Spike Jonze is an American filmmaker, photographer, and actor. He is best known for his work in the music video industry, directing videos for artists such as Beastie Boys, Björk, Fatboy Slim, and Weezer. He has also directed feature films such as Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Her (2013).
Jonze was born Adam Spiegel on October 22nd 1969 in Rockville, Maryland. His father was a corporate lawyer and his mother was a professor at the University of California. He attended Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in photography.
Jonze began his career as a photographer for Dirt Magazine in 1992. His photographs were featured in several issues of the magazine and he soon became known for his unique style of photography which often featured celebrities or musicians in unusual settings or poses. In 1994 he directed his first music video for the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage". The video was an instant hit and won several awards including MTV's Video Music Award for Best Direction.
Jonze continued to direct music videos throughout the 1990s and early 2000s before making his feature film debut with Being John Malkovich in 1999. The film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and established him as one of Hollywood's most innovative filmmakers. He followed up with Adaptation (2002) which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay.
In 2009 Jonze released Where the Wild Things Are which he co-wrote with author Dave Eggers based on Maurice Sendak's classic children's book of the same name. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards including an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. In 2013 he released Her which starred Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson; it earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay as well as Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.
In addition to filmmaking Jonze has also acted in several films including Three Kings (1999) and Jackass 3D (2010). He has also produced several documentaries including Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (2009) which he co-directed with Lance Bangs; it won the Grand Jury Prize at South by Southwest Film Festival that year.
Jonze continues to be one of Hollywood's most innovative filmmakers; he is currently working on a new project titled We're All Going To Die which is set to be released sometime in 2021.