Photo: Photo/Sarah E. Freeman/Grady College, freemans@uga.edu in New York City, Georgia, on Saturday, May 21, 2016 / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on January 26, 1952 in New York City, New York, United States, Mimi Leder is a film director, film producer and television producer. Mimi Leder is 74 years old as of 2026. Awards on record include Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (1995) and Dorothy Arzner Directors Award (2000). Notable works include Pay It Forward.
My Take
Mimi Leder is one of those directors I think deserves far more recognition than she gets. As the first woman to graduate from the AFI Conservatory, she broke ground before it was fashionable, then proved herself on the biggest canvases Hollywood offers with The Peacemaker and Deep Impact. What draws me to her work, though, is the emotional core she smuggles inside spectacle, never letting effects swallow the human story, as in Pay It Forward. With two Emmys and a long, resilient career, she's the kind of craftsperson who paved the way for others. I find her persistence genuinely inspiring.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mimi Leder
- Name (Japanese)
- ミミ・レダー
- Reading
- みみ・れだー
- Born
- January 26, 1952 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Dragon
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- film director / film producer / television producer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1995 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
- 2000 Dorothy Arzner Directors Award
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Pay It Forward | — |
4. Links
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mimi.leder/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimi%20Leder
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9F%E3%83%9F%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q268881
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Mimi Leder born?
Born January 26, 1952 (age 74).
Where is Mimi Leder from?
Mimi Leder is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Mimi Leder do?
Mimi Leder works as film director, film producer, television producer.
What is Mimi Leder known for?
Notable works include Pay It Forward.
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