This popular Philadelphia director once dropped out of college to pursue his passion, starting his film career despite a lack of formal training. While Adam McKay wasn’t immediately trusted with major projects, he achieved success through his persistence and talent. Read more about the director’s journey from the City of Brotherly Love—including his beginnings, career development, filmography, and awards—at philadelphiaski.
The Beginning and Rise of a Director’s Career
Adam McKay was born on April 17, 1968, in Philadelphia. He attended Temple University in the city as an English major. However, he never earned his bachelor’s degree, dropping out because he was drawn to a completely different field.
Saturday Night Live was the first place Adam McKay got hands-on experience. He dreamed of starting his directing career there, and while that didn’t happen immediately, he gained incredible experience that later proved invaluable in his work as a screenwriter.
Eventually, Adam joined the creative team of the TV show SNL, where several of his short films were featured and where he also performed as an actor. After leaving the television project, he focused on writing comedy films, such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Step Brothers.
His hard work on these films led to numerous connections, and he later began collaborating with the popular film studio Marvel. The result of this joint effort was the screenplay for Ant-Man.
McKay later became the head of Hyperobject Industries, a company that produces television content for American networks. The media company’s debut film was an adaptation of a documentary book by Jeff Pearlman.
Major Works and Awards
Adam McKay’s film The Big Short won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film tells the story of the financial crisis in America between 2007 and 2008. This was the first such major award for the Philadelphia native. McKay also received the University of Southern California (USC) Scripter Award for his successful collaboration with Charles Randolph on the screenplay for the film.
Vice, a biographical black comedy from the City of Brotherly Love native, chronicles the life of a former Vice President of the United States. The story of Dick Cheney brought Adam McKay a total of eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. While McKay was nominated for Best Director, the film itself ultimately won the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Another film that brought Adam McKay great popularity was the comedy-drama Don’t Look Up. The movie tells the story of two scientists who try to convince people about the end of the world due to an approaching comet, but unfortunately, no one wants to believe the low-level astronomers. The film was nominated in four categories at the 94th Academy Awards.
In total, during his active career in the film industry, the Philadelphia native has earned five major awards from institutions like the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Golden Globes.
In addition to his directing duties, Adam McKay also has experience producing films such as Land of the Lost, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, The Virginity Hit, Casa de mi Padre, Bachelorette, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, The Campaign, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Tammy, Welcome to Me, Get Hard, Sleeping with Other People, Daddy’s Home, and The Boss.
