Born in Atlanta, GA. Soderbergh cut his teeth making short Super-8 mm films with equipment borrowed from Louisiana State University film students. He skipped college and endured a frustrating spell in Hollywood before returning to Baton Rouge to further develop his craft. His first break came in 1986 when the rock group "Yes" enlisted him to shoot concert footage which was eventually shaped into a Grammy-winning video. Soderbergh's first feature project was the finely crafted, low-budget ($1.2 million) drama, SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989). This modern film equivalent of a morality play scored a double triumph at Cannes, winning the Palme d'Or for Soderbergh and the best actor award for James Spader. The film also copped Soderbergh an Oscar nomination for its screenplay and established him as one of the most promising young filmmakers of his generation. His almost inevitably disappointing follow-up was KAFKA (1991), an interesting if muddled existential thriller starring Jeremy Irons as the prince of paranoia. Soderbergh rebounded from his sophomore slump with another study in emotional isolation, THE KING OF THE HILL (1993), a sensitively wrought study of a Depression-era boy coping with poverty and neglect. Other notable credits include UNDERNEATH (1995), GRAY'S ANATOMY and SCHIZOPOLIS (both 1996), OUT OF SIGHT (1998) and THE LIMEY (1999). He produced THE DAYTRIPPERS (1996) and PLEASANTVILLE (1998). 2000 proved to be the pivotal year in Soderbergh's career. He was picked to direct two films which turned out to be Best Picture nominees: the immensely popular ERIN BROCKOVICH (which netted its star, Julia Roberts, a Best Actress Oscar®) and the intricately interwoven TRAFFIC (which was adapted from the British mini-series "Traffik" by Stephen Gaghan and won Best Screenplay). Soderbergh received a rare double directing nomination, and his masterful direction of TRAFFIC (where he served as his own director of photography) won him a highly-deserved Best Director Award. Subsequent credits include OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001, director), FULL FRONTAL and SOLARIS (also screenplay) (both 2002, both director), NAQOYQATSI and CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (both also 2002, both exec. producer), OCEAN'S TWELVE (2004, director & exec. producer), BUBBLE (director), GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, THE BIG EMPTY and RUMOR HAS IT... (all 2005, all exec. prod.), THE GOOD GERMAN (director only), A SCANNER DARKLY and THE HALF LIFE OF TIMOFEY BEREZIN (all 2006, all exec. prod.), WIND CHILL, OCEAN'S THIRTEEN (also director), MICHAEL CLAYTON and I'M NOT THERE (all 2007, all exec. prod.), THE ARGENTINE, GUERILLA and an untitled SPALDING GRAY project (all scheduled for release in 2008), and THE INFORMANT (announced for 2009, director). In 2003, Soderbergh married E! TV host Jules Asner.  Nominated for Writing - Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen 1989: SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE  Nominated for Achievement in Direction 2000: ERIN BROCKOVICH  Best Achievement in Direction 2000: TRAFFIC 3 nominations, 1 Award