Danny Boyle Biography

Danny Boyle is a British filmmaker who won an Oscar for directing the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Boyle, of Irish Catholic stock, grew up outside of Manchester, England and began his career in British television and theater early in the 1980s. His first feature films, the very black comedies Shallow Grave (1994) and Trainspotting (1996), brought him critical acclaim and financial success (and made Ewan McGregor a star). Boyle caught the attention of Hollywood, but his next two features fared poorly — A Life Less Ordinary (1997, with McGregor again) and The Beach (2000, starring Leonardo DiCaprio). He then made two British TV movies and collaborated with writer Alex Garland (author of the novel The Beach) on the hit horror movie 28 Days Later (starring Cillian Murphy and precursor to 28 Weeks Later). Boyle is known as a versatile and inventive director with a dark streak; his other films include the charmer Millions (2004), the cerebral sci-fi drama Sunshine (2007, with Michelle Yeoh) and the Mumbai love story Slumdog Millionaire (2008, with Freida Pinto).