Born in Newton, MA.; graduate of Oberlin College (Ohio). Julie Taymor leapt into the public eye in 1998, when she was the first woman to win a Tony® award for direction of a musical for The Lion King, for which she was not only the director, but the co-composer, costume designer and co-designer of masks and puppets. She has received many awards including: two Tony Awards for The Lion King, a MacArthur Fellowship (also known as a "genius award"), a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Obie® awards, and the first annual Dorothy B. Chandler Award in theater. In film, video and television, she has directed "The Tempest" (1986, video), "Oedipus Rex" and "Fool's Fire" (both 1992, both for TV), TITUS (1999, also writer & producer), FRIDA (2002), and ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007). Since 1980, Taymor's partner has been composer Elliot Goldenthal. They live in Manhattan.  Nominated for Achievement in Music (Song) 2002: "Burn It Blue" Lyric from FRIDA 1 nomination