J.J. Abrams

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer. He is known for work in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote or produced feature films such as Regarding Henry (1991), Forever Young (1992), Armageddon (1998), Cloverfield (2008), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). He created or co-created a number of TV drama series, including Felicity (co-creator, 1998–2003), Alias (creator, 2001–2006), Lost (co-creator, 2004–2010), and Fringe (co-creator, 2008–2013). Abrams won two Emmy Awards for Lost—Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series. His directorial film work includes Mission: Impossible III (2006), Star Trek (2009) and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Super 8 (2011). He also directed and co-wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the first film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and his highest-grossing film, as well as the third highest-grossing film of all time. He will return to Star Wars by co-writing and directing Episode IX. Abrams's frequent creative collaborators include producer Bryan Burk, actors Greg Grunberg and Simon Pegg, writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, composer Michael Giacchino, cinematographers Daniel Mindel and Larry Fong, and editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey. 2Early life Abrams was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, the son of television producer Gerald W. Abrams (born 1939) and executive producer Carol Ann Abrams (née Kelvin; 1942–2012). His sister is screenwriter Tracy Rose