Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, Chris Columbus was first inspired to make movies after seeing "The Godfather" at age 15. After enrolling at NYU film school, he sold his first screenplay (never produced) while a sophomore there. After graduation Columbus tried to sell his fourth script, "Gremlins", with no success, until Steven Spielberg optioned it; Columbus moved to Los Angeles for a year during rewrites on the project in Spielberg's bungalow at Universal. After writing two more scripts for Spielberg, "The Goonies" and "Young Sherlock Holmes", Columbus' own directing career was launched a few years later with "Adventures in Babysitting". He is best known to audiences as the director of the runaway hit "Home Alone", written and produced by John Hughes its sequel "Home Alone 2", and most recently "Mrs. Doubtfire".

Gremlins (1984), Columbus' fourth script, was written as a dark satire of It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

Got the directing gig on Harry Potter after longtime front-runner Steven Spielberg passed on the project. He met author J.K. Rowling in England and won the job over several other candidates after promising her he would film entirely in the U.K. and use an all-British cast. Most of the crew was also British.

Father of Eleanor Columbus, Violet Columbus, Brendan Columbus & Isabella Columbus.

Lived in England for a year and a half while filming the first two Harry Potter films. Opted out of the third film so he could come home and spend more time with his family.

At one time lived in River Forest, Illinois which shares a high school with the suburb, Oak Park, in which Adventures in Babysitting (1987) was based. Oak Park and River Forest High School's name was changed for the movie, however, to Hemingway High because Ernest Hemingway went there. They kept the style of the high school's jackets for the film, however.

Had a cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) as a man in the toy store. He was holding his daughter Eleanor Columbus.

In the original script, Gremlins (1984) was meant to be a much darker horror film in which the mother was decapitated, the family dog was eaten, and the adorable Mogwai "Gizmo" actually turned into the infamous Gremlin "Stripe".

Son of Irene Columbus.

Considered directing Spider-Man (2002), however passed that up to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).

During its early stages of production, he was originally attached to direct Daredevil (2003).

Frequently is involved with composer John Williams.

At one point, was attached to direct Fantastic Four (2005).