Rob Marshall

Robert Doyle Marshall Jr. (born October 17, 1960) is an American film and theater director, producer, and choreographer. He is best known for directing the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago, which was based on the play of the same name by playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins. His work on the film earned him the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director, the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the BAFTA Award for Best Direction. He also directed the films Memoirs of a Geisha, Nine, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods, Mary Poppins Returns, and The Little Mermaid.

Early life and education Robert Doyle Marshall Jr. was born in Madison, Wisconsin. and his mother Anne was a teacher.

In 1964, Robert Marshall joined the English department at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Marshall family relocated to Pittsburgh. Anne would later work for Pittsburgh Public Schools and the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and Robert would become associate professor of English and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the same university. and then in 1978 from Taylor Allderdice High School, into whose alumni hall of fame he later was inducted. Graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in 1982, Marshall worked in the Pittsburgh theatre scene, performing with such companies as Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

Career Marshall went on to perform as a dancer in various Broadway shows, but suffered a herniated disc while performing in Cats and after recovering, transitioned into choreography and then directing.

He debuted as a director in the film industry with the TV adaptation of the musical Annie by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. He went on to direct the 2002 adaptation of the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. His next feature film was the drama Memoirs of a Geisha based on the best-selling book of the same name by Arthur Golden starring Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh and Ken Watanabe. The film went on to win three Academy Awards and gross $162.2 million at the worldwide box office.

Marshall went on to direct the 2009 film Nine, an adaptation of the Broadway production with the same name starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Penélope Cruz, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In August 2009, it was reported that Marshall was to direct Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth chapter of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film series starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane and Geoffrey Rush, which opened on May 20, 2011 and grossed $1 billion worldwide.

After working with Disney on Pirates, Marshall directed Disney's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (2014), and produced the film under his Lucamar Productions banner. His next film was the sequel to the 1964 film Mary Poppins, titled Mary Poppins Returns, reuniting two Into the Woods actresses: Emily Blunt as the title character and Meryl Streep in a supporting role.

By December 2017, Disney was considering Marshall to direct the live-action/CGI adaptation of The Little Mermaid, which he was officially confirmed to direct in December 2018. In 2024, Marshall was hired to take over for Bill Condon as director of the remake of Guys and Dolls, for which he will also co-produce and co-write the screenplay with John DeLuca, John Requa and Glenn Ficarra.

Personal life Marshall is gay. As of at least 2007, Marshall lives in New York City with his husband, producer and choreographer John DeLuca, whom he married in 2012. In 2004, they bought a $4.2 million summer home in Sagaponack, New York, part of The Hamptons.

Works Theater YearTitleCredit Venue 1983 Zorba ActorBroadway Theatre, Broadway 1984 The Rink Dance captain, ActorMartin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1985 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Dance captain, Actor, Assistant to the choreographerImperial Theatre, Broadway 1987 Blithe Spirit Movement consultantNeil Simon Theatre, Broadway 1993 Kiss of the Spider Woman Additional choreographyBroadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1993 She Loves Me Musical stagingCriterion Center Stage Right, Broadway 1994 Damn Yankees ChoreographerMarquis Theatre, Broadway 1995 Company Musical stagingCriterion Center Stage Right, Broadway 1995 Victor/Victoria ChoreographerMarquis Theatre, Broadway 1996 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ChoreographerSt. James Theatre, Broadway 1997 The Petrified Prince Musical stagingThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1998 Cabaret Co-director, ChoreographerKit Kat Club, Broadway 1998 Little Me Director, ChoreographerCriterion Center Stage Right, Broadway 2000 Seussical Director (uncredited)Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway 2014 Cabaret Co-director, ChoreographerStudio 54, Broadway Source:

Film Year Title Director Producer ChoreographerStorywriter Notes 2002 Chicago Feature directorial debut 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha 2009 Nine 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2014 Into the Woods Also musical stager Chicago in the Spotlight: A Retrospective with the Cast and Crew Making-of documentary 2018 Mary Poppins Returns 2023 The Little Mermaid

Television Year Title Director Choreographer Notes 2001 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts TV event 2013 85th Academy Awards TV special; Segment "All that Jazz" from Chicago

TV movies Year Title Director Executive; Producer Choreographer Notes1995 Victor/Victoria 1996 Mrs. Santa Claus 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Also musical stager 1999 Annie 2006 Tony Bennett: An American Classic

Awards and nominations Theater Source:

Film and television Year Title Award/nomination 1996 Mrs. Santa Claus Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 1999 Annie Emmy Award for Outstanding ChoreographyNominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a TV Movie 2001 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety 2002 ChicagoDirectors Guild of America Award for Outstanding DirectingNominated — Academy Award for Best DirectorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best DirectorNominated — BAFTA Award for Best DirectionNominated — David di Donatello for Best Foreign FilmNominated — Online Film Critics Award for Best Breakthrough 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Director 2006 Tony Bennett: An American Classic Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special, Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy ProgramEmmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 2009 Nine Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Director 2019 Mary Poppins Returns Chita Rivera Awards for Outstanding Choreography of a Theatrical Release

Directed Academy Award performancesUnder Marshall's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations (and one win) for their performances in their respective roles.