Born July 24, 1952, in Louisville, Ky., to a traveling salesman and his wife, Gus Van Sant never had a chance to put down real roots, relying on his art to keep him grounded. As a high school student, he began writing and directing short films with a Super-8 camera and soon found his way to the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied the works of avant-garde auteurs such as Andy Warhol and Jonas Mekas.

Van Sant's black-and-white film Mala Noche (1985) -- which he financed himself through a job at an advertising firm -- earned him critical acclaim, and he continued to experiment with unconventional films such as My Own Private Idaho (1991), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) and To Die For (1995).

Van Sant later received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for Good Will Hunting (1997) and claimed Best Director and Palme d'Or honors at the Cannes Film Festival for Elephant (2003). In 2008, he received another Oscar nod for directing Milk, starring Sean Penn.