Peter Yates

Peter Yates
Born	Peter James Yates (1929-07-24)24 July 1929 Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Died	9 January 2011(2011-01-09) (aged 81) London, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)	Film director, producer
Years active	1958–2010
Spouse	Virginia Pope ​ ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	2

Peter James Yates (24 July 1929^[1] – 9 January 2011) was an English film director and producer, known for his versatility and “attention to detail” across a variety of genres.^[2] He received nominations for four Academy Awards (twice for Best Director and Best Picture), three BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Originally training as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Yates entered the film industry as an assistant director for top directors like Tony Richardson. After directing television programmes like The Saint and Danger Man, Yates made a breakthrough helming the heist film Robbery (1967). This led him to direct the Steve McQueen police thriller film Bullitt (1968), which was a major critical and commercial success.

Subsequently, Yates made films in a variety of genres. He directed the Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow-starring romantic drama John and Mary (1969), the World War II picture Murphy's War (1971), the heist film The Hot Rock (1972), the Boston-set gangster film The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), the coming-of-age dramedy Breaking Away (1979), the cult science fantasy film Krull (1983), and the film version of the acclaimed stage play The Dresser. In the 2000s, he returned to directing television, including Don Quixote (2000).