Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
The filmmaker who directed the sleepover adventures of a generation, from Kevin McCallister's booby-trapped house to a young wizard's first year at Hogwarts.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American filmmaker·Birthday: September 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Columbus didn't just make movies; he built the cinematic playgrounds of 1990s childhood. A screenwriter first, he penned the blueprints for family-friendly fantasies like 'Gremlins' and 'The Goonies' for Steven Spielberg. His directorial turn, however, is what cemented his legacy. With 'Home Alone,' he orcheated a smash-hit symphony of slapstick and sentiment that became a global phenomenon. He followed it by shepherding another beloved franchise to life, directing the first two 'Harry Potter' films with a focus on warmth, wonder, and faithful adaptation that welcomed millions into the wizarding world. While known for these colossal hits, Columbus's filmography also includes the heartfelt 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and more personal, smaller projects like 'Rent.' He runs his own production company, 1492 Pictures, and has become a vocal advocate for the preservation of practical effects and on-location filmmaking in an age of digital excess.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed 'Home Alone' (1990) and 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992), two of the highest-grossing live-action comedies of all time.
- Helmed the first two 'Harry Potter' films, 'The Sorcerer's Stone' and 'The Chamber of Secrets,' successfully launching the blockbuster film series.
- Founded 1492 Pictures, a production company responsible for films like 'Night at the Museum' and 'The Help.'
- Wrote the screenplays for popular 80s films 'Gremlins' and 'The Goonies' early in his career.
Did You Know?
He named his production company, 1492 Pictures, after the year Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, sharing the explorer's name.
Columbus initially turned down the chance to direct 'Home Alone' before later accepting the job.
He cast most of the young actors in the first Harry Potter film from thousands of auditions across the UK.
He is a major collector of movie props and memorabilia, with a focus on stop-motion animation figures.
“I love creating worlds. That's the most exciting part of filmmaking for me.”
