Gus Van Sant
Biography
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.
Acting (44 movies)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
2001
Made in the USA
1993
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
2010
Guns on the Clackamas
1995
The Canyons
2013
The Advocate for Fagdom
2011
Strange Parallel
1998
The Trainer
2024
Here’s Looking at You, Boy
2007
In the Mood for Doyle
2007
Finding Forrester
2000
On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time
2004
Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open
2023
Zeroville
2019
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
2016
About Elephant
2003
At the Video Store
2019
About Cinema
2015
who is Gus Van Sant?
2024
I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman
2015
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
Saltlake Van Sant
2003
Psycho Path
2000
The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’
2005
A Special Day
2012
Thank You for Supporting the Arts
2018
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
2018
Mala Noche
1987
My Own Private Idaho
1991
Psycho
1998
Last Days
2005
Paranoid Park
2007
The Making of Last Days
2004
Five Ways to Kill Yourself
1987
Critic
2008
The Making of Drugstore Cowboy
1999
Making Paranoid Park
2008
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
Illegal Civilization 3
2018
Rescued from the Closet
2001
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks
1991
Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later
2012
The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft
1998
Andy by Gus
2023
Directing (45 movies)
Mala Noche
1987
My Own Private Idaho
1991
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
Good Will Hunting
1997
To Die For
1995
Last Days
2005
Finding Forrester
2000
Gerry
2002
Paranoid Park
2007
Milk
2008
Paris Je T'aime
2006
Psycho
1998
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
To Each His Own Cinema
2007
Restless
2011
8
2008
Promised Land
2012
The Discipline of D.E.
1982
Psycho Shampoo
1979
Thanksgiving Prayer
1991
Best of Chris Isaak
2006
The Sea of Trees
2016
Mansion on the Hill
2008
Cinema16: American Short Films
2006
My New Friend
1987
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
2002
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
2018
De Witt Clinton Choir
2000
Junior
1988
Five Ways to Kill Yourself
1987
Flea Sings
1991
Four Boys in a Volvo
1996
The Happy Organ
1971
Little Johnny
1972
1/2 of a Telephone Conversation
1973
Switzerland
1985
Ken Death Gets Out of Jail
1988
My Own Private River
2012
Easter
2000
Le Marais
2006
Elephant
2003
Ballad of the Skeletons
1997
Dead Man's Wire
2025
Ouverture of Something That Never Ended
2020
First Kiss
2007
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Five Ways to Kill Yourself | 1987 | Writer |
| Mala Noche | 1987 | Screenplay |
| Mala Noche | 1987 | Producer |
| Drugstore Cowboy | 1989 | Screenplay |
| Thanksgiving Prayer | 1991 | Producer |
| My Own Private Idaho | 1991 | Screenplay |
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1994 | Writer |
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1994 | Executive Producer |
| Kids | 1995 | Executive Producer |
| Ballad of the Skeletons | 1997 | Writer |
| Psycho | 1998 | Producer |
| Speedway Junky | 1999 | Executive Producer |
| Psycho Path | 2000 | Executive Producer |
| Gerry | 2002 | Writer |
| Elephant | 2003 | Screenplay |
| Tarnation | 2003 | Executive Producer |
| On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time | 2004 | Executive Producer |
| Last Days | 2005 | Screenplay |
| Le Marais | 2006 | Writer |
| Paris Je T'aime | 2006 | Writer |
| Wild Tigers I Have Known | 2006 | Executive Producer |
| Paranoid Park | 2007 | Screenplay |
| Virginia | 2010 | Executive Producer |
| Howl | 2010 | Executive Producer |
| Restless | 2011 | Producer |
| Laurence Anyways | 2012 | Executive Producer |
| Promised Land | 2012 | Executive Producer |
| I Am Michael | 2015 | Executive Producer |
| Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot | 2018 | Screenplay |
| Age Out | 2018 | Executive Producer |
| Ouverture of Something That Never Ended | 2020 | Writer |
| Joe Gives Up and Moves to Montana | 2021 | Producer |