Chris Joseph Columbus (b. 10 September 1958) is an American filmmaker. He directed the first two Harry Potter films and produced the third, which was directed by Alfonso Cuarón. His work outside of Harry Potter includes Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire and the film version of the Broadway musical Rent.
Personal life[]
Colombus is the son of Alex and Irene Colombus. Columbus has been married to Monica Devereux since 1983.[1] They have four children together, Eleanor, Violet, Isabella and Brendan.
His wife Monica made a small appearance in Home Alone as the red-headed flight attendant, and in Home Alone 2 as the Plaza telephone operator. Columbus lives in San Francisco's Pacific Heights, where his children attend or previously attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. He donated money to the school for a new building, which was named after him.
Partial filmography[]
| Title | Writer | Producer | Director | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief | ✓ | ✓ | 2010 | |
| I Love You, Beth Cooper | ✓ | ✓ | 2009 | |
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | ✓ | 2009 | ||
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | ✓ | 2007 | ||
| Night at the Museum | ✓ | 2006 | ||
| Rent | ✓ | 2005 | ||
| Fantastic Four | ✓ | 2005 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | ✓ | 2004 | ||
| Christmas with the Kranks | ✓ | ✓ | 2004 | |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | ✓ | ✓ | 2002 | |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | ✓ | ✓ | 2001 | |
| Bicentennial Man | ✓ | ✓ | 1999 | |
| Stepmom | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1998 |
| Nine Months | ✓ | 1995 | ||
| Mrs. Doubtfire | ✓ | 1993 | ||
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | ✓ | 1992 | ||
| Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland | ✓ | 1992 | ||
| Only the Lonely | ✓ | ✓ | 1991 | |
| Home Alone | ✓ | 1990 | ||
| Heartbreak Hotel | ✓ | ✓ | 1988 | |
| Adventures in Babysitting | ✓ | 1987 | ||
| Young Sherlock Holmes | ✓ | 1985 | ||
| The Goonies | ✓ | 1985 | ||
| Gremlins | ✓ | 1984 | ||
| Reckless | ✓ | 1984 |
Behind the scenes[]
- Chris Columbus's production company is named 1492 Productions, which is intended as a play on Columbus' more famous namesake, Christopher Columbus.
- His daughter, Eleanor, has a cameo in both the first two Harry Potter films, playing the witch Susan Bones. The rest of his children, Isabella, Violet and Brendan Columbus, appeared in unnamed cameo roles in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Together with Zoë Wanamaker and Verne Troyer, they make up the only American cast members of the series as J.K. Rowling wanted and imposed a "strictly British and Irish cast" policy while allowing the casting of French and Eastern European nationalities where necessary.
- In an interview in January 2025, he had said the Harry Potter television series is a “brilliant idea” and that the series has the opportunity to explore plot points in the book that had to be cut in the films. He also praised Cillian Murphy as a fan cast choice.[2]
Notes and references[]
External links[]
Chris Columbus at the Internet Movie Database- BBC Movies article about Chris Columbus
- Chris Columbus biography from The New York Times (Archived)