Date of Birth: January 3, 1940
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Biography
Thelma Colbert Schoonmaker is an acclaimed American film editor known for her long-standing collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. Born on January 3, 1940, in Algiers, Algeria, she spent her early years in various countries, including the United States and Portugal, due to her father’s work in the international oil business. Schoonmaker attended Cornell University, where she majored in political science and Russian, before moving to New York City to pursue a career in film editing. Her career breakthrough came when she worked on the documentary “Woodstock” (1970), which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing. This led to her lifelong collaboration with Scorsese, beginning with “Raging Bull” (1980), for which she won her first Academy Award. Over the decades, Schoonmaker has edited many of Scorsese’s most prominent films, including “Goodfellas” (1990), “The Aviator” (2004), and “The Irishman” (2019). Her work has earned her multiple awards, including three Academy Awards and numerous other accolades.
5 Interesting Facts about Thelma Schoonmaker
1. Thelma Schoonmaker has won three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing for her work on “Raging Bull,” “The Aviator,” and “The Departed.”
2. She initially intended to become a diplomat and studied political science and Russian at Cornell University.
3. Schoonmaker’s collaboration with Martin Scorsese is one of the longest and most successful director-editor partnerships in film history.
4. She was introduced to Scorsese by film professor Haig Manoogian while working on a short film at New York University.
5. In 2012, she received the BAFTA Fellowship for her outstanding and exceptional contribution to film.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Thelma Schoonmaker
1. “Editing is a lot like sculpting. You cut away the unwanted material to reveal the work of art within.”
2. “I love editing. It’s the only thing about moviemaking that I really love.”
3. “You have to have a very keen sense of what’s important, what’s not, what’s dramatic, what’s not, and what’s entertaining.”
4. “The most important thing I’ve learned is to trust my instincts and the director’s vision.”
5. “Editing is where the film starts to come together, where the magic happens.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
The highest net worth achieved by Thelma Schoonmaker is estimated to be around $6 million.
Children
Thelma Schoonmaker does not have any children.
Relevant Links
1. [IMDb – Thelma Schoonmaker](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774817/
2. [Wikipedia – Thelma Schoonmaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Schoonmaker
3. [BAFTA Profile – Thelma Schoonmaker](https://www.bafta.org/guru/bafta-fellow-thelma-schoonmaker
