Raised in Utah; one of the few non-Mormon families in his neighborhood

Father committed suicide

Hitchhiked to Los Angeles

Worked numerous jobs before becoming multilith operator at Republic Pictures; responsible for duplicating scripts

Became apprentice film editor

First film credit, "The Big Country"; worked under Robert Swink who became Ashby's mentor

First film as co-editor, "The Loved One"

First film as solo editor, "The Cincinnati Kid"; first screen collaboration with Norman Jewison

Garnered first Oscar nomination for Best Editing for Jewison's comedy "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming"

Won Best Editing Oscar for Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night"

First film as associate producer (also supervising editor), "The Thomas Crown Affair"

Film directing debut, "The Landlord"

Directed the cult classic "Harold and Maude"

Hired by MGM to direct a film starring Jack Nicholson; project dropped when studio would not approve female lead; Nicholson and Ashby then teamed for "The Last Detail" (1973)

Chosen to direct "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"; resigned over disgreements about the script

Teamed with Robert Towne and Warren Beatty to helm "Shampoo"

Helmed the acclaimed biopic of folk singer Woody Guthrie, "Bound for Glory"; film earned Best Picture Oscar nomination

Earned Best Director Oscar nomination for "Coming Home"

Won further acclaim for directing Peter Sellars in "Being There"

Helmed the documentary "Let Spend the Night Together", about the Rolling Stones

Directed last film, "Eight Million Ways to Die"

Helmed the pilot for the TV series "Beverly Hills Buntz"