Adrian Lyne

Has one younger brother: Professor Oliver Lyne (1944-2005), who was an academic at Oxford University.

Adrian Lyne (Director/Writer/Producer) is the creative force behind some of the most talked-about movies of our time, among them, "Fatal Attraction", "9 1/2 Weeks", "Flashdance", "Indecent Proposal", "Jacob's Ladder" and "Unfaithful". Born in Peterborough, England and raised in London, Lyne attended the Highgate school, where his father was a teacher. In his twenties, he played trumpet with the jazz group, The Colin Kellard Band. An avid moviegoer during his school days, he was inspired to make his own films by the work of French New Wave directors like Godard, Truffaut and Chabrol. Two of his early short films, "The Table" and "Mr. Smith," were official entries in the London Film Festival. Lyne made his feature filmmaking debut in 1980 with "Foxes", a perceptive look at the friendship of four teenage girls growing up in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, starring Jodie Foster.

His next film, "Flashdance", an innovative blend of rock 'n' roll, new dance styles, and breathtaking imagery, created a sensation in 1983. Lyne's bravura visuals, perfectly wedded to Giorgio Moroder's powerful score, propelled the story of an aspiring ballerina (Jennifer Beals, in her film debut) who works in a factory by day and dances in a club at night. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, with the theme song, "What a Feeling", winning the Oscar for Best Song.

In 1986, Lyne attracted controversy with "9 1/2 Weeks". Based on a novel by Elizabeth McNeill, the tale of a sexually-obsessive relationship starred Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. Although considered too explicit by its American distributor, and cut for U. S. release, it became a huge hit abroad in its unedited version. Lyne's fourth film was the box-office phenomenon "Fatal Attraction", which to date has generated over $600 million in revenues worldwide. The story of a happily-married lawyer (Michael Douglas) who tries to break off an affair with an attractive single woman (Glenn Close), only to have her become obsessed with him and endanger his family, the film struck a powerful chord with audiences and was one of the most successful films of the year. Deemed "the Zeitgeist hit of the decade" by TIME Magazine, "Fatal Attraction" won six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Best Screenplay and Best Editing.

(April 11, 1998) Lyne's Best Director Oscar nomination for Fatal Attraction (1987) coincided with John Boorman (UK) for Hope and Glory (1987), Lasse Hallström (Sweden) for My Life as a Dog (1985), Norman Jewison (Canada) for Moonstruck (1987) and winner Bernardo Bertolucci (Italy) for The Last Emperor (1987). This was the only instance in Oscar history where all five Best Director nominees were non-Americans.