Photo: hinnk / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Richard Kelly earned permanent goodwill from me with Donnie Darko, a debut so singular it overshadowed everything that followed. Born in Virginia and trained at USC, he is a filmmaker who chases dense, mind-bending ideas rather than crowd-pleasing clarity, and films like Southland Tales and The Box split audiences right down the middle. I happen to love that uncompromising authorial streak; refusing to chase universal approval is precisely what breeds devoted cult fans. Add his work as a composer and screenwriter, and you have a genuine triple threat. He remains one of the directors whose next project I quietly hope arrives soon.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Richard Kelly
- Name (Japanese)
- リチャード・ケリー
- Reading
- りちゃーど・けりー
- Born
- March 28, 1975 (age 51)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rabbit
- Origin
- Newport News, Virginia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / composer / film producer / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Midlothian High School
- University
- University of Southern California
Awards & achievements
- 2010 Time Machine Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Richard Kelly born?
Born March 28, 1975 (age 51).
Where is Richard Kelly from?
Richard Kelly is from Newport News, Virginia, United States.
What does Richard Kelly do?
Richard Kelly works as film director, screenwriter, composer, film producer, director.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
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.