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Jonathan Demme, actor & director
Actor & Director

Jonathan Demme: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
51
as director
33
on screen
1974–2024
box office
$732M
award wins
2
Born
February 22, 1944
Birthplace
Baldwin, New York, U.S.
Full name
Robert Jonathan Demme
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Years active
1974-2017
Spouses
Evelyn Purcell, Joanne Howard
Children
3
Biggest hits

The Best Jonathan Demme Movies

The films of Jonathan Demme that made the most at the worldwide box office, biggest first: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) leads with $273M. The full ranking adds the most awarded films and the newest releases.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Jonathan Demme's Career in Numbers

Jonathan Demme's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Jonathan Demme works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Caged Heat (1974) to Seven Seconds (2018), and the 1980s were the busiest decade.

Jonathan Demme Movies by Decade

  1. 1970s 5
  2. 1980s 10
  3. 1990s 5
  4. 2000s 7
  5. 2010s 10

The 1980s were Jonathan Demme's busiest decade, with 10 films.

Jonathan Demme Movies by Genre

  • Drama 12
  • Documentary 8
  • Music 6
  • Comedy 3
  • Thriller 2
  • Biography 1
  • Mystery 1
  • Tv movie 1
  • Horror 1
  • Action 1

Drama is the genre Jonathan Demme has worked in most, with 12 films, ahead of documentary (8).

Jonathan Demme Career Milestones

First film
Caged Heat 1974
Biggest box office hit
The Silence of the Lambs $273M worldwide
Newest film
Seven Seconds 2018
51 credits

Jonathan Demme Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Jonathan Demme is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 33 as director and 4 as actor. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Movies Directed by Jonathan Demme

33
  1. 2018 Seven Seconds (2018) movie poster Seven Seconds Drama
  2. 2016 Protection Not Protest: The People of Standing Rock (2016) movie poster Protection Not Protest: The People of Standing Rock
  3. 2016 Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids (2016) movie poster Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids Music
  4. 2015 Ricki and the Flash (2015) movie poster Ricki and the Flash Drama
  5. 2014 A Master Builder (2014) movie poster A Master Builder Drama
  6. 2013 Enzo Avitabile Music Life (2013) movie poster Enzo Avitabile Music Life Documentary
  7. 2012 I'm Carolyn Parker (2012) movie poster I'm Carolyn Parker Documentary
  8. 2012 Neil Young Journeys (2012) movie poster Neil Young Journeys Music
  9. 2010 Neil Young Trunk Show (2010) movie poster Neil Young Trunk Show Music
  10. 2009 Neil Young Trunk Show (2009) movie poster Neil Young Trunk Show Music
  11. 2008 Rachel Getting Married (2008) movie poster Rachel Getting Married Drama
  12. 2007 Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (2007) movie poster Jimmy Carter Man from Plains Biography
  13. 2006 Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) movie poster Neil Young: Heart of Gold Music
  14. 2004 The Manchurian Candidate (2004) movie poster The Manchurian Candidate Drama
  15. 2004 The Agronomist (2004) movie poster The Agronomist Documentary
  16. 2002 The Truth About Charlie (2002) movie poster The Truth About Charlie Mystery
  17. 1998 Beloved (1998) movie poster Beloved Drama
  18. 1998 Storefront Hitchcock (1998) movie poster Storefront Hitchcock Documentary
  19. 1995 Neil Young and Crazy Horse: The Complex Sessions (1995) movie poster Neil Young and Crazy Horse: The Complex Sessions Documentary
  20. 1993 Philadelphia (1993) movie poster Philadelphia Drama
  21. 1991 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) movie poster The Silence of the Lambs Thriller
  22. 1988 Married to the Mob (1988) movie poster Married to the Mob Comedy
  23. 1987 Swimming to Cambodia (1987) movie poster Swimming to Cambodia Drama
  24. 1986 Something Wild (1986) movie poster Something Wild Drama
  25. 1986 Trisha Brown’s Accumulation with Talking Plus Watermotor (1986) movie poster Trisha Brown’s Accumulation with Talking Plus Watermotor Documentary
  26. 1986 Trisha Brown’s Accumulation with Talking Plus Watermotor (1986) movie poster Trisha Brown’s Accumulation with Talking Plus Watermotor Documentary
  27. 1984 Stop Making Sense (1984) movie poster Stop Making Sense Music
  28. 1984 Swing Shift (1984) movie poster Swing Shift Drama
  29. 1982 Who Am I This Time? (1982) movie poster Who Am I This Time? Tv movie
  30. 1980 Melvin and Howard (1980) movie poster Melvin and Howard Comedy
  31. 1977 Citizens Band (1977) movie poster Citizens Band Drama
  32. 1976 Fighting Mad (1976) movie poster Fighting Mad Drama
  33. 1974 Caged Heat (1974) movie poster Caged Heat Action

