Born Lars Hallström in Stockholm, Sweden. One of Sweden's most popular directors of comedy, Hallström began making 8mm films as a child and sold his first 16mm effort to TV while still in high school. He is best known in the US for MITT LIV SOM HUND / MY LIFE AS A DOG (1985), a bittersweet evocation of provincial childhood, the sometime poignant Johnny Depp / Leonardo DiCaprio family drama WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE (1993), and his direction of the film version of John Irving's THE CIDER HOUSE RULES (1999). Other notable directing credits include ABBA: THE MOVIE (1977, also writer), JAN ÄR MED BARN (1979), TUPPEN / THE ROOSTER (1981, also writer), TVÅ KILLAR OCH EN TJEJ (1983, also writer), ALLA VI BARN I BULLERBYN / THE CHILDREN OF BULLERBY VILLAGE (1986), ONCE AROUND (1991), SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT (1995), LUMIÈRE AND COMPANY (also 1995), CHOCOLAT (2000), THE SHIPPING NEWS (2001), AN UNFINISHED LIFE and CASANOVA (both 2005), THE HOAX (2006), and HACHIKO: A DOG'S STORY and SAMMY (both scheduled for 2008). Since 1994, Hallström has been married to actress Lena Olin; they have a daughter, Tora, born in 1995.  Nominated for Achievement in Directing 1987: MITT LIV SOM HUND / MY LIFE AS A DOG  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium) 1987: MITT LIV SOM HUND / MY LIFE AS A DOG (w. Reidar Jonsson, Brasse Brännström & Per Berglund)  Nominated for Achievement in Directing 1999: THE CIDER HOUSE RULES 3 nominations