From a gifted young actress to an Oscar-nominated writer-director, Greta Gerwig has come a long way since her feature film debut in the indie movie LOL (2006), over a decade ago. During her early years in Hollywood, the actress was primarily known for her association with the mumblecore movement - a subgenre of low-budget indie cinema which generally focused on the lives of twentysomethings and was characterised by naturalistic performances and plenty of improvisation. Gerwig soon carved a niche for herself both as a writer and actress through movies like Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007), Nights and Weekends (2008) and The House of the Devil (2009), though mainstream success continued to elude the talented artist.
The 2012 comedy-drama Frances Ha, which Gerwig co-wrote and starred in, marked a turning point in her career. Her portrayal of the titular character earned Gerwig the maiden Golden Globe nomination of her career, and the acclaimed film went on to earn several accolades including nominations at the London Film Critics Circle Film Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. Following terrific performances in the comedy-drama Mistress America (2015) and the romantic comedy-drama Maggie`s Plan (2015), Gerwig wrote and directed the coming-of-age comedy-drama Lady Bird (2017), which starred Saoirse Ronan in the lead role. The film, which opened to near-universal critical acclaim, was a commercial success and took that year`s awards season by storm. Besides five Academy Award nominations (including two for Gerwig), Lady Bird also won the Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy. Gerwig also went on to become only the fifth woman in Oscar`s 90-year history to be nominated for a Best Director Award.
The comedy-drama Greenberg (2010), the comedy Damsels in Distress (2011), the Woody Allen film
To Rome with Love (2012), the comedy-drama 20th Century Women (2016) and in 2018, she lent her voice to one of the characters in the stop-motion animated comedy
Isle of Dogs.
Her 2020 release includes romantic drama
Little Women. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson and Florence Pugh in prominent roles.