George Lucas

The Star Wars films of George Lucas have made him one of the most successful moviemakers in history. He was the co-writer and director of American Graffiti (1973, with Ron Howard), the film that kicked off a country-wide craze for 1950's nostalgia. With his clout from that success he made Star Wars, a slam-bang space adventure which broke box office records around the world. Five sequels have been made to date, including The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). With Steven Spielberg, Lucas also created the dashing archaeologist Indiana Jones; Lucas produced Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its sequels, while Spielberg directed. Lucas's other producing credits include the animated feature The Land Before Time (1988) and a famous flop, Howard the Duck (1986). Lucas is also the head of LucasFilms and the special effects studios Industrial Light & Magic, and is famous for his Skywalker Ranch production facilities north of San Francisco. In 1992 Lucas received a special Oscar, the Irving G. Thalberg Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Extra credit: Lucas's wife Marcia edited American Graffiti and Star Wars; the couple were married from 1969-83.