A native of Raleigh and a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Peyton Reed began his career as an editor at Zaloom-Mayfield Productions. On the strength of his award-winning short “Almost Beat,” he began writing and directing for the company as well. He directed numerous behind-the-scenes documentaries, including “The Secrets of Back to the Future Trilogy,” “Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump,” and CBS’s “The Honeymooners Anniversary Special.” He then went to work for Walt Disney, where he directed two successful television movies, “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” and “The Love Bug,” for the studio’s Wonderful World of Disney series on the ABC network before making his feature film directing debut with the critically praised box office success “Bring It On,” starring Kirsten Dunst in a behind-the-scenes look at the world of high school cheerleading championships. He has also directed episodes of Comedy Central’s “Upright Citizens Brigade” and HBO’s “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” as well as music videos for such alternative bands as Superchunk and The Connells.