John Avildsen was an American film director who died with a net worth of $20 million. In December 1935, John G. Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois. On June 16, 2017, he died at the age of 81. He was most famous for directing “The Karate Kid” film franchise and “Rocky,” among many other pictures.
Who is John Avildsen?
John Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois on December 21, 1935, to Ivy and Clarence Avildsen. His father worked as a toolmaker. He attended Indian Mountain School before moving on to the Hotchkiss School. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in night programs at New York University while concurrently working in advertising. While at NYU, he befriended Norman Wexler, a copywriter who would later create one of Avildsen’s screenplays. He was drafted into the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1961.
How old was John G. Avildsen?
He was 81 years old when he died.
What was John G. Avildsen’s net worth?
He was estimated to be worth $20 Million.
What was John G. Avildsen’s career?
Following his military duty, Avildsen worked as an assistant director on films by Arthur Penn and Otto Preminger. In 1969, he was also the director of photography for the film “Out of It.” He directed his debut feature picture, the low-budget “Joe,” starring Peter Boyle, in 1970. The picture was a box-office success, generating $26 million on a $100,000 budget. Following this early success, Avildsen directed the low-budget 1971 cult classic comedy picture “Cry Uncle!” starring Allen Garfield. The film was first released in the United Kingdom as “Superdick” and then on video as “American Oddballs.” During the same year, he directed “Okay Bill.”
Avildsen directed “Save the Tiger,” his most critically acclaimed picture to date, in 1973. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and its actor, Jack Lemmon, won the award for Best Actor. He directed “The Stoolie” in 1974, then “Fore Play” and “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” in 1975.
Avildsen’s breakthrough came a few years later, in 1976, when he directed “Rocky.” He collaborated closely with Sylvester Stallone on the picture, as Stallone both starred in it and helped with its writing. The picture was a critical and commercial triumph, becoming 1976’s highest-grossing film. It received 10 Academy Award nominations and three wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. He was also nominated for Best Director at both the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. While Avildsen did not direct the film’s immediate sequels, he did return to direct “Rocky V,” the series’ last installment, in 1990.
Avildsen directed the 1978 film “Slow Dancing in the Big City.” In 1980, he directed “The Formula,” which was a critical flop, earning him a nomination for Worst Director at the Razzie Awards. The next year, he directed “Neighbors.” In 1982, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject for his film “Travelling Hopefully.” He directed the 1983 film “A Night in Heaven.”
Avildsen’s second big hit came in 1984 when he directed “The Karate Kid.” The picture was one of the year’s top earners and Hollywood’s biggest sleeper hit. It has spawned a media empire and is credited with popularizing karate in the United States. Avildsen directed the sequel, “The Karate Kid Part II,” in 1986, and a third picture, “The Karate Kid Part III,” in 1989. In addition, he directed the film “For Keeps” in 1988. Avildsen directed the 1989 film “Lean on Me.”
In 1992, Avildsen directed “The Power of One.” The film stars Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Daniel Craig in his feature film debut, and is largely based on Bryce Courtenay’s novel of the same name. Avildsen directed “8 Seconds,” a contemporary Western biographical drama film on bull riding legend Lane Frost, in 1994. In 1999, Avildsen directed his final picture, “Inferno.” The movie is also known as “Desert Heat.” Jean-Claude van Damme, Danny Trejo, and Pat Morita star.
