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James Cameron

Directing

Born August 16, 1954 · Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

Also known as เจมส์ แคเมรอน · 제임스 캐머런 · Джеймс Кемерон

Biography

James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a classical filmmaking style. Cameron first gained recognition for writing and directing The Terminator (1984), and found further success with Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994), as well as Avatar (2009) and its sequels. He directed, wrote, co-produced, and co-edited Titanic (1997), winning Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. He is a recipient of various other industry accolades, and three of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Cameron co-founded the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment, Digital Domain, and Earthship Productions. In addition to filmmaking, he is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. He has produced many documentaries on deep-ocean exploration, including Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005). Cameron has also contributed to underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies and helped create the digital 3D Fusion Camera System. In 2012, Cameron became the first person to solo descend the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Earth's ocean, in the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Cameron's films have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him the second-highest-grossing film director. Three of Cameron's films are among the top four highest-grossing films of all time; Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Titanic (1997) are the highest, third-highest and fourth-highest-grossing films of all time, respectively. Cameron directed the first film to gross over $1 billion, the first two films to gross over $2 billion, and is the only director to have had three films grossing over $2 billion. In 2010, Time named Cameron one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Cameron is also an environmentalist and runs several sustainability businesses. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Cameron, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Awards & recognition

  • Hubbard Medal · 2013
  • Nierenberg Prize · 2013
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame · 2012
  • California Hall of Fame · 2010
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Director · 2009
Show all 27 awards →
  • Canada's Walk of Fame · 2008
  • Hans Hass Award · 2004
  • Academy AwardBest Film Editing · 1998
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 1998
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1998
  • Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association AwardBest Director · 1997
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Director · 1997
  • Hugo AwardBest Dramatic Presentation · 1992
  • Hugo AwardBest Dramatic Presentation · 1987
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screenplay · 1986
  • Companion of the Order of Canada
  • Directors Guild of America Award
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 2023 · nominated
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Director · 2023 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 2010 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 2010 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Film Editing · 2010 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1998 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 1998 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Film Editing · 1998 · nominated
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screenplay · 1986 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Secrets of the Bees

2026Executive Producer

Aliens Expanded

2024as Self

Secrets of the Elephants

2023Executive Producer

Secrets of the Octopus

2024as Self

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991Characters, Director, Producer, Writer

Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli

2024as Self

Aliens

1986Director, Screenplay, Story

Titanic

1997as Steerage Dancer (uncredited)

OceanXplorers

as Voice

Predator: Badlands

2025Thanks

Light & Magic

2022as Self - Director

Secrets of the Whales

2021as Self

MythBusters

2003as Self

The Terminator

1984Director, Writer

Avatar: Fire and Ash

2025Characters, Director, Editor, Producer, Screenplay, Story

Frankenstein

2025Thanks

Avatar: The Way of Water

2022Characters, Director, Editor, Producer, Screenplay, Story

Avatar

2009Director, Editor, Producer, Writer

Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series

Characters

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)

2026as Self (uncredited)

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

2025as Self

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

2008Characters

Dark Angel

2000Creator, Director, Executive Producer, Writer

Apollo 13

1995Visual Effects Design Consultant

Mission Blue

2014as Self

Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan

2011as Self

Entourage

2004as James Cameron

The Abyss

1989Director, Writer

Secrets of the Penguins

2025Executive Producer

The Movies That Made Us

2019as Self (archive footage)

Alita: Battle Angel

2019Producer, Screenplay

Eating You Alive

2018as Self

The Game Changers

2018Executive Producer

Side by Side

2012as Self

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

2022as Self

The Shape of Water

2017Thanks

Gravity

2013Thanks

Crash

2004Production Assistant

Point Break

1991Executive Producer

Score

2016as Self

True Lies

1994as Helicopter pilot (voice) (uncredited)

Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy

2020as Self

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

2012Producer

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

2004as Self

Strange Days

1995Additional Editing, Producer, Screenplay, Story

Escape from New York

1981Matte Painter, Visual Effects Art Director

The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute

as Self

The Exodus Decoded

2006as Narrator

The Colbert Report

2005

Saturday Night Live

1975as Self - Cameo (uncredited)