Lawrence Kasdan Net Worth

Lawrence Kasdan's Quotes

• You can tell any story in a Western. How can you not be fascinated by them?
• It's tough to get any movie made, and when you take on these tough genres - and I've done it a couple times - it just makes the whole struggle more.
• Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.
• I want everything I do to have humor in it, because it seems to me that all of life has that.
• I tell you, I feel like a real novice as far as horror goes.

Interesting Facts about Lawrence Kasdan

1. Attended University of Michigan as an education major.
2. Liked writing instead of teaching.
3. Worked as a copywriter.
4. Grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia.
5. Brother of Mark Kasdan.
6. Has never directed Harrison Ford in a movie, despite having written four movies in which Ford appears: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). He did, however, direct River Phoenix in I Love You to Death (1990). Phoenix had played the young Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). He also directed Bill Pullman in _The Accidental Tourist'. Pullman played a Han Solo-type character in _Spaceballs (1988)_, and replaced Ford in 'Innocent (1991)(TV)' the sequel to Presumed Innocent (1990).
7. Father of Jonathan Kasdan and Jake Kasdan.
8. Won the prestigious "Hopwood Prize" for creative writing from the University of Michigan's Hopwood Program. Hopwood was a Michigan alumnus who left a bequest in his will establishing the awards. The Hopwood Program at Michigan now administers the Arthur Miller Award of the U-M Club of New York Scholarship and the Kasdan Scholarship in Creative Writing, among other award/scholarship programs. Kasadan delivered the Hopwood Prize address in the year 2000.
9. Is a fan of the films of Akira Kurosawa, something that can be see in his early scripts. The Bodyguard (1992) was his first script, and was named after the English title of Yojinbo (1961), which is also featured in the film itself. Kevin Costner's role was originally written for Steve McQueen, who appeared in The Magnificent Seven (1960), a remake of Shichinin no samurai (1954). The characters of R2-D2 and C-3PO, in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), were based on Matashichi and Tahei, two farmers from Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958).
10. Has directed 2 actresses to Oscar nominations: Glenn Close (Best Supporting Actress, The Big Chill (1983)) and Geena Davis (Best Supporting Actress, The Accidental Tourist (1988)). Davis won the Oscar for her performance.
11. Frequently casts Kevin Costner, Ted Danson, Jeff Fahey, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Jason Lee, Mary McDonnell, Bill Pullman Kathleen Turner, and JoBeth Williams. He has also cast Goldblum's ex-wives Patricia Gaul in The Big Chill (1983) and Silverado (1985) and Geena Davis in The Accidental Tourist (1988).
12. His first job as a hired writer was to write Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) for Steven Spielberg. In his career as a director, he would work with many actors who had also worked for Spielberg. These include William Hurt, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Ted Danson, David Paymer, Jeff Goldblum and River Phoenix.
13. Named "Lawrence of Arabia" as his favorite film in a AFI poll.
14. Has collaborated with actor Kevin Kline [to date, September 2015] in cinema movies on six occasions.The films are Silverado (1985), Grand Canyon (1991), French Kiss (1995), The Big Chill (1983), Darling Companion (2012), and I Love You to Death (1990).
15. Has directed Jeff Goldblum in two films: The Big Chill (1983) and Silverado (1985). Both films also featured his first wife, Patricia Gaul. The Accidental Tourist (1988) featured his second wife, Geena Davis. While he has never directed a film with any of Goldblum's subsequent partners, Goldblum was involved with Laura Dern, who appears in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017), while Kasdan wrote three of the Star Wars films.
16. Nephew of director Jack Landau.