1. Early life and education
Paul Greengrass was born on August 13, 1955, in Cheam, Surrey, England. His mother, Joyce Greengrass, was a teacher, and his father, Phillip Greengrass, was a river pilot and merchant seaman. His brother, Mark Greengrass, is an English historian.
Greengrass began making short films with an 8mm camera during his junior high school years. He was educated at Westcourt Primary School, Gravesend Grammar School, and Sevenoaks School. He later attended Queens' College, Cambridge, where he studied English literature alongside Roger Michell. After graduating from Cambridge, he furthered his studies at the Granada Television School. In 2008, Greengrass was made an Honorary Fellow of Queens' College.
2. Journalism and early career
Paul Greengrass began his career as an investigative journalist. For approximately ten years, starting in the 1980s, he worked as a director for the ITV current affairs programme World in Action.
During this period, he co-authored the controversial book Spycatcher (1987) with Peter Wright, a former assistant director of MI5. The book, which exposed sensitive insights into the operations of MI5, became a bestseller. The British government attempted to ban the book due to the confidential information it revealed, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
3. Directing career
Paul Greengrass transitioned from journalism to drama, initially directing non-fiction, made-for-television films. His work consistently demonstrates a commitment to impactful storytelling, often exploring complex social and political landscapes.
3.1. Social Issues and True Stories
Greengrass's early directorial efforts in drama often focused on significant social issues and real-life events. His 1996 television film, The One That Got Away, was based on Chris Ryan's book detailing the experiences of the British Army's Special Air Service during the Gulf War. He followed this with The Fix (1997), a film based on the 1964 British betting scandal. In 1998, he directed The Theory of Flight, starring Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter, which explored the challenging subject of sexuality among people with disabilities. His feature film debut was Resurrected (1989), which received the OCIC Award.
A pivotal work in this category was The Murder of Stephen Lawrence (1999), a television film chronicling the murder of Stephen Lawrence, a Black British youth, and the subsequent accusations of institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police that arose from his mother's persistent investigations into the mishandled case.
In 2002, Greengrass directed Bloody Sunday, a film that depicted the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre during the Troubles in an almost documentary style. The film, inspired by Don Mullan's influential book Eyewitness Bloody Sunday, shared the Golden Bear at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival with Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Mullan, a schoolboy witness of the events, served as co-producer and appeared as a character in the film. Bloody Sunday also received the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the festival.
In 2004, Greengrass co-wrote and produced the television film Omagh with Guy Hibbert. Based on the Omagh bombing of 1998, the film garnered critical acclaim and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama. This marked the first professional film Greengrass had not directed himself, as he was concurrently working on The Bourne Supremacy; Omagh was directed by Pete Travis. This film was Greengrass's second work addressing terrorism and mass killings in Ireland, following Bloody Sunday.
3.2. Action Thrillers and Franchises
Greengrass's success with Bloody Sunday led to his involvement in the highly successful Bourne action-thriller franchise. He was hired to direct The Bourne Supremacy (2004), the sequel to the 2002 film The Bourne Identity, after original director Doug Liman departed the project. Starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, an amnesiac former CIA assassin, the film was a major financial and critical success, solidifying Greengrass's reputation and enabling him to pursue more personal projects. He continued his work on the franchise, directing The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), which surpassed the success of its predecessors. In 2014, Greengrass returned to the series to direct Jason Bourne (2016), once again starring Matt Damon.
Beyond the Bourne series, Greengrass directed Green Zone (2010), another action-thriller starring Matt Damon. The film depicted a U.S. military team's unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction in post-war Iraq. While initially announced as an adaptation of Rajiv Chandrasekaran's non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the final film was a largely fictionalized thriller, loosely inspired by events described in the book. The film was shot in Spain and Morocco.
3.3. Terrorism and Real-Life Event Films
Greengrass has consistently explored real-world events, particularly those involving terrorism and their profound human impact. In 2006, he directed United 93, a critically acclaimed film based on the September 11, 2001 hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93. The film was lauded for its quasi-documentary style, immersing audiences in the harrowing events of that day.
His 2013 film, Captain Phillips, dramatized the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking by Somali pirates. Based on the book A Captain's Duty, the film starred Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips, alongside Barkhad Abdi and Faysal Ahmed. Filming took place in 2012 across Massachusetts and Virginia in the United States, as well as Malta.
In 2017, Greengrass began production on 22 July, a docudrama focusing on the 2011 Norway attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik and their aftermath. The film was shot on location in Norway and released on Netflix and in select theaters on October 10, 2018.
3.4. Recent and Upcoming Projects
Paul Greengrass continues to engage with compelling narratives in his recent and upcoming projects. In February 2019, he signed on to direct the film adaptation of Paulette Jiles's novel News of the World, reuniting with actor Tom Hanks. The film was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on December 25, 2020, and internationally by Netflix in 2021.
