Home   >   Movie Stars   >   P   >   Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips started his career as a documentary filmmaker, inspired by humor taken from everyday reality and the belief that the truth is often stranger than fiction.

His first film, Hated, portrayed the revolting antics of extreme punk rocker G.G. Allin and became an instant underground sensation. It was released in the summer of 1994 and went on to become the highest grossing student film of its time.

He followed that up in 1998 with Frat House, a documentary that he produced and directed for HBO's popular America Undercover series. Frat House premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary features. The unflinching exposé of life in fraternities created a public controversy that eventually caused the film to be shelved by HBO. Phillips still hopes to release it in the future.

After meeting producer Ivan Reitman at Sundance, Phillips made his crossover to features with 2000's Road Trip, which established him as a new force in comedy. He simultaneously produced and directed Bittersweet Motel, a documentary on musical cult phenomenon Phish.

In one way or another, Phillips' films explore the nature of male relationships, and in doing so he has worked with some of Hollywood's biggest comedic actors, writing and directing such films as Old School in 2003, Starsky & Hutch in 2004, and School for Scoundrels in 2006. Phillips was nominated for a 2006 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Borat.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2009.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Todd Phillips Facts

OccupationDirector, Screenwriter, Producer
BirthplaceBrooklyn, New York, USA

Selected Filmography

War Dogs
Old School
The Hangover
The Hangover Part II
The Hangover Part III
Due Date
Starsky & Hutch
The Hangover Trilogy
Continue » Find more details on the Todd Phillips Movies page