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Joan Tewkesbury

Highest Rated: 89% Nashville (1975)

Lowest Rated: 53% Old Boyfriends (1979)

Birthday: Apr 8, 1936

Birthplace: Redlands, California, USA

Joan Tewkesbury parlayed her experience as a stage director into work as a script supervisor for Robert Altman on "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" (1971). Her skills honed in the nurturing womb of New Hollywood, which rejected sexist prohibitions and encouraged collaboration, instinct and improvisation, Tewkesbury found fame at age 40, scripting Altman's Depression era crime drama "Thieves Like Us" (1974) and his Academy Award-winning masterpiece "Nashville" (1975). Suddenly a hot commodity in the film industry, Tewkesbury turned down more jobs than she accepted, ultimately bargaining her way into a bid as a first-time feature director with "Old Boyfriends" (1979), a collaboration with screenwriter brothers Leonard and Paul Schrader. She also continued to work onstage and in television, where she earned high marks for her teleplays "The Tenth Month" (1979), "The Acorn People" (1979), and "Cold Sassy Tree" (1989). Proving herself a reliable director, Tewkesbury helmed episodes of such acclaimed weekly series as "Northern Exposure" (1990-95) and "Chicago Hope" (1994-2000) while contributing a cameo to former mentor Robert Altman's "The Player" (1992). Focusing on theatrical work in later life, Tewkesbury kept a hand in cinema by mentoring young filmmakers via workshops, proving herself less interested in making her reputation than in making a difference.

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Highest rated movies

89% 83% Nashville Watchlist
81% 72% Thieves Like Us
Watchlist
53% 31% Old Boyfriends
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Cold Sassy Tree
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On Promised Land
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Scattering Dad
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The Tenth Month
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The Acorn People
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100% Sudie and Simpson
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Wild Texas Wind
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Scattering Dad Director - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet On Promised Land Director - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wild Texas Wind Director - 1991
No Score Yet 100% Sudie and Simpson Director - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cold Sassy Tree Director - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Acorn People Director - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Tenth Month Director - 1979
53% 31% Old Boyfriends Director - 1979
89% 83% Nashville Writer - 1975
81% 72% Thieves Like Us Lady In Train Station (as Joan Maguire) (Character),
Writer
- 1974

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 83% The Guardian Director 2001-2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chicago Hope Director 1999
No Score Yet 71% Felicity Director 1998
No Score Yet 91% Northern Exposure Director 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alfred Hitchcock Presents Director,
Writer
1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Three Sons Unknown (Guest Star) 1961