Director
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis is an American filmmaker known for the Back to the Future trilogy and Forrest Gump, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director.
Act I — Origin
Biography
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1951) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Raised in Chicago, he studied filmmaking at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and was mentored by Steven Spielberg, who executive-produced several of his early films.
Zemeckis directed the time-travel trilogy Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) and the technically groundbreaking Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), which combined live action with hand-drawn animation. His 1994 drama Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, won six Academy Awards including Best Picture and earned Zemeckis the Academy Award for Best Director. He has since directed Cast Away (2000) and a run of motion-capture animated films — The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007), and A Christmas Carol (2009) — alongside live-action work including Flight (2012) and Pinocchio (2022).
Act II — The Work
The Chronology
- 1980s1984Romancing the StoneDirector
- 1985Back to the FutureDirector
- 1988Who Framed Roger RabbitDirector
- 1989Back to the Future Part IIDirector
- 1990s
- 2000s2000Cast AwayDirector
- 2004The Polar ExpressDirector
- 2010s2012FlightDirector
Watch Robert Zemeckis’s Films
Forrest Gump (1994)
as Director
Official Trailer — YouTube
Act III — The Numbers
Born
Birthplace
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Age
75
Computed from the birth date on file (May 14, 1951).
Years active
42
since first credit (1984)
Credited works
8
Counted from 8 confirmed film and TV credits on this profile.
Notable awards
1
Counted from the awards & recognition list below.
Frequently asked
How old is Robert Zemeckis?
Robert Zemeckis is 75 years old, born May 14, 1951.
Where was Robert Zemeckis born?
Robert Zemeckis was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
What is Robert Zemeckis known for?
Robert Zemeckis is an American filmmaker known for the Back to the Future trilogy and Forrest Gump, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director.
What awards has Robert Zemeckis won?
Documented awards for Robert Zemeckis: Academy Award for Best Director — Forrest Gump (1995).
Where can I watch Robert Zemeckis's movies?
Based on titles from Robert Zemeckis's filmography that are on Auteur Nova: Robert Zemeckis's movies are currently streaming on Paramount+ Essential, Paramount+ Premium, fuboTV, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV in the US, as of August 21, 2026. Rent and buy options may also be available — see the Where to Watch details on each title's card above.
Act IV — Recognition
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award for Best Director — Forrest Gump (1995)
Closing Credits
Facts on this page are sourced and cited per Auteur Nova's editorial methodology. Hand-verified from Wikipedia, 2026-08-27. The Academy's own account of the 1995 (67th) ceremony credits Forrest Gump's Best Picture Oscar to producers Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, and Steve Starkey, not to Zemeckis — an initial summary had wrongly folded a producer credit in alongside his own Best Director win, so only the Best Director award, which the Academy directly credits to Zemeckis, is listed here.