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David Fincher

Directing

Born August 28, 1962 · Denver, Colorado, USA

Also known as Dave Fincher · David Andrew Leo Fincher

Biography

David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly thrillers, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Born in Denver, Colorado, Fincher was interested in filmmaking at an early age. He directed numerous music videos, most notably Madonna's "Express Yourself" in 1989 and "Vogue" in 1990, both of which won him the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction. He made his feature film debut with Alien 3 (1992), which garnered mixed reviews, followed by the thriller Seven (1995), which was better received. Fincher found lukewarm success with The Game (1997) and Fight Club (1999), but the latter eventually became a cult classic. In 2002, he returned to prominence with the thriller Panic Room starring Jodie Foster. Fincher also directed Zodiac (2007), The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and Mank (2020). For The Social Network, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and BAFTA Award for Best Direction. His biggest commercial successes are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Gone Girl (2014), both of which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, with the former earning thirteen nominations at the Academy Awards, and eleven at the British Academy Film Awards. He also served as an executive producer and director for the Netflix series House of Cards (2013–2018) and Mindhunter (2017–2019), winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode of House of Cards. Fincher was the co-founder of Propaganda Films, a film, and music.

Awards & recognition

  • Honorary César · 2023
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing for a Drama Series · 2013
  • BAFTA AwardBest Direction · 2011
  • Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association AwardBest Director · 2010
  • National Board of Review AwardBest Film
Show all 8 awards →
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 2021 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 2011 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 2009 · nominated

Filmography39 titles

Fight Club

1999Director

Seven

1995Director

Love, Death & Robots

2019Director, Executive Producer

MINDHUNTER

2017Director, Executive Producer

WALL·E

2008Thanks

House of Cards

2013Director, Executive Producer

Gone Girl

2014Director

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

1983Assistant Camera, Visual Effects Camera

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2008Director

The Fall

2006Executive Producer, Presenter

The Game

1997Director

Zodiac

2007Director

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011Director

The Social Network

2010Director

Being John Malkovich

1999as Christopher Bing (uncredited)

Weapons

2025Thanks

This Is the Zodiac Speaking

2024as Self (archive footage)

Side by Side

2012as Self

Hitchcock/Truffaut

2015as Self

Gravity

2013Thanks

Lords of Dogtown

2005Executive Producer

The One I Love

2014Thanks

Star

2001Executive Producer

Panic Room

2002Director

Beau Is Afraid

2023Thanks

The Super Models

2023as Self

Mank

2020Director

Dirt

2007as Self

The Killer

2023Director

Voir

Executive Producer

Where the Wild Things Are

2009Thanks

Alien³

1992Director

Is That Black Enough for You?!?

2022Producer

The Girl in the Spider's Web

2018Executive Producer

Keeping the Faith

2000Thanks

I'm Still Here

2010Thanks

The Ewok Adventure

1984Visual Effects Camera

Love and Other Disasters

2006Executive Producer

Rick Springfield: The Beat of the Live Drum

1985Director