Tom Shadyac

Tom Shadyac
Thomas Peter "Tom" Shadyacis an American comedian, director, screenwriter, producer, author and occasional film actor. Shadyac, who was the youngest joke-writer ever for comedian Bob Hope, is widely known for writing and directing the comedy films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty. In 2010, Shadyac departed from past comedic work to write, direct and narrate the documentary I Am, in which he explores his abandonment of a materialistic lifestyle following a bicycle accident in...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth11 December 1958
CityFalls Church, VA
CountryUnited States of America
I have not walked away from Hollywood. I'm walking away from the way I personally did business in Hollywood. The budget of whatever movie I do needs to be efficient; it needs to consider what kind of resources we're using and how to be as responsible as possible.
Nothing in nature takes more than what it needs
I am operating under the philosophy that I will simply use what I need and the rest - even if I still have it somewhere - is not mine. It is others'. It is for the healing of the natural world. And it is in the process of returning.
I was paid $8 or $9 million for 'Evan Almighty.' I didn't want that money.
The second we define someone as a Democrat or Republican, it creates a whole set of limitations.
I don't see making films to entertain and making films to inform as separate things.
One of the challenges of the church is to accept humanity for all it is.
Show business is part of a larger culture, a world-wide culture that must make up to the fact that the accumulation of things doesn't make a life necessary any happier or purposeful.
Someone asked me the other day, 'What's the biggest influence on your filmmaking career?' And they started naming filmmakers. I went 'Naw, it's Jesus actually.'
To me, 'Ace Ventura' is as scriptural and sacred as any movie I've ever done because it's childlike.
There is no 'I.' That's an illusion we've got to get beyond.
I believe our emotional tension can manifest itself physically.
Facing my own death brought an instant sense of clarity and purpose.
I was taught in school that I have to look out for number one. That was against everything that I intuitively felt.