About
American director, filmmaker, and producer known for directing Æon Flux, Jennifer's Body, The Invitation, a segment in the horror anthology film XX, and the hit show Yellowjackets, for which she was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Before Fame
She grew up very interested in the film industry and watching movies. Her love for filmmaking grew from the female directors Martha Coolidge and Amy Heckerling, which inspired her to pursue filmmaking. She graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1990. She made her film debut with the sports drama film Girlfight, which resulted her in winning Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival and earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.
Trivia
She started boxing after college and developed a strong passion for it. Her experience in boxing was her inspiration for her breakout film Girlfight in 2000. She trained with Hector Roca, a well-known Spanish trainer.
Family Life
She was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri. She was born to parents Haruo Kusama and Susan McGuire. Her father was a child psychiatrist and her mother was an occupational therapist. She married screenwriter Phil Hay in October 2006. They have one son together.
Associated With
She directed Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, Ella Purnell, and Sophie Nelisse in Yellowjackets.
