SHYAMALAN, M. Night 1970–

PERSONAL

Surname is pronounced Shah–ma–lawn; original name, Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan; born August 6 (some sources cite August 3), 1970, in Pondicherry (now known as Puduchchery; some sources cite Madras), India; son of Nelliate C. (a cardiologist) and Jayalakshmi (an obstetrician) Shyamalan; married Bhavna Vaswani (a child psychologist), 1993; children: two daughters. Education: Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, degree, c. 1992. Religion: Hinduism. Avocational Interests: Comic books, playing basketball.

Addresses: Office— Blinding Edge Pictures, 100 Four Falls Corporate Center, Suite 102, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Agent— United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Fifth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Director, producer, writer, and actor. Blinding Edge Pictures, Conshohocken, PA, founder. Filmmaker since childhood.

Awards, Honors: American Film Institute Award, debut film of the year, 1993, for Praying with Anger; Visionary Award, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2000; Empire Award, best director, Golden Satellite Award, International Press Academy, best original screenplay, Nebula Award, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, best script, Bram Stoker Award, Horror Writers Association, best screenplay, Saturn Award, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, best horror film, People's Choice awards, favorite motion picture and favorite dramatic motion picture, Teen Choice Award, film—choice drama, Germany's Bogey Award in gold and Golden Screen, Award of the Japanese Academy, best foreign film, Academy Award nominations, best director, best original screenplay, and best picture, nomination for David Lean Award for Direction and Film Award nominations, best original screenplay and best film, both British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Golden Globe Award nomination, best screenplay for a motion picture, Screen Award nomination, Writers Guild of America, best original screenplay, Saturn Award nomination, best writer, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, best screenplay, Sierra Award nomination, Las Vegas Film Critics Society, best original screenplay, Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best original screenplay, Directors Guild of America Award nomination, outstanding directorial achievement in motion pictures, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nomination, best picture, Hugo Award nomination, best dramatic presentation, International Horror Guild Award nomination, MTV Movie Award nomination, best movie, Film Critics Circle of Australia nomination, Australian Film Institute Award nomination, best foreign film, and Norwegian Amanda Award nomination, best foreign feature film, all 2000, for The Sixth Sense; Annie Award nomination (with Greg Brooker), International Animated Film Society, outstanding individual achievement for writing in an animated feature production, 2000, for Stuart Little; Bram Stoker Award nomination, best screenplay, and Nebula Award nomination, best script, both 2001, for Unbreakable; FirstGlance Award, FirstGlance Film Festival, 2001; Governor's Award for the Arts, State of Pennsylvania, 2002; Kodak Award, ShowEast Convention, 2002; listed on "Power 100 List," Premiere, 2002 and 2003; Bram Stoker Award nomination, best screenplay, and Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best original screenplay, both 2003, for Signs.

CREDITS

Film Director:

Praying with Anger, 1992.

Wide Awake, Miramax, 1998.

The Sixth Sense, Buena Vista, 1999.

Unbreakable, Buena Vista, 2000.

Signs (also known as M. Night Shyamalan's Signs ), Buena Vista, 2002.

The Village, Buena Vista, 2004.

Film Producer:

Praying with Anger, 1992.

Unbreakable, Buena Vista, 2000.

Signs (also known as M. Night Shyamalan's Signs ), Buena Vista, 2002.

The Village, Buena Vista, 2004.

Film Appearances:

Dev Raman, Praying with Anger, 1992.

Dr. Hill, The Sixth Sense, Buena Vista, 1999.

Stadium drug dealer, Unbreakable, Buena Vista, 2000.

Ray Reddy, Signs (also known as M. Night Shyamalan's Signs ), Buena Vista, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Host, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs of Fear, 2002.

Host, 2 Days of Night, ABC, 2004.

M. Night: Portrait of a Filmmaker, 2004.

Television Appearances; Other:

Himself, The 72nd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2000.

Himself, CNN Live Today (episodic), Cable News Network, 2002.

Himself, 60 Minutes (episodic), CBS, 2003.

Appeared in episodes of other series.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Himself, Between Two Worlds, Buena Vista Home Video, 2002.

Himself, Moving Pictures: The Storyboard Process, Buena Vista Home Video, 2002.

Himself, The Sixth Sense: Reflections from the Set, Buena Vista Home Video, 2002.

Himself, Making "Signs, " 2003.

WRITINGS

Screenplays:

Praying with Anger, 1992.

Wide Awake, Miramax, 1998.

Sixth Sense, Buena Vista, 1999.

(With Greg Brooker) Stuart Little (based on the book by E. B. White), Columbia, 1999.

Unbreakable, Buena Vista, 2000.

Signs (also known as M. Night Shyamalan's Signs ), Buena Vista, 2002.

The Village, Buena Vista, 2004.

Wrote the screenplay for the unproduced project Labor of Love.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 41, Gale, 2001.

Newsmakers, Issue 2, Gale, 2003.

Periodicals:

DGA, November, 1999, pp. 48–51, 75.

Dreamwatch, November, 2002, pp. 38–41.

Entertainment Weekly, August 13, 1999, p. 50.

Evening Standard (London), November 5, 1999.

Fade In, summer, 1999.

Houston Chronicle, November 19, 2000, p. 8.

Maclean's, November 27, 2000, p. 89.

Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, March 8, 1999.

Playboy, June, 2000, p. 34.

Rolling Stone, December 7, 2000, pp. 46–50, 125.

Time, November 27, 2000, p. 80.

Electronic:

M. Night Shyamalan Online, http://www.mnight.com, July 18, 2004.