In the late 40's the old Etonian, after National Service in the army wanted to get into films but found the doors were closed to him so worked on commercials for about 20 years then David Putnam gave him a chance to direct Chariots of Fire which was a hit and he never looked back..Spouse Maryam d'Abo (November 2003 - present) Susan Caroline Michie (1977 - ?) (divorced) (1 child) Member of jury at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in 2005 Member of the jury at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2008. His first wife, born circa 1947, was a painter. They had a son in 1978. Has directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Ian Holm (Best Supporting Actor, Chariots of Fire (1981)) and Ralph Richardson (Best Supporting Actor, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)). He visited Argentina to be part of the member of jury in Mar del Plata International Film Festival 2005. [March 2005] He met his second wife actress Maryam d'Abo when she came to see him about wanting to play the leading role of Jane in his film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). She felt that he already had someone else in mind for the role, since Andie MacDowell played Jane in the finished film. Maryam didn't connect with him until 15 years later at a dinner party. They became involved and married four years later in [speaking in 1987] "There's nothing original in British cinema today. It's the bastardization of any other cinema you like to name. Instead of speaking English, it speaks American." Something is taken away from a project if you talk about it too much before it's done. Something goes. There are two years from the time of your first conception, maybe longer. You doubt... you rethink... and to hold onto that original vision is the most difficult thing of all, I find. The more you talk about it, the more other people come and give their ideas, the more it gets dissipated, the more you, maybe, doubt and rethink. There's a danger of ruining your film. I couldn't get into the movies when I was 17. I wanted to work my way up through the whole system, but they wouldn't let me in. So I struggled and struggled to get into the mainline film industry. I made my first film at 8 years of age. It was an 8mm on Oliver Cromwell, the only real revolutionary we've had in England.2003.