milestones
Year
Milestone
 
Raised on the Isle of Wight
1975 
Made stage directing debut with own play "Mobius the Stripper" in England
1976 
Lectured in drama at the University of Hull
1981 
Enjoyed modest success with play "Whale Music"
1983 
Wrote teleplays for the British series "Studio"
1986 
Earned notice for his West End debut, "Made in Bangkok" about the exploitation of women in Thailand
1986 
Scripted the British teleplay "What If It's Raining?"
1987 
Wrote for the English TV series, "Inspector Morse"
1990 
Wrote for the series "The Storyteller" (NBC), produced by Jim Henson
1988 
Penned the BBC radio play "Cigarettes and Chocolate"
1989 
Wrote for "The Jim Henson Hour" (NBC)
1989 
Scripted the British TV-movie "Living with Dinosaurs"
1990 
Feature directorial debut, "Truly, Madly, Deeply"; also scripted
 
Contributed to the screenplay for "The Doctor"; did not receive final screen credit
1993 
First American film, "Mr. Wonderful" starring Matt Dillon
1996 
International breakthrough feature (wrote and directed), "The English Patient"; film received 12 Academy Award nominations and won nine, including Best Picture and Best Director
1999 
Adapted (also directed) for the screen, "The Talented Mr. Ripley"; first collaboration with Jude Law; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Directing and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay
2000 
Formed Mirage Enterprises with Sydney Pollack
2003 
Helmed (also wrote screenplay) the feature adaptation of Charles Frazier's Civil War-era novel "Cold Mountain" starring Jude Law; earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay
2005 
Directed the highly successful staging of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the English National Opera in London; choreographed by his wife, Carolyn Choa
2006 
Wrote (also directed) the original screenplay, "Breaking and Entering"; third collaboration with Jude Law
2007 
Executive produced the Oscar-nominated, "Michael Clayton"
2008 
Adapted (also directed) the BBC miniseries, "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" starring Jill Scott; based on a series of eight novels by Rhodesian-born author Alexander McCall Smith (will air on BBC within a week of his death)
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