Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director and writer of theater, opera, and film. She is best known for her stage adaptation of The Lion King, which debuted in 1997 and received eleven Tony Award nominations. Taymor won Tony Awards for her direction and costume design for The Lion King. She also directed the film Frida, a biographical drama about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, which was nominated for five Academy Awards. Taymor's other notable work includes directing the 2007 jukebox musical film Across the Universe, based on the music of the Beatles. She was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and showed an early interest in theatre, joining the Boston Children's Theatre at age ten.