About Mark Illsley
Born 1958. Mark Illsley is an American film director, screenwriter and director.
Mark Illsley (born June 4, 1958) is a film director best known for writing and directing the film Happy, Texas, which starred William H. Macy and Steve Zahn, and directing Bookies.
Illsley was raised in Santa Rosa, California where he made films as a teen with a Super-8 camera. He graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1981, where he met and started working relationship with Kevin Reynolds.
Happy, Texas triggered a bidding war that played out at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, with Harvey Weinstein and Miramax beating out other suitors, which included Fox Searchlight, Paramount Classics and New Line Cinema.
He married his wife Jill Zimmerman on September 29, 2001. They divorced in 2016. He is the son of Rolf Illsley
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Important facts
People in Mark Illsley's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Mark Illsley?
film director
When was Mark Illsley born?
Mark Illsley was born on 4 June 1958 in United States.
What is Mark Illsley's occupation?
Mark Illsley is a film director, screenwriter and director.
What nationality is Mark Illsley?
Mark Illsley is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mark Illsley. https://biography.guide/mark-illsley/
MLA: "Mark Illsley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mark-illsley/.
Chicago: "Mark Illsley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mark-illsley/.
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