Ilya Salkind

Ilya Salkind was born in Mexico City, and grew up in the world of motion pictures. At the age of one, Ilya was photographed sitting on the lap of Zsa Zsa Gabor. His grandfather, Michael Salkind, was one of the pioneers of silent films and produced The Joyless Street (1925) (aka "The Joyless Street"), featuring then relative unknown Greta Garbo in her first major role.

Afterwards, Michael and his son, Alexander Salkind, were responsible for many successful films of artistic achievement, including Orson Welles's The Trial (1962) (aka "The Trial"). Ilya then took the reins and became the third generation of successful filmmakers. Ilya has worked in Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, New York and Los Angeles. He speaks fluent French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and English. At a young age, Ilya started his career as a producer and has accumulated a stunning filmography.

Ilya produced, with his father and grandfather, the tremendous worldwide box office hits The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974), which was the first time in the industry a film and its sequel were shot simultaneously.

Ilya was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on The Three Musketeers (1973). Ilya then went on to initiate the blockbuster "Superman" franchise, one of the most successful in film history.

The Academy Award-winning Superman (1978) also has the distinction of being the first major Comic Book film adaptation ever made. Under Ilya's supervision, this film and its first two sequels became worldwide blockbusters.

Superman II (1980) was awarded the Best Science Fiction Film of the year by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

Ilya's venture into television, Superboy (1988) (1988-1992), also proved successful, lasting four seasons for a total of 100 episodes. The show was recognized by the Young Artist Awards as one of the Best Family Series on television.

After producing the $50 million Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) with Marlon Brando, Benicio del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Georges Corraface, in the role of Christopher Columbus, Ilya and wife Jane Chaplin (daughter of Charles Chaplin and granddaughter of Eugene O'Neill) settled down in Orlando, Florida and took a sabbatical to raise their two young sons.

2 sons with ex-wife Jane Chaplin: Orson Chaplin Salkind (born 1987 in England) & Osceola Byron Malachi Chaplin Salkind (born February 24, 1994 in Orlando, FL).

The celebrity couple amicably parted ways at the end of 1999. Ilya, now based in LA and having formed The Ilya Salkind Company, Inc.

, is completing the company's first film, Young Alexander the Great (2010), recently shot in Egypt and Greece about the young Alexander the Great. The film has already seemingly launched the careers of four of its previously unknown stars. Sam Heughan ("Young Alexander") was signed by the prestigious agency ICM, Paul Telfer ("Hephaestion") was chosen from out of 200 candidates to play the title role in the $25 million miniseries "Hercules," Lauren Cohan ("Leto") is starring alongside Heath Ledger in "Casanova" and Louis Tamone ("Thessaly") is now a regular on the successful British television show Hollyoaks. Ilya Salkind has a reputation for discovering new talent throughout his career, including Christopher Reeve (Superman), Helen Slater (Supergirl), and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Benicio del Toro (Christopher Columbus: The Discovery starring Marlon Brando).