Photo: Martin Kraft / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gray is a quietly classical filmmaker working in an age that often has no patience for his patient rhythms, and I admire him enormously for it. His New York is a world of family obligation, immigrant striving, and moral compromise, shot with a painterly warmth few American directors attempt anymore. The Immigrant and Two Lovers are aching, grown-up dramas that reward repeat viewings. He has a devoted following in France while remaining underappreciated at home, which feels about right for a director this uninterested in trends. Armageddon Time, drawn from his own childhood, showed he can turn the lens inward with the same unflinching tenderness.
Overview
James Gray (born April 14, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter, born in New York City and a graduate of the University of Southern California film school. He is known for atmospheric, character-driven dramas often set in his native New York, including The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, and the autobiographical Armageddon Time. He is a frequent presence in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- James Gray
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェームズ・グレイ
- Reading
- じぇーむず・ぐれい
- Born
- April 14, 1969 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rooster
- Origin
- New York, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Film director / Screenwriter / Filmmaker / Director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Southern California
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.