Digital Media Concepts/Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins is an American director and filmmaker perhaps best known for directing DC Comics' 2017 film Wonder Woman.

Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins at the 2016 Comic Con in San Diego
Birthname	Patricia Lea Jenkins
Born	July 24th, 1971
Birthplace	Victorville, CA, USA
Alma Mater	The Cooper Union, American Film Institute
Notable Works	Wonder Woman, Monster

Early Life and Education

Jenkins was born in Victorville, California on July 24th, 1971, but spent most of her childhood and adolescence in Lawrence, Kansas and parts of Germany, as her father was part of the Air Force. After graduating high school, she took up an interest in painting and attended The Cooper Union. She discovered her love for filmmaking after working as an assistant camerawoman for nearly a decade, and later attended the American Film Institute to pursue a career in directing and screenwriting from 1995 to 2000.

Career

Monster

Initially starting out as an assistant camerawoman while attending TCU, she began making films after being accepted at AFI. After making tens of short films while at the Institute, she would go on to direct music videos and commercials. The money she received from her work would eventually go towards her first feature length film, Monster (2003), starring Charlize Theron. The film was critically acclaimed and would go on to win eleven awards, including a Golden Globe, Academy Award, and Screen Actors' Guild Award—all of which were given to Theron for her role as the protagonist.

Television Directing

Due to the major success of Monster, Jenkins received many opportunities in the film industry that she had to decline due to the birth of her eldest child. As working in the television industry had a far more flexible schedule, she was first hired to write and direct the pilot episode of AMC's The Killing, which ran from 2011 to 2014. The episode would give Jenkins her first Emmy nomination.

She would also go on to direct episodes of Netflix's Arrested Development, HBO's Entourage, and ABC's Betrayal.

Wonder Woman

After ten years away from directing film, opportunities once again presented themselves to Jenkins. She was offered to direct Marvel's Thor: The Dark World (2013), but passed on the offer as it was not a project she felt was suitable for herself.

In 2010, she pitched the idea of a Wonder Woman standalone movie to Warner Bros. The role of director would initially be given to Michelle MacLaren—known for her work on Game of Thrones—but she eventually backed out of the deal due to creative differences with the studio. Thus, Jenkins was called to come in as a substitute and the studio allowed for her to work with her initial vision of where she wanted the movie to go.

The film was released on June 2nd, 2017. The film received extremely positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, who praised its strong but emotionally sensitive female lead and the overall acting of Gal Gadot, who played Wonder Woman herself. As of August 2017, the film has grossed over $800M worldwide and is the highest grossing live-action movie to be directed by a woman.

Personal Life

Jenkins lives with her husband, author Sam Sheridan, and son in Santa Monica, California.

Awards and Nominations

Award	Won or Nominated	Role	Year
DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Dramatic Series	Won	Director	2012
DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies for Television	Nominated	Director	2012
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series	Nominated	Director	2011
La Femme International Film Festival Visionary Award	Won	Director	2011
Robert Festival Award for Best American Film	Nominated	Director/Writer	2005
American Film Institute - Franklin J. Schaffner Award	Won	Director/Writer	2004
Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Screenplay	Nominated	Director/Writer	2004
Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Berlin Bear	Nominated	Director/Writer	2004
Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature	Won	Director/Writer	2004
Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay	Nominated	Director/Writer	2004
Telluride Indiefest Short Film Winner	Won	Director	2001

References

1. Luscombe, Belinda. “Patty Jenkins: 12 Questions With Director of Wonder Woman.” Time, Time, time.com/4819569/patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-director-interview/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
2. Mendelson, Scott. “Box Office: 'Wonder Woman' Ends Summer By Topping $800M Worldwide.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 Aug. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/08/20/box-office-wonder-woman-ends-summer-by-topping-800m-worldwide/#6d059964296e. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
3. “Patty Jenkins - Biography.” IMDb, Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com/name/nm0420941/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
4. Siegel, Tatiana. “The Complex Gender Politics of the 'Wonder Woman' Movie.” The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/complex-gender-politics-wonder-woman-movie-1008259. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
5. Wittmer, Carrie. “Everything you need to know about the acclaimed female director behind 'Wonder Woman'.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 4 June 2017, www.businessinsider.com/wonder-woman-director-patty-jenkins-2017-6/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.