Gregor Verbinski, a renowned American film director, was a punk-rock guitarist in his teenage years, and he had to sell his guitar to purchase his first camera. He is now the acclaimed director of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which holds the record for the highest opening weekend of all time, grossing over $1 billion worldwide.
Born on March 16, 1964, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Verbinski is the son of Laurette Ann (McGovern) and Victor Vincent Verbinski, a nuclear physicist who worked at the Oak Ridge Lab. His paternal grandparents were Polish, and the family relocated to California in 1967, where Verbinski grew up near San Diego.
As a child, his influences were diverse, ranging from Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis to Black Sabbath's Master of Reality. Verbinski began his professional career as a guitarist for punk-rock bands, such as The Daredevils and The Little Kings, and also made his first films with friends. After developing a passion for filmmaking, he sold his guitar to purchase a Super-8mm camera.
Verbinski attended the prestigious UCLA Film School, graduating in 1987 with a BFA in Film. He started his career directing music videos for alternative bands, including L7, Bad Religion, and Monster Magnet. He then transitioned to advertising, directing commercials for notable brands such as Nike, Canon, Skittles, United Airlines, and Coca-Cola.
In 1993, Verbinski created the renowned Budweiser advertising campaign featuring croaking frogs, earning him the advertising Silver Lion at Cannes and four Clio Awards.
Verbinski made his feature directorial debut with Mousehunt (1997),a visually striking family comedy. His next effort, The Mexican (2001),received a modest response. However, he bounced back with the hit thriller The Ring (2002),grossing over $230 million worldwide.
Verbinski's biggest directorial success came with the Disney theme park ride-based Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003),featuring a brilliant acting ensemble, grossing over $650 million and earning five Oscar nominations and numerous other awards and nominations.
Disney commissioned two more films, which Verbinski shot back-to-back on location in the Caribbean islands, requiring him to endure tetanus and typhoid immunization shots. After surviving several hurricanes, dealing with sick and injured actors, and troubleshooting numerous technical difficulties, Verbinski delivered.
He employed the same stellar cast in the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and the third installment of the 'Pirates' franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).
Gore Verbinski leads a private life with his wife and two sons, residing in Los Angeles, California.
