James Cameron

James Cameron went from set-builder to art director (1981's Escape From New York) to writer to director of some of the biggest films of the 1980s and 1990s. He directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1984's The Terminator and its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Cameron also directed Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1986) and Ed Harris in The Abyss (1989). His 1997 film Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, broke box office records and won 11 Oscars, including awards for best picture and best director. After the success of Titanic Cameron worked on a variety of projects, including the TV series Dark Angel (2000-02, starring Jessica Alba) and feature documentaries based on his love of diving and the ocean, including Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005).

Extra credit: Cameron was married to actress Linda Hamilton, the star of his movie Terminator 2, from 1997-1999... He has also been married to Sharon Williams (1978-84), the producer Gale Anne Hurd (1985-89), the director Kathryn Bigelow (1989-91), and the actress Suzy Amis (2000-)... The love theme from Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On," was a huge hit for Celine Dion.