Patty Jenkins
She shattered box office ceilings with 'Wonder Woman,' but first made her mark with a raw, Oscar-winning character study of a serial killer.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American film director·Birthday: July 24·Generation X
Biography
Patty Jenkins spent years honing her craft in television and short films before her feature debut, 'Monster,' exploded onto the scene in 2003. The film, a grim and empathetic portrait of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, was a seismic statement. Jenkins directed Charlize Theron to a transformative, Oscar-winning performance, establishing herself as a director of intense character focus. Then came a long, frustrating wait in development hell for various projects, a common story for women in Hollywood. Her return was historic: hired to direct 'Wonder Woman,' she delivered a World War I-set epic that balanced spectacle with heart, proving a female director could helm a massive superhero tentpole. Its colossal success was a cultural milestone, making Jenkins the first woman to direct a studio superhero film and one of its most profitable. Her career is a study in patience and the power of a single, perfectly executed vision to change the rules.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Patty was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Patty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Patty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
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
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed 'Wonder Woman' (2017), the first solo superhero film directed by a woman, which grossed over $820 million worldwide.
- Won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature for 'Monster' in 2004.
- Her direction led Charlize Theron to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for 'Monster'.
Did You Know?
She initially studied painting at the Cooper Union before switching to film at the AFI Conservatory.
Her father was a fighter pilot, which influenced the aerial combat scenes in 'Wonder Woman'.
She directed the pilot episode of the acclaimed TV series 'The Killing'.
“The fact that I’m a woman and you’re going to tell my story from a woman’s point of view, that’s what’s going to make it great.”
