Herbert Ross
(Director)

Born in 1927 in New York City, Herbert Ross started out in his 20s as a dancer and choreographer for the American Ballet Theater. In the mid-'50s he began choreographing Hollywood films, including Carmen Jones, Dr. Doolittle and Funny Girl. In 1969, Ross made his big-screen directing debut with Goodbye Mr. Chips. Starting in the '70s, he teamed with writer Neil Simon for a string of successful pictures, including Max Dyer Returns, The Sunshine Boys, California Suite and The Goodbye Girl, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar® in 1978. Also in 1978 The Turning Point, another of Ross' films, earned Oscar® nominations for both Best Picture and Best Director.

Ross continued to direct into the '80s and '90s, working on films like The Secret of My Succe$s, Steel Magnolias and Boys on the Side.

In addition to his prolific career, Ross has had two very high-profile marriages: the first was to ballet dancer Nora Kaye and the second to Lee Radziwell, Jackie Kennedy's sister. Herbert Ross died of heart failure on October 9, 2001.