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->''"The only safe thing is to take a chance."''

Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky in UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film, television, and theatre director.

He began his career as a comedian, teaming with Creator/ElaineMay (another future director) to form the acclaimed ComedyDuo Nichols & May. Afterwards, he notably worked as a director for 49 years. He began in 1960, directing stage productions of ''Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest'' and ''Theatre/SaintJoan'' in UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, and contributed original material for a 1962 Creator/{{CBS}} Carnegie Hall special starring Creator/JulieAndrews and Creator/CarolBurnett. He made his Broadway directorial debut in 1963 with Creator/NeilSimon's ''Theatre/BarefootInThePark'', and then helmed such other plays as ''Theatre/{{Luv}}'' and ''Theatre/TheOddCouple'' before moving into films (though he regularly returned to the theatre, directing the Pulitzer Prize-winning play ''Theatre/TheGinGame'' among others). Nichols is also notable as being one of eleven people to have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy--in other words, [[MediaNotes/TheEGOTs all four of the major American entertainment awards]]. It took him 51 years to collect all four, the longest of the group.

Music/CarlySimon often did the songs for his films, most notably the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-winning song "Let the River Run" for ''Film/WorkingGirl'' and "Coming Around Again" for ''Heartburn''.

He passed away of a heart attack on November 19, 2014, nearly two weeks after his 83rd birthday.

No relation to the American director Creator/JeffNichols.

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!!Works with pages on TV Tropes:
[[index]]
* The film adaptation of ''Theatre/WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'' from 1966. In 1980 he co-starred with Elaine May in a revival of the play.
* The film adaptation of ''Film/TheGraduate'', for which he won his Best Director Oscar, from 1967.
* ''Film/CatchTwentyTwo'' (1970)
* ''Film/CarnalKnowledge'' (1971)
* ''Film/TheFortune'' (1975)
* ''{{Theatre/Annie}}'' (1977), as producer of the original Broadway production, which won him a Tony Award for Best Musical.
* ''Film/{{Silkwood}}'' (1983)
* ''Film/BiloxiBlues'' (1988)
* ''Film/WorkingGirl'' (1988)
* ''Film/PostcardsFromTheEdge'' (1990)
* ''Film/RegardingHenry'' (1991)
* ''Film/WolfMikeNichols'' (1994)
* ''Film/TheBirdcage'' (1996)
* ''Literature/PrimaryColors'' (1998)
* ''Film/WhatPlanetAreYouFrom'' (2000)
* ''Theatre/{{Wit}}'' filmed for Creator/{{HBO}} in 2001.
* The ''Theatre/AngelsInAmerica'' MiniSeries for {{Creator/HBO}} in 2003.
* ''Film/{{Closer}}'' (2004)
* The original Broadway production of ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' by Creator/MontyPython in 2004.
* ''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'' (2007)
[[/index]]
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