Jonathan Demme Movies as an Actor

4
  1. 2015 I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! (2015) movie poster I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! as Narrator (voice) · Documentary
  2. 1985 Into the Night (1985) movie poster Into the Night as Federal Agent · Comedy
  3. 1979 Last Embrace (1979) movie poster Last Embrace as Man on Train (uncredited) · Thriller
  4. 1977 The Incredible Melting Man (1977) movie poster The Incredible Melting Man as Matt Winters · Horror

Jonathan Demme in Documentaries & Specials

14
  1. 2024 The Many Miracles of Household Saints (2024) movie poster The Many Miracles of Household Saints as Self · Documentary
  2. 2021 Jodie Foster, Hollywood Under the Skin (2021) movie poster Jodie Foster, Hollywood Under the Skin as Self · Documentary
  3. 2021 Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony (2021) movie poster Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony as Self (archive footage) · Documentary
  4. 2012 Pablo (2012) movie poster Pablo as Self · Animation
  5. 2011 Corman’s World (2011) movie poster Corman’s World as Self - Filmmaker · Documentary
  6. 2010 Inside Story - The Silence of the Lambs (2010) movie poster Inside Story - The Silence of the Lambs as Self · Documentary
  7. 2010 Sodankylä Forever (2010) movie poster Sodankylä Forever as Self · Documentary
  8. 2009 Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB (2009) movie poster Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB as Self · Music
  9. 2005 Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster (2005) movie poster Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster as Self · Documentary
  10. 2004 People Like Us: Making ‘Philadelphia’ (2004) movie poster People Like Us: Making ‘Philadelphia’ as Self · Documentary
  11. 2001 Inside the Labyrinth: The Making of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (2001) movie poster Inside the Labyrinth: The Making of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ as Self · Documentary
  12. 1992 Cousin Bobby (1992) movie poster Cousin Bobby as Self · Documentary
  13. 1991 The Making of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) movie poster The Making of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ as Self · Documentary
  14. 1978 Roger Corman: Hollywood’s Wild Angel (1978) movie poster Roger Corman: Hollywood’s Wild Angel as Self · Documentary
2 wins · 6 nominations

Jonathan Demme: Awards & Nominations

2 wins from 6 nominations across 5 award bodies, from 1988 to 2009. That includes an Oscar: Best Director for The Silence of the Lambs. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
  • Oscars logo Oscars 1 win from 1 nomination
  • DGA Awards logo DGA Awards 1 win from 1 nomination
  • Spirit Awards logo Spirit Awards 2 nominations
  • BAFTA logo BAFTA 1 nomination
  • Golden Globes logo Golden Globes 1 nomination
Biography

Who Is Jonathan Demme?

Jonathan Demme was born in Baldwin, New York, U.S. in 1944. Credited on films since 1974, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Jonathan Demme, born Robert Jonathan Demme on February 22, 1944, was a renowned American filmmaker. Demme's directorial, producing, and screenwriting contributions spanned for over 30 years, during which time he was associated with more than 70 feature films, documentaries, and television productions. An Academy Award and Directors Guild of America Award winner, Demme also received nominations for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Independent Spirit Awards. His career began under the patronage of B-movie producer Roger Corman, marking his directorial debut with the 1974 women-in prison film Caged Heat. He is best known for his casually humanist films and his extraordinary work in The Silence of the Lambs, which won five Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Picture. His other notable films include Philadelphia, Beloved, The Manchurian Candidate, and Rachel Getting Married. Demme was known for his unique filmic style characterized by dramatic close-ups, a strategy utilized to engage his audience in the character's experience. Apart from films, he also directed numerous music videos and was an avid collector of Haitian art.

Works with

Who Jonathan Demme Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Jonathan Demme shares the most films with. Jodie Foster comes first, with 6 films together, followed by Anthony Hopkins (5).

FAQ

Jonathan Demme: Questions & Answers

How many movies Jonathan Demme has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Jonathan Demme been in?

Jonathan Demme is credited on 51 films, from 1974 to 2024. 4 of them as an actor and 33 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Jonathan Demme's highest-grossing movie?

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is Jonathan Demme's biggest box office hit, with $273M worldwide, ahead of Philadelphia (1993) ($207M). Across every film with box office figures, Jonathan Demme's movies have made $732M.

Jonathan Demme's biggest hits

Has Jonathan Demme won an Oscar?

Jonathan Demme has won an Oscar: Best Director for The Silence of the Lambs at the 1992 ceremony. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Jonathan Demme has 2 wins from 6 nominations.

What is Jonathan Demme's newest movie?

The most recent film on Jonathan Demme's filmography is The Many Miracles of Household Saints (2024), in the role of Self.

Who does Jonathan Demme work with most often?

Jonathan Demme shares the most films with Jodie Foster (6 films), Anthony Hopkins (5 films) and Neil Young (4 films).

The Best Jonathan Demme Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 51 credits.

See the ranking

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