Ava DuVernay Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 6 in |
Weight | 66 kg |
Date of Birth | August 24, 1972 |
Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker who is best known for directing, writing, and producing films such as I Will Follow (2010), Middle of Nowhere (2012), and Selma (2014). She is also well recognized for directing the sci-fi adventure film A Wrinkle in Time (2018); the short films Saturday Night Life (2006) and The Door (2013); and the documentary films Compton in C Minor (2007), This is the Life (2008), and 13th (2016). Besides films, her notable work in TV includes the creation/direction of the drama TV series Queen Sugar (2016-Present), the crime-drama TV miniseries When They See Us (2019), and the romantic drama anthology TV series Cherish the Day (2020-Present). In 2017, she was included in ‘Time 100’, Time magazine’s annual list of the most influential people in the world.
Born Name
Ava Marie DuVernay
Nick Name
Ava
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Ava had graduated, in 1990, from Saint Joseph High School in Lakewood, California. After her high school graduation, she had joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from where she had graduated with a double BA major in English literature and African-American studies.
Occupation
Filmmaker
Family
- Father – Joseph Marcel DuVernay III
- Mother – Darlene DuVernay (née Sexton) (Educator)
- Siblings – Kristopher DuVernay (Younger Brother), Nicholas DuVernay (Younger Brother), Jina DuVernay (Younger Sister), Tera DuVernay (Younger Sister), Lashica DuVernay (Younger Sister)
- Others – Murray Maye (Step-Father) (d. March 2016), Joseph Marcel DuVernay II (Paternal Grandfather), Naomi Veronica Lockett (Paternal Grandmother), William Marshall Sexton (Maternal Grandfather), Jean L. Francis (Maternal Grandmother)
Manager
She is represented by –
- Sharon Liggins, PR Agent, ARRAY Publicity, Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, United States
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Booking Agency, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano, Legal Agency, Los Angeles, California, United States
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 6 in or 167.5 cm
Weight
66 kg or 145.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (Black and White)
She is of African-American, Louisiana Creole (African, French), and distant Haitian and Belgian descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Mildly stocky frame
- Long, dreadlocked hair
- Affable smile
- Gleaming face
Brand Endorsements
In December 2022, Ava was featured in Ben & Jerry’s new pint: “Lights! Caramel! Action!”. With this, she became the first back woman on a Ben & Jerry’s pint.
Ava DuVernay Facts
- She had always wanted to become a journalist and had never attended any film school. She was a late bloomer in the field of filmmaking and had not even used a film camera until the age of 32.
- For the direction of Middle of Nowhere (2012), she had won the ‘Directing Award’ at the year’s Sundance Film Festival. She was the first black woman to achieve the feat.
- For her direction of Selma (2014), she had been nominated for the ‘Best Director’ award at the year’s Golden Globe Awards and the ‘Best Picture’ award at the 2015 Academy Awards. She was the first black female director to have achieved both those feats.
- Through the sci-fi adventure film A Wrinkle in Time (2018), she had become the first black woman to have directed a live-action film that had managed to earn more than USD 100 million at the U.S. box office.
- In 2020, she was elected to the ‘Board of Governors’ of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, as part of its directors’ branch.
- In February 2022, it was revealed that Ava’s company, Array, had exited a multi-year deal with Spotify and would no longer make podcasts for the company.
- In May 2022, Ava received the Gracie Award for “Best Family Series” for Home Sweet Home.
- Ava wears vision correction glasses or lenses as she has myopia (nearsightedness).
- Ava made her first narrative feature film using the savings for her house.
- In 2018, she bought 3 buildings near Echo Park in Los Angeles with the money she received from directing A Wrinkle in Time (2018).
- Ava loves Le Labo candles.
- Ava has seen U2 in a concert over 25 times.
- Her mother Darlene’s nickname is Doll.
- Ava is the oldest among all the siblings in her house.
- At 27, she started a public relations company.
- While in college, she used to work as a waitress at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in Los Angeles. Every Sunday afternoon, she used to get a tip of $100 from the late musician Little Richard.
- Ava used to play the drums.
- Ava has watched every episode of The Twilight Zone.
- Ava has got stuck in an elevator with Tom Cruise, André Leon Talley, and Bruce Willis. All 3 of them at different times.
- Whenever she chews the gum, she bites the inside of her mouth.
- She likes reading poetry.
- Daily in the morning, she meditates.
- Ava likes hiking.
- Her first job was just to scoop the frozen yogurt.
- She loves reading magazines. She once also served as a guest editor for Time magazine’s Art of Optimism issue.
Featured Image by Ava DuVernay / Instagram