John G. Avildsen

John G. Avildsen was an American film director whose work included Rocky, The Karate Kid, and Save the Tiger. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Rocky.

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Rocky: A 1976 film about boxer Rocky Balboa, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. Avildsen won his directing Oscar for this defining underdog story.
Sylvester Stallone: An American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker known for the Rocky and Rambo film franchises. Stallone wrote and starred in Rocky, the film that brought Avildsen his greatest recognition.
New York University Tisch School of the Arts: A New York University school offering undergraduate and graduate education in the performing and media arts. Avildsen studied at NYU before entering film production.
Academy Award for Best Director: An annual Academy Award honoring achievement in film directing. Avildsen received the award for Rocky at the 1977 ceremony.
The Karate Kid: A 1984 film about teenager Daniel LaRusso learning karate from Mr. Miyagi. Avildsen brought his underdog-story approach to a coming-of-age martial-arts film.
Jack Lemmon: An American actor celebrated for comic and dramatic performances in film and theater. His performance in Avildsen’s Save the Tiger won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Turn On to Love: A 1969 American drama film directed by John G. Avildsen. This early feature marks Avildsen’s transition into directing theatrical films.
Underdog: A person or team expected to lose against a stronger opponent. Rocky and The Karate Kid made Avildsen closely associated with cinematic underdogs.
Save the Tiger: A 1973 drama starring Jack Lemmon as a Los Angeles garment manufacturer facing personal and business crises. Avildsen directed this earlier character drama, which earned Lemmon an Academy Award.
Pat Morita: An American actor best known for playing Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid films. Morita’s performance gave Avildsen’s martial-arts story its central mentor figure.