Director. Born June 6, 1946, in Stockholm, Sweden. Hallström, who directed his first short film at the age of 10, began his professional career in Swedish television. He directed a number of music videos, most notably for the Swedish pop phenomenon ABBA, before graduating to full-length TV programs. His feature film directorial debut came in 1975 with A Guy and A Gal. In 1977, Hallström wrote, produced, and directed the well-rated documentary performance film, ABBA: The Movie. After making a number of Swedish films, including Father to Be (1979), The Rooster (1981), and Happy We (1983), Hallström gained international recognition, including Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, for My Life as a Dog (1985), adapted from Reider Jonsson's autobiographical novel about a 12-year-old boy growing up in an eccentric country village during the 1950s.
With the success of My Life as a Dog, Hallström became known for his sensitive directorial style and his particular skill at directing child actors. He next directed two films adapted from works by Astrid Lindgren (author of the classic Pippi Longstocking series): The Children of Bullerby Village (1986) and More About the Children of Bullerby Village. In 1991, Hallström made his debut American feature, Once Around, a quirky family drama starring Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss. He had more critical success with his second American film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, which starred Johnny Depp as the title character and featured an Oscar-nominated supporting turn from Leonardo DiCaprio as Gilbert's mentally retarded brother.
In 1995, Hallström directed the moderate commercial hit Something to Talk About, starring Julia Roberts, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Quaid. After a four-year hiatus from filmmaking, Hallström returned with a film version of John Irving's best-selling novel, The Cider House Rules (1999), which became his most acclaimed film since My Life as a Dog. Written for the screen by Irving himself, the film traces the journey of Homer Wells (played by Tobey Maguire), a young man who leaves the Maine orphanage where he has grown up in order to search for his own true place in the world. The film earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director; it won for Best Adapted Screenplay (Irving), and Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine, who plays the head of the orphanage and Homer's surrogate father).
Hallström's next effort, the magical fable Chocolat (2000), also garnered several Oscar nods, including Best Actress (Juliette Binoche), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. Hallström, who divides his time between the United States and Sweden, married the Swedish-born actress Lena Olin in 1994. The couple have two children.