Arthur Hiller has directed 33 movies and hundreds of television episodes. Hiller received a Masters degree at the University of Toronto. As he was completing his studies he realized that his great love of theatre, instilled in him by his parents and his high school drama teacher, was compelling him to make entertainment his life’s work.
Hiller joined the CBC in 1949, where he directed radio public affairs programs, then drama documentaries and dramas. He then directed CBC live television dramas until NBC called him to Hollywood to direct live television there. His television credits include Playhouse 90, Naked City, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Route 66, Gunsmoke, and the pilot for The Addams Family.
Motion pictures followed, and in 1970, Hiller won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for his direction of Love Story. He is respected for his diversity, moving with ease from his tender treatment of Love Story to the raw drama of The Man in The Glass Booth, the satiric Hospital, and the musical Man of LaMancha. He has delighted audiences with such comedy classics as Silver Streak, The In-Laws, The Out-of-Towners, and Outrageous Fortune.
Arthur Hiller served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and president of the Directors Guild of America. He is very involved in the community and charitable causes inside and outside of the film industry and was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002, an honour that hadn’t been given out for six years.