William Wyler, born as
Wilhelm Weiller (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director, producer and screenwriter. Notable works included
Ben-Hur (1959),
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and
Mrs. Miniver (1942), all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, as well as Best Picture in their respective years, making him the only director of three Best Picture winners. Wyler received his first Oscar nomination for directing
Dodsworth in 1936, starring
Walter Huston,
Ruth Chatterton and
Mary Astor, "sparking a 20-year run of almost unbroken greatness."