James Cameron is a highly-acclaimed filmmaker of Canadian origin. Movie director, producer, editor, and screenwriter, he is indeed an all-around behind-the-scenes expert. In terms of critical acclaim and box-office revenue, Cameron is widely considered one of the most successful Hollywood filmmakers of his generation. He has his name on some of the biggest movies out of Hollywood including The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic, as well as the 3D box-office monster, Avatar.
One would think that making such megamovies would keep James Cameron busy enough, however, this multitalented genius also has his hands on some other major things. He is a consummate deep-sea explorer and has produced several documentaries from the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via Earthship Productions, a digital media company for which he is the co-founder.
James Cameron Bio (Age)
James Francis Cameron was born on August 16, 1954, in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. His mother Shirley (née Lowe) worked as an artist and a nurse while his father Phillip Cameron worked as an engineer. He was raised in Chippawa, Ontario alongside 2 brothers; John and Mike. James attended Stamford Collegiate School in Niagara Falls, Ontario. At age 17, the family moved to the United States settling in Brea, California. Cameron had a short spell at Sonora High School before transferring to Brea Olinda High School where he completed his high school education.
In 1973, James Cameron enrolled at Fullerton College but he dropped out after one year. Afterward, he took on several jobs to sustain himself while learning several aspects of film technology on his own. He was ultimately inspired to go into the film industry after seeing the 1977 epic movie Star Wars. Cameron marked his directorial debut in the sci-fi short film, Xenogenesis which was released in 1978. In addition to his directorial duties, he also served as the co-writer and co-producer of the movie alongside his friend Randall Frakes and together, they raised money and rented the equipment used in the filming.
His Movies
After marking his debut as a filmmaker in the short film Xenogenesis, James Cameron continued in his study of filmmaking techniques. He also found employment in several low-budget productions as a production assistant, art director, special effects director, and other behind-the-scenes roles.
Cameron’s first major film was 1984’s The Terminator in which he doubled as the writer and director. The film’s screenplay held much promise from the onset, however, it was originally turned down by several production companies owing to Cameron’s insistence that he must be the director of the film. He eventually found a company willing to allow a greenhorn like him to direct the movie. Surprisingly, The Terminator turned out to be a box-office hit that ushered Cameron into the league of prolific filmmakers.
Also in the 1980s, he recorded further box-office success with 2 other sci-fi films Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989) which helped cement his status as an A-list filmmaker. He trumped all his previous successes and broke several box-office records with his next movie project Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), a sequel to The Terminator. This was followed by another action flick True Lies (1994) which was equally a box-office hit. Cameron collaborated with his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow on the Sci-Fi thriller Strange Days (1995) however, it turned out to be a commercial failure.
For the movie Titanic (1997), James Cameron left his imprint all over the project serving as writer, producer, director, and several other crucial roles. The talented filmmaker ultimately outdid himself with Titanic as the film turned out to be a mega commercial and critical success. The film won 11 out of a record-tying 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cameron.
Titanic made history as the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark and it remained the highest-grossing film of all time until 2010 when it was surpassed by another James Cameron box-office monster Avatar (2009). We don’t know your own definition of success but a man who sets records that only he can break is, to us, an all-around success. Now in his sixties, Cameron is not done yet as he is billed to work on 3 more sequels of the Avatar franchise as well as a 6th installment of the Terminator franchise.
Net Worth
James Cameron has had more than his fair share of box-office successes in his over 4-decade career as a Hollywood filmmaker. Time and again he has proven to be the master of box-office hits and his directorial efforts have so far grossed as much as US$6 billion worldwide. Interestingly, Cameron also has his name on the first 2 movies to gross over $2 billion worldwide which are Titanic and Avatar.
Thanks to all these successes, it comes as no surprise that James Cameron’s net worth is pegged at an astonishing $700 million. A great chunk of this sum comes from his illustrious career as a filmmaker in addition to a number of endorsement deals and business ventures.
Spouse/Wife, Is He Married?
James Cameron is currently married to former actress and model Suzy Amis. The duo met back in 1997 on the set of Titanic in which Amis had a minor role. Strangely, Cameron was still legally married at that time to another actress Linda Hamilton whom he eventually divorced in 1999.
Despite this controversial start to their relationship, James Cameron and Suzy Amis tied the knot on June 4, 2000, and have remained together ever since. The couple has 3 children together. Cameron and his wife are prominent environmentalists.
Height and Other Body Measurements
James Cameron stands at an imposing height of 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm). In 2011, the prolific filmmaker converted to a vegan diet which helped him put his weight in check. He now maintains a bodyweight of 78 kg (172 lb).
