Born Aug. 21, 1944, Australian director Peter Weir has made only 14 films since his directing debut in 1971, but they were memorable. Dubbed part of Australia's "New Wave" of journeyman directors, Weir became noted in the 1980s for filming stories about ordinary people who often find themselves in extraordinary circumstances (The Mosquito Coast, The Truman Show and Witness).

During the course of his career, Weir also developed a unique specialty in Hollywood: He showed a talent for transforming established comedy actors (Robin Williams, Jim Carrey) into believable dramatic actors. Married to Wendy Sites in 1966, Weir has two children.

Weir's key films include Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Gallipoli (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Witness (1985), Dead Poets Society (1989), The Truman Show (1998) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003).