Born on May 7, 1954 in the Bronx, Amy Heckerling has become one of the consistently employed female directors in
Hollywood today. Before directing her first feature, "
Fast Times at Ridgemont High", Heckerling worked as a video and sound editor. Her 1982 debut (Fast Times) is based on
Cameron Crowe's true account of his undercover return to high school. Starring in the film were
Sean Penn,
Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Phoebe Cates,
Judge Reinhold,
Eric Stoltz,
Forest Whitaker,
Anthony Edwards and
Nicolas Cage.
Heckerling's follow up in 1984 was the disappointing 1930's gangster spoof "
Johnny Dangerously" that starred
Michael Keaton. Luckily for Heckerling her next venture in 1985 was the commercially successful "
National Lampoon's European Vacation". 1989 brought Heckerling huge box office returns with "
Look Who's Talking". From 1989 to 1995 Heckerling concentrated on two follow up films to "Look Who's Talking", and several television shows that she produced and created.
1995 sent Heckerling back to high school to research her next feature, "
Clueless", staring
Alicia Silverstone and
Paul Rudd which went on to become another
box office success.