John Schlesinger was an openly gay actor and director (stage, film and opera), born in London. He began making his own black & white movies at school and at Oxford where Black Legend, co-produced with Alan Cooke, gained eminent notices and a screening in the House of Commons.

Professionally he started as an actor before joining Huw Weldon's team on "Monitor" at the BBC. His inspired documentary on Waterloo Station ("Teminus") won him a prize at the Venice Film Festival. He then made a series of successful commercials for Italian-born producer Joe Janni who gave him his directorial debut with "A Kind Of Loving", "Billy Liar", and "Darling".

His best-known work includes the Academy Award-winning (and gay-themed) Midnight Cowboy and Sunday, Bloody Sunday and the thrillers Marathon Man and The Falcon and the Snowman.

Schlesinger long-time relationship with Michael Childers began in 1976. He came out in 1988.

Film (directing): Billy Liar (1963) Darling (1965) Midnight Cowboy (1969) Sunday, Bloody Sunday (1971) The Day of the Locust (1975) Marathon Man (1976) Honky Tonk Freeway (1981) The Falcon and the Snowman (1984) An Englishman Abroad (1985) The Believers (1987) Madame Sousatzka (1988) Pacific Heights (1990) A Question of Attribution (1992) The Innocent (1993) Cold Comfort Farm (1995) The Next Best Thing (2000)

TV (directing): Seperate Tables (1983) An Englishman Abroad (1983) Film (acting): The Lost Language of Cranes (1992) The Celluloid Closet (1995) The Twilight of the Golds (1997) TV (acting): Brothers In Law (1985) The Lost Language of Cranes (1991)