 debut film, Sleeping Dogs which greatly impacted New Zealand's cinematic landscape, being one of the country's first films to gain substantial critical and commercial success. His journey of film-making didn't stop there, he went on to direct 17 feature films and worked in Hollywood and the UK, as well his homeland.

Donaldson’s noteworthy works include the historical drama The Bounty (1984), the neo-noir No Way Out (1987), the romantic comedy Cocktail (1988), the Cuban Missile Crisis docudrama Thirteen Days (2000), the science-fiction horror film Species (1995), the disaster film Dante's Peak (1997), the biopic The World's Fastest Indian (2005), and the historical thriller The Bank Job (2008). His talent has led him to work with actors like Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Madsen twice each. He was awarded three New Zealand Film and Television Awards, and in 2018 he received the honor of becoming an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for his contributions to film.