Looking ahead, Greengrass is set to write and direct The Hood, a medieval action film starring Benedict Cumberbatch, based on the 1381 English Peasants' Revolt. He will also adapt and direct Stephen King's novel Fairy Tale, a project King himself offered to Greengrass due to his admiration for the director's work. Greengrass will produce Fairy Tale alongside Gregory Goodman. In November 2023, it was announced that Greengrass would write and direct a film adaptation of T. J. Newman's novel Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 for Warner Bros. Pictures. Additionally, in January 2024, Apple Studios announced that Greengrass would direct the thriller The Lost Bus, written by Brad Ingelsby and based on Lizzie Johnson's 2021 nonfiction book Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, which chronicles the 2018 California wildfires. Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera are set to star in this project.
4. Directing Style and Techniques
Paul Greengrass's distinctive directing style is recognized for its immersive and realistic qualities. His signature techniques include the extensive use of handheld cameras, which creates a sense of immediacy and places the audience directly within the action. This approach contributes to the realistic portrayal of events, making his films feel almost like documentaries. Furthermore, his action sequences are characterized by dynamic editing and very frequent cuts, which intensify the pace and emotional weight of the subject matter, fully immersing the audience in the narrative.
5. Professional Activities and Recognition
Beyond his directorial work, Paul Greengrass has made significant contributions to the film industry and has received widespread recognition for his impactful career.
5.1. Directors UK and Cultural Influence
In 2007, Paul Greengrass co-founded Directors UK, a professional organization dedicated to British filmmakers, and served as its inaugural president until July 2014. His influence extends beyond directing; in 2007, he was ranked 28th on EW's list of "The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood." The following year, in 2008, The Daily Telegraph recognized him as one of the most influential figures in British culture. For his significant contributions to the arts, Greengrass was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours. In 2017, his distinguished career was further honored with a British Film Institute Fellowship.
5.2. Major Awards and Honors
Paul Greengrass has received numerous prestigious awards and nominations throughout his career, reflecting the critical acclaim for his work.
For Bloody Sunday (2002), he was awarded the Golden Bear and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival. Earlier in his career, his 1989 film Resurrected received the OCIC Award.
His 2006 film, United 93, garnered significant recognition. Greengrass won the BAFTA Award for Best Director and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. He also received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director for this film. Additionally, he earned a Writers Guild of America Award and a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay for his writing on United 93.
For The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Greengrass was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Direction. His 2004 co-written and produced television film Omagh won the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama.
His 2013 film, Captain Phillips, brought him an Empire Inspiration Award and further nominations, including for the BAFTA Award for Best Direction, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film, AACTA International Award for Best Direction, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director, and Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
Overall, his films have accumulated a significant number of accolades, including 15 Academy Award nominations (with 3 wins for films he directed), 30 BAFTA Award nominations (with 7 wins), and 6 Golden Globe Award nominations.
6. Personal Life
Paul Greengrass is married to talent agent Joanna Kaye, with whom he has three children. He is also a father to two additional children from a previous marriage. Regarding his personal beliefs, Greengrass has stated that while he does not believe in God, he holds "great respect for the spiritual way." He is a known supporter of Crystal Palace F.C..
7. Filmography
This section presents a comprehensive list of Paul Greengrass's directed, written, and produced works across feature films, television films, and documentary series, serving as a complete record of his cinematic output.
7.1. Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Resurrected | Yes | No | No |
| 1998 | The Theory of Flight | Yes | No | No |
| 2002 | Bloody Sunday | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2004 | The Bourne Supremacy | Yes | No | No |
| 2006 | United 93 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | The Bourne Ultimatum | Yes | No | No |
| 2010 | Green Zone | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2013 | Captain Phillips | Yes | No | No |
| 2016 | Jason Bourne | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | 22 July | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | News of the World | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2025 | The Lost Bus | Yes | No | No |
7.2. Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Crime Story | Yes | No | Episode "When the Lies Run Out: The Ian Spiro Story" |
| 1995 | Kavanagh QC | Yes | No | Episode "The Sweetest Thing" |
7.3. TV Movies
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Open Fire | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1996 | The One That Got Away | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1997 | The Fix | Yes | No | No |
| 1999 | The Murder of Stephen Lawrence | Yes | No | No |
| 2004 | Omagh | No | Yes | Yes |
7.4. Documentary Series
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-1987 | World in Action | Yes | No | Yes | Director of 2 episodes / Producer of 10 episodes |
| 1992 | Cutting Edge | Yes | No | No | Episode "Coppers" |
| 1995 | The Late Show | Yes | No | No | Episode "Sophie's World" |
| 2017 | Five Came Back | No | No | No | Starring role as himself |