Rebecca Miller American writer, film director, screenwriter and actress Date of Birth: 15.09.1962 Country: USA

Biography of Rebecca Miller

Rebecca Augusta Miller was born on September 15, 1962, in Roxbury, Connecticut, USA. She is an American writer, film director, screenwriter, and actress. As the daughter of renowned playwright Arthur Miller, Rebecca initially pursued a career in visual arts as a painter and sculptor before turning to playwriting. She gained notable supporting roles in big-budget films such as "Regarding Henry" and "Consenting Adults".

In 1995, Rebecca wrote and directed her first independent film, the drama "Angela". Her directorial debut earned her a nomination from the jury of the Sundance Film Festival. Her second film, an adaptation of her own book "Personal Velocity", not only received nominations but also won several film awards. In 2009, she directed another adaptation of her father's novel, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee".

Rebecca Miller grew up in a secluded atmosphere on a farm, but she acquired her education through a deep cultural experience. As a child, she listened to stories from the pioneering photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. At the age of nine, her parents took her to Cambodia, where her mother captured photographs of the ruins of Angkor Wat.

Despite her initial interests in visual arts, Rebecca decided to refine her dramatic skills in order to support herself financially. She gained popularity through various roles, including performing in the play "American Plan" at the Manhattan Theatre Club and Peter Brook's famous interpretation of "The Cherry Orchard" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She also starred in the German thriller "Georg Elser - Einer aus Deutschland". However, her passion for filmmaking overcame her interest in acting.

In 1990, Rebecca directed a short film titled "Florence", which was about a woman with amnesia. Two years later, she directed a theatrical play written by her father called "After the Fall", which was an unusual choice given that the play is considered a veiled autobiography of Arthur Miller's troubled marriage to Marilyn Monroe.

Rebecca's first feature film, "Angela", was a collage of her childhood memories. The story of ten-year-old Angela, her younger sister Ellie, and their depressed mother received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Sundance Film Festival Jury Prize, making it one of the best films of 1995. However, despite the recognition, no distributor dared to release the film.

Rebecca's marriage to actor Daniel Day-Lewis, whom she met during the production of "The Crucible", further influenced her career. Balancing between Day-Lewis's home in Ireland and her own in New York, Rebecca wrote a collection of short stories called "Personal Velocity" about women from different backgrounds at different stages of their lives. She later adapted the book into a film, which won the Grand Jury Prize and the John Cassavetes Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie was made with a budget of only $200,000.

In 2005, Rebecca co-wrote the screenplay for the drama film "Proof", starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. The same year, she directed "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" based on her own screenplay. The film, featuring her husband Daniel Day-Lewis and actress Camilla Belle, loosely interpreted William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest". It told the story of Jack, a widowed former hippie, and his 16-year-old daughter Rose, living a reclusive life on a picturesque island in the ocean.

In 2008, Rebecca decided to adapt her novella "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" into a film. The story revolves around a seemingly calm but internally troubled woman in her middle age, hiding a dark past full of adventurous encounters, erotic affairs, and struggles with addiction. Rebecca took charge of the film's success, enlisting renowned stars such as Robin Wright Penn, Keanu Reeves, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Alan Arkin, and Mike Binder. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon its release in 2009.

Rebecca Miller is considered one of the last educated female writers of the Renaissance Era, having achieved success not only as a novelist but also as a screenwriter and director in both the theatrical and film worlds.