Date of Birth: November 6, 1931
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Date of Death: November 19, 2014
Biography
Mike Nichols, born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky, was a German-American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was born on November 6, 1931, in Berlin, Germany. Nichols fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1939 and settled in the United States. He attended the University of Chicago where he started his career in improvisational comedy and became a part of the influential comedy duo Nichols and May with Elaine May. Nichols made a seamless transition to directing, achieving great success in both theater and film. His Broadway debut came with the play “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon in 1963, for which he won a Tony Award. He went on to win a total of nine Tony Awards throughout his career. In the film industry, Nichols is best known for directing “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) and “The Graduate” (1967), the latter earning him the Academy Award for Best Director. Nichols continued to have a prolific career in both mediums, directing acclaimed films such as “Carnal Knowledge” (1971), “Silkwood” (1983), “Working Girl” (1988), and “The Birdcage” (1996). He also directed successful Broadway productions including “The Real Thing” and the 2012 revival of “Death of a Salesman.” Nichols was married four times and had three children. He passed away on November 19, 2014, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most versatile and talented directors in American entertainment history.
5 Interesting Facts about Mike Nichols
1. Mike Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director for “The Graduate” in 1968.
2. Nichols was the first person to win all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).
3. His film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won five.
4. Nichols suffered from a medical condition called alopecia, which resulted in permanent hair loss.
5. He was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Mike Nichols
1. “The only safe thing is to take a chance.”
2. “A movie is like a person. Either you trust it or you don’t.”
3. “The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone.”
4. “The role of a director is to create a space where the actors can become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.”
5. “If you can make people laugh, you’re not as bad as you thought you were.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Mike Nichols’ highest net worth was estimated to be around $100 million.
Children
Mike Nichols had three children: Daisy Nichols, Max Nichols, and Jenny Nichols.
Relevant Links
1. [Mike Nichols – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001566/
2. [Mike Nichols – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Nichols
3. [Mike Nichols – Biography](https://www.biography.com/filmmaker/mike-nichols
5. [Mike Nichols – The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/20/mike-nichols
