Director Michael Apted was born on February 10, 1941 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. After studying law at Cambridge University, he promptly turned his attention to film, directing the popular English soap opera "Coronation Street" by the age of 22.
In 1963, Apted was a researcher on "7 Up," a television documentary directed by Paul Almond that interviewed 14 seven-year-olds, drawn from every social class in London, about their lives, innermost thoughts and aspirations. On his own, Apted followed-up with the "7 Up" subjects every seven years, to create " 7 Plus 7" (1970), "21 Up" (1977), "28 Up" (1984), "35 Up" (1991), "42 Up" (1998), "49 Up" (2005) and "56 Up" (2012).
Though his style holds true to his documentarian roots, Apted has also earned acclaim for his dramatic features. Early films included "Triple Echo" (1973) and "Stardust" (1975); more mainstream fare followed in the 1980s with two bios of note, "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980) about country singer Loretta Lynn, played by Sissy Spacek who took home the Oscar for the role, and the Academy Award-nominated film about conservationist Dian Fossey, "Gorillas In The Mist" (1988), starring Sigourney Weaver. He then told the story of Native American activist Leonard Peltier in 1992's "Thunderheart." His 1994 feature "Nell" starred Jodie Foster as a childlike forest dweller forced into society, and his thrillers "Extreme Measures" (1996) and "The World Is Not Enough" (1999) pushed his work even further into the mainstream.
In 2001, the tireless director received winning reviews for the wartime thriller "Enigma" followed by the Jennifer Lopez revenge flick "Enough" in 2002. Other films he directed include: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (2010), "Chasing Mavericks" (2012) and "Unlocked" (2016).
Apted has won several British Academy Awards for his work in television, which started in the 1960s to present day. Most recently, he's directed episodes for "Rome" (2006), "Masters of Sex" (2013), and "Reckless" (2014).
ABOUT MICHAEL APTED'S UNLOCKED, OPENING IN THEATERS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1st
After failing to apprehend the terrorist behind a Paris attack that claimed dozens of lives, CIA agent Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace) is forced to live in London as a caseworker. Unexpectedly, she is called back into action by her mentor, Eric Lasch (Michael Douglas), when the CIA discovers intel of another imminent attack. While "unlocking" the suspect, Alice discovers that the classified information she has uncovered has been compromised. Running for her life, Alice turns to ex-soldier Jack (Orlando Bloom) to prevent a lethal biological attack on the citizens of London.