Born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden

At age ten, directed first short films, including a three-minute documentary about Gotland Island and the ten-minute thriller "The Ghost Thief"

As a high school student, made a documentary short (about school friends forming a rock band) which was subsequently broadcast on Swedish TV in 1967

Spent about ten years making film inserts, mostly on music groups, for Swedish TV; did much of the shooting and editing

Helmed his first full-length TV program, "Shall We Dance?" (date approximate)

Trained as a TV producer

Began shooting promotional film clips (forerunners of music videos) for the Swedish band ABBA

Feature directorial debut, "A Guy and a Gal/En Kille och en Tjej"

Filmed the documentary performance film, "ABBA: The Movie"

Made first film to gain international recognition, "My Life as a Dog"; received a Best Director Academy Award nomination and shared a Best Adapted Screenplay nod

US TV debut (director, executive producer), "The Big Five", an unsold pilot

American feature debut, as writer-director of "Once Around"

Helmed "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", featuring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio

Directed the modestly pleasing romantic comedy "Something to Talk About", starring Julia Roberts

Helmed the feature adaptation of John Irving's novel "The Cider House Rules"; earned Best Director Academy Award nomination

Directed Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche in "Chocolat," also featured wife Lena Olin

Helmed the film adaptation of the award-winning novel "The Shipping News", starring Kevin Spacey

Helmed "An Unfinished Life", featuring Jennifer Lopez and Robert Redford

Directed Heath Ledger as the fabled romantic in "Casanova" also starring Lena Olin and Sienna Miller

Directed "The Hoax," a fact-based drama starring Richard Gere as a bogus biographer of Howard Hughes