Profile: George Lucas

11 August 2008 05:20pm

Real Name: George Walton Lucas, Jr.

Birth Date: May 14, 1944

Image: Legendary director

Best Known For: Creating Star Wars and Indiana Jones

Early Life: George was born in California, the son of Dorothy Ellinore and stationary store owner George Walton Lucas, Sr.

George originally wanted to be a race car driver until he had a car accident just days before his high school graduation. He attended community college where he developed a passion for cinematography and camera tricks and became an experimental filmmaker.

Later he was a University of Southern California graduate student in film production. Working as a teaching instructor for a class of US Navy students who were being taught documentary cinematography, Lucas directed the short film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which won first prize at the 1967-68 National Student Film Festival, and was later adapted into his first full-length feature film, THX 1138.

His second feature American Graffiti, released in 1973, was a huge hit and a cult classic.

Career High: Winning a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1992

Love Life: George divorced his film editor wife Marcia Lou Griffin in 1983 after 14 years of marriage. He was once engaged to longterm girlfriend, singer Linda Ronstadt. George has been dating Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management, since 2007.

Don't Mention: Some devout Star Wars fans hated George's prequel movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Words Of Wisdom: "Honestly, everyone feels you have to talk about yourself all the time. They say I'm introverted because I don't give many interviews. But I don't give many interviews because I don't make many films."

© The Press Association