Chloé Zhao: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Zhao Ting
Born	March 31, 1982 (age 44) • Beijing • China
Awards And Honors	Academy Award (2021) • Academy Award (2021): Directing • Golden Globe Award (2021): Best Director - Motion Picture
Notable Works	“Eternals” • “Hamnet” • “Nomadland” • “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” • “The Rider”
Education	New York University Tisch School of the Arts (M.F.A.) • Mount Holyoke College (B.A., 2005)
Movies/Tv Shows (Directed)	"Songs My Brothers Taught Me" (2015) • "Nomadland" (2020) • "The Rider" (2017)
Movies/Tv Shows (Film Editor)	"Songs My Brothers Taught Me" (2015) • "Nomadland" (2020)
Movies/Tv Shows (Writing/Creator)	"The Rider" (2017) • "Songs My Brothers Taught Me" (2015) • "Nomadland" (2020)

Top Questions

When was Chloé Zhao born?

Chloé Zhao was born on March 31, 1982, in Beijing, China.

Did You Know?

Zhao won the Golden Globe for best director for "Nomadland" (2020), making her the first Asian woman to win the award.

Photos

Chloe Zhao stands outdoors between parked vehicles, wearing a brown T-shirt, jeans, and a black cap, with her hands in her pockets and long hair loose.

Chloe Zhao smiles and holds an Oscar statuette in both hands while standing in front of an Oscars backdrop.

Frances McDormand stands alone in a wide, barren landscape under a cloudy sky in a scene from the film Nomadland.

See All Images →

default image

Ethan Coen

American filmmaker

default image

Joel Coen

American filmmaker

Steven Spielberg wearing a tuxedo and bow tie, smiling at the camera on the red carpet at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Steven Spielberg

American film director and producer

Woody Allen speaking into a microphone with hands raised beside his face during a press conference, against a red background.

Woody Allen

American director, writer, and actor

Martin Scorsese smiling in a tuxedo and bow tie, holding an Oscar statuette at the Academy Awards, with a gold Oscar statue in the background.

Martin Scorsese

American filmmaker

Vincente Minnelli, seated at right, discusses a storyboard with actress Lana Turner, seated at left in costume, on the set of The Bad and the Beautiful.

Vincente Minnelli

American director

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

John Huston

American director, writer, and actor

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Frank Capra

American film director

Michael Curtiz

Michael Curtiz

Hungarian-American director, actor, and writer

William Wyler

William Wyler

German-born American director

Billy Wilder poses in a suit and hat, leaning against a streetlamp with a sign reading Sunset Blvd. in a promotional photo for the film Sunset Boulevard.

Billy Wilder

Austrian-born American director and producer

Clint Eastwood wearing a light suit and olive shirt with tie, standing outdoors at the Cannes Film Festival.

Clint Eastwood

American actor and director

George Stevens

George Stevens

American director

George Cukor

George Cukor

American film director

Mike Nichols, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie, stands smiling at a podium with a star-shaped award in front of him at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Mike Nichols

American director

Fred Zinnemann stands between Marlon Brando, left, in a suit, and Montgomery Clift, right, in a tank top, on the set of From Here to Eternity, with lockers in the background.

Fred Zinnemann

American director

Elia Kazan stands on a docked ship set with arms outstretched, directing a scene for Panic in the Streets in New Orleans, with crew members and rigging visible behind him.

Elia Kazan

American director and author

Frank Borzage

Frank Borzage

American film director and producer

Robert Wise

Robert Wise

American director and producer

Mankiewicz, Joseph L.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

American filmmaker

Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema).

Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia