Became interested in directing after taking a film history class at college

In England, worked for advertising agency and as director of documentary films and commercials

Returned to the USA and moved to Los Angeles

Began writing for primetime TV crime dramas including "Starsky and Hutch" (ABC) and "Police Story" (NBC)

Scripted the TV-movie pilot for "Vega$"; also wrote for the subsequent series (ABC, 1978-1981)

Feature debut, uncredited screenwriter on the crime drama "Straight Time"

TV directorial debut, the ABC drama "The Jericho Mile"; also co-wrote Emmy award-winning screenplay with Patrick J. Nolan

Feature debut as executive producer-director-writer, "Thief", starring James Caan

TV producing debut, executive producing influential "MTV-styled" cop series "Miami Vice" on NBC

Executive produced 1960s-set cop series "Crime Story" for NBC; also provided story for eight episodes

First film project as executive producer without directing, "Band of the Hand", an actioner helmed by "Starsky and Hutch" star Paul Michael Glaser

First feature credit as producer, "Manhunter"; also directed and scripted; first collaboration with director of photography Dante Spinotti; film introduced character of Hannibal Lecter (played by Brian Cox)

Episodic TV directing debut, "The King in a Cage", an episode of "Crime Story" broadcast March 6th

Sole story credit for "Freefall", a Latin American-set "Miami Vice" episode broadcast on May 21

Executive produced, scripted and directed "L.A. Takedown" (NBC), a failed TV-movie pilot that provided a number of plot elements later expanded in the 1995 feature "Heat"

TV miniseries producing debut (executive producer), "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story", an NBC crime docudrama; also provided story; project won an Emmy

Executive produced "Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel", an NBC miniseries sequel

Co-wrote, directed and served as producer on the remake of "The Last of the Mohicans", starring Daniel Day-Lewis; reteamed with Spinotti

Helmed the highly-anticipated, although slightly disappointing first screen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in "Heat"; produced and scripted as well; again reteamed with Spinotti

Reteamed with Pacino for "The Insider", the based-on-fact story of tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffery Wigand: Pacino was cast as "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman; produced and co-scripted (with Eric Roth); fourth feature with Spinotti; received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay

Directed "Ali", a biopic of boxer Muhammed Ali starring Will Smith; also scripted with Eric Roth

Directed Tom Cruise in the thriller "Collateral"

Produced "The Aviator" which starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes; film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture (Drama)

Directed Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx a film remake of 1980s cop series "Miami Vice"

Co-penned "The Kingdom" with director Peter Berg