Gus Van Sant

Known for: Directing
Born: July 24, 1952, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Movies: 90

Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures.

His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix.

Best-Known Movies

8.2

Good Will Hunting

1997

7.2

Milk

2008

7.0

Elephant

2003

6.3

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

2001

7.0

My Own Private Idaho

1991

7.1

Finding Forrester

2000

5.1

Psycho

1998

6.6

To Die For

1995

6.8

Paris Je T'aime

2006

6.7

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

2018

Filmography

2024	The Trainer	Gus Van Sant
2023	Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open	Self (interview)
2023	Andy by Gus
2019	At the Video Store	Self
2019	Zeroville	Film Archive Curator
2018	Illegal Civilization 3	Self
2018	Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot	Willamette Week Editor
2018	Thank You for Supporting the Arts
2017	Ain't It Funny	Dad
2016	Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible	Self
2015	I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman	Self
2015	About Cinema	Self
2013	The Canyons	Dr. Campbell
2012	Reflecting on a Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later	Self
2012	A Special Day	Self
2011	The Advocate for Fagdom	Self
2011	Two Films, One Legacy
2010	William S. Burroughs: A Man Within	Self
2008	Making Paranoid Park
2008	Critic	Self
2007	In the Mood for Doyle	Self
2007	Paranoid Park	Guy Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
2007	Here’s Looking at You, Boy	Self
2006	Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema	Self
2005	Last Days	Phone Voice (voice)
2004	On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time	Himself
2004	The Making of Last Days	Self
2003	Saltlake Van Sant	Self
2003	About Elephant	Self
2001	Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back	Gus Van Sant
2001	Rescued from the Closet	Self
2000	Finding Forrester	Library Assistant (uncredited)
1999	The Making of Drugstore Cowboy
1999	Psycho Path	Self - Director
1998	Psycho	Man Talking to Man in Cowboy Hat (uncredited)
1998	Strange Parallel	Self
1998	The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft	himself
1995	Guns on the Clackamas
1993	Made in the USA	Self
1991	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Funky Monks	Self
1991	My Own Private Idaho	Man Behind Hotel Counter (uncredited)
1989	Drugstore Cowboy	Himself (uncredited)
1988	Junior	Himself
1987	Mala Noche	Guy at Hotel (uncredited)
1987	Five Ways to Kill Yourself

Directing, Writing & Producing

2026	Dead Man's Wire	Director
2021	Joe Gives Up and Moves to Montana	Producer
2020	Ouverture of Something That Never Ended	Director, Writer
2018	Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot	Director, Screenplay
2016	The Sea of Trees	Director
2012	Promised Land	Director
2012	My Own Private River	Director
2011	Restless	Director, Producer
2008	Milk	Director
2008	8	Director
2008	Mansion on the Hill	Director
2007	To Each His Own Cinema	Director
2007	Paranoid Park	Screenplay, Director
2006	Paris Je T'aime	Director, Writer
2006	Le Marais	Writer, Director
2006	Cinema16: American Short Films	Director
2006	Best of Chris Isaak	Director
2005	Last Days	Director, Screenplay
2003	Elephant	Screenplay, Director
2002	Gerry	Director, Writer
2002	David Bowie: Best of Bowie	Director
2000	Finding Forrester	Director
2000	Easter	Director
2000	De Witt Clinton Choir	Director
1998	Psycho	Director, Producer
1997	Good Will Hunting	Director
1997	Ballad of the Skeletons	Director, Writer
1996	Four Boys in a Volvo	Director
1995	To Die For	Director
1994	Even Cowgirls Get the Blues	Director, Writer
1991	My Own Private Idaho	Director, Screenplay
1991	Thanksgiving Prayer	Director, Producer
1991	Flea Sings	Director
1989	Drugstore Cowboy	Director, Screenplay
1988	Ken Death Gets Out of Jail	Director
1988	Junior	Director
1987	Mala Noche	Director, Screenplay, Producer
1987	Five Ways to Kill Yourself	Director, Writer
1987	My New Friend	Director
1985	Switzerland	Director
1982	The Discipline of D.E.	Director
1979	Psycho Shampoo	Director
1973	1/2 of a Telephone Conversation	Director
1972	Little Johnny	Director
1971	The Happy Organ	Director

Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.