Rachel Talalay
Rachel Talalay | |
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![]() Talalay in 2016 | |
Born | |
Alma mater | Yale University |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1981–present |
Spouse | Rupert Harvey (m. 1990) |
Children | 2 |
Parent | Paul Talalay (father) |
Rachel Talalay (born July 16, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer best known for directing films such as Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Ghost in the Machine (1993), and Tank Girl (1995). Her television credits include episodes of Ally McBeal, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Riverdale, Doom Patrol, Superman & Lois and Quantum Leap.
Talalay is also a professor at the University of British Columbia.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Talalay was born in Chicago. Her father Paul Talalay was a pharmacologist, born in Berlin to a Belarusian Jewish family, and her mother Pamela is an English biochemist. She has two sisters and a brother.[2] She was raised mostly in Baltimore, with two years of her childhood in Britain.[1] Talalay attended Yale University, where she majored in mathematics, graduating in 1980.[3][4] She also ran the Yale Film Society.[3]
Career
[edit]Talalay worked in a number of different capacities in filmmaking before making her directorial debut with the film Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991).[5] Talalay also worked on the first four A Nightmare on Elm Street films.[3] Her work with the earlier Nightmare films utilized her computer skills and finding ways to create better special effects while still keeping costs low.[3] Despite her familiarity with the Freddy movies, when she directed Freddy's Dead, she was given internal memos telling her not to be "too girly" or "too sensitive."[6]
Talalay also directed Tank Girl in 1995, and was looking into re-optioning the rights to make a new film in 2008.[7] As a film producer, Talalay worked with director John Waters on the films Hairspray (1988) and Cry-Baby (1990). She was also a production assistant on Waters' 1981 film Polyester.[8]
Talalay states that ever since Doctor Who was revived in 2005, she wanted to work on the show.[9] Talalay directed all three of Peter Capaldi's series finales: series 8's "Dark Water" and "Death in Heaven",[10] series 9's "Heaven Sent" and "Hell Bent"—the former considered by many to be one of the best episodes in the show's history[11]—and series 10's "World Enough and Time" and "The Doctor Falls",[12] as well as the Doctor Who 2017 Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time".[13] She returned to Doctor Who in 2023 for "The Star Beast" with David Tennant & Catherine Tate returning as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble as part of the show's 60th anniversary. In 2019, she directed a film adaption of Joe Ballarini's A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting for Netflix.[14]
Personal life
[edit]Talalay met British film producer Rupert Harvey while working on Android in 1982. They began a relationship soon after, and were married in 1990, with John Waters officiating the wedding.[4][15] Talalay and Harvey have a daughter named Lucy.[16]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]Director
- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (also story writer)
- Ghost in the Machine (1993)
- Tank Girl (1995)
- A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)
Producer
- Hairspray (1988)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- Cry-Baby (1990)
- The Borrowers (1997)
Television
[edit]TV movies
- A Tale of Two Wives (2003)
- The Wind in the Willows (2006)
- Hannah's Law (2012)
- The Dorm (2014)
- Unclaimed (2016)
TV series
Year | Title | Episodes |
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1997 | Band of Gold |
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1998 | To Have & to Hold |
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Touching Evil (U.K. Series) |
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1999–2002 | Ally McBeal |
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2000 | Boston Public |
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Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) |
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2001 | That's Life |
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State of Grace |
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Wolf Lake |
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Dice |
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2002 | Without a Trace |
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Crossing Jordan |
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2002–2007 | The Dead Zone |
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2002–2003 | The Division |
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2003 | Cold Case |
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2004 | Touching Evil (U.S. Series) |
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Life as We Know It |
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Unfabulous |
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2005 | Sex, Love & Secrets |
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Terminal City |
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2006 | Whistler |
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2007 | Supernatural |
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Greek |
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Kyle XY |
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2008 | Flash Gordon |
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2009 | Da Kink in My Hair |
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Durham County |
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2010 | Cra$h & Burn |
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Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures |
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Haven |
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2011 | Endgame |
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Hiccups |
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2012 | Continuum |
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XIII: The Series |
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2013 | Bomb Girls |
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Played |
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2014 | Reign |
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2014–2017, 2022–2023 | Doctor Who |
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2015 | South of Hell |
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2016–2023 | The Flash |
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2016–2021 | Legends of Tomorrow |
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2016–2019 | Supergirl |
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2017 | Sherlock | |
2018–2021 | Riverdale |
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2018 | Iron Fist |
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina |
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2019 | Doom Patrol |
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American Gods |
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2021 | Superman & Lois |
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2022 | Quantum Leap |
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References
[edit]- ^ a b Bailey, Ian (8 August 2014). "Q&A: UBC professor went from Doctor Who fan to director of this season's finale". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ "Dr. Paul Talalay, Johns Hopkins molecular pharmacologist who made broccoli famous as a cancer fighter, dies". The Baltimore Sun. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Wigler, Stephen (27 September 1991). "'Freddy's Dead' Gives Rise to Career". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ a b Wigler, Stephen (September 8, 1991). "A Friend of Freddy Krueger: Rachel Talalay has worked on five 'Elm Street' films". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "A Nightmare On Elm Street : Interviews – Rachel Talalay". Nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com. 2005-03-22. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- ^ Rohter, Larry (17 March 1991). "Are Women Directors an Endangered Species?". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Anderson, Martin (August 5, 2008). "Rachel Talalay for Tank Girl reboot". Den of Geek!. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018.
- ^ Rachel Talalay Biography, Film Reference
- ^ Collis, Clark (3 November 2014). "Doctor Who Director Rachel Talalay Talks 'Dark Water'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Film Prof Directs Doctor Who Season Finale". The University of British Columbia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Reynolds, Andrew (20 December 2015). "Directing Doctor Who: Rachel Talalay's Notes on Heaven Sent". Katerborous. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Original Mondasian Cybermen return to Doctor Who!". BBC. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ "The 2017 Doctor Who Christmas special will be called..." Radio Times. 23 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
- ^ Fleming, Joe Jr. (April 15, 2019). "Netflix Turning A Babysitter's Guide To Monsters Into Family Film; Rachel Talalay To Direct". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
- ^ Collis, Clark (July 19, 2016). "Rachel Talalay talks going from Tank Girl to Sherlock". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "https://twitter.com/rtalalay/status/1267260469682683905". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
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- ^ "Home – American Gods S2 Presskit". Starz. Retrieved February 12, 2019.