Peter Jackson

Peter is a Doctor Who fan, the TV show that was aired from 1963 to 1989. He also took a screen name Xoanon from this show.

Peter was educated at Kapiti college, in Wellington.

When Peter was 17 years old, he left the high school and began to work on a Wellington newspaper.

Peter is owner of film companies Wingnut Films, ThreeFootSix, New Zealand Film Unit and digital effects company Weta Digital Limited.

His nickname is PJ.

In 1989, Peter won the Audience Award for the 1987 film Bad Taste at Fantafestival. In 1991, he won the Best Direction award for Meet the Feebles at Fantafestival also.

During filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Peter wore the same pair of shoes and only two different T-shirts.

In 2005, Peter ranked #7 in Empire (UK) magazine's 'The Greatest directors ever!'.

Of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter feels Return of the King is the most enjoyable of the three films.

Peter's estimated earnings for the Lord of the Rings trilogy is close to $125,000,000.

In March 2003, Australian Empire Magazine voted Peter 'Man of the Year 2002'.

In 2004, Peter was honored at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

During the filming of King Kong, Peter underwent eye surgery, making him no longer dependent on glasses.

Peter has donated $500,000 to stem cell research.

Regardless of the weather, Peter will almost always wear shorts. He is also known to go barefoot to his movie shoots.

Peter stands at 5'6½" or 1.69 m.

His parents died during the filming of The Lord of the Rings.

Peter likes 60s music and his favorite group is the Beatles. He also likes classical music.

He has a son Billy (born in 1995) and daughter Katie (born in 1996).

Peter has been barred from making The Hobbit, due to a bitter public feud between Hollywood studio 'New Line' and the Peter. Bob Shaye, the co-chairman of studio 'New Line', has said that Peter would "never" shoot The Hobbit. Peter and 'New Line' are in a legal wrangle over royalties from the Lord of the Rings films.

Peter Jackson collects model airplanes from WWI.

Peter Jackson actually started writing the re-make for King Kong in 1996, and made several drafts until it was approved by Universal Pictures 2003.

Peter Jackson lost 70 lbs. during the production of King Kong.

He likes to make cameo appearances in his movies.

Peter Jackson frequently set his movies in Wellington, New Zealand.

Peter Jackson always write his scripts with his wife Fran Walsh.

Peter's favorite movie as a kid was King Kong, so it was a dream come true for him when he got to direct the re-make!