Oliver Stone is an American film director, screenwriter and producer whose politically charged, visually bold films have made him one of the most controversial and decorated directors in Hollywood. Best known for Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and JFK, he has won three Academy Awards and built a career out of taking on subjects other filmmakers avoid, from the Vietnam War to presidential assassinations and the world of high finance.
| Full Name | William Oliver Stone |
| Date of Birth | September 15, 1946 |
| Age | 80 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Profession | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Known For | Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK |
| Wife | Sun-jung Jung (married 1996) |
| Children | Three |
| Net Worth | Approx. $65 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025) |
Who Is Oliver Stone?
Oliver Stone is a filmmaker who has never shied away from a fight. His films are loud, urgent and unapologetically political, and they have earned him both Academy Awards and fierce criticism, often at the same time. He is a director who believes cinema should challenge audiences, not comfort them, and his work has shaped how generations of Americans think about Vietnam, about John F. Kennedy and about power in the United States.
Stone won his first Oscar for writing Midnight Express in 1979, then won Best Director for Platoon in 1987 and again for Born on the Fourth of July in 1990. Few directors have matched that run, and fewer still have kept making provocative films for as long as he has, from Wall Street in 1987 to Snowden in 2016 and the documentary series The Putin Interviews in 2017.
Early Life & Background
William Oliver Stone was born on September 15, 1946, in New York City, the son of a stockbroker father and a French mother. He attended the Hill School in Pennsylvania and then Yale University, but he dropped out in 1965, taught English in South Vietnam and later enlisted in the United States Army, serving as an infantryman in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. He was wounded twice and received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
That experience in Vietnam became the foundation of his filmmaking. After returning home, Stone studied film at New York University under the director Martin Scorsese, graduating in 1971. He worked as a taxi driver and a messenger while writing screenplays, and his early work included the horror film Seizure in 1974 and the screenplay for Midnight Express, which won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Stone has been married three times. His current wife is Sun-jung Jung, whom he married in 1996, and he has three children, including the actor Sean Stone. He has lived for many years in Los Angeles, and he remains an outspoken public figure, writing books and appearing in documentaries about American politics and history.
Career
Stone’s directing breakthrough came with Salvador in 1986, a drama about the civil war in El Salvador, and then Platoon later that year, a harrowing, semi-autobiographical film about American soldiers in Vietnam starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe. Platoon won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and it remains one of the defining films about the Vietnam War.
He followed it with Wall Street in 1987, starring Michael Douglas as the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko, a performance that won Douglas the Best Actor Oscar and gave the film its famous line, greed is good. Born on the Fourth of July in 1989, starring Tom Cruise as the paralysed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, won Stone his second Best Director Oscar, and JFK in 1991, a three-hour investigation of the Kennedy assassination starring Kevin Costner, earned eight Oscar nominations and sparked a national debate.
Later films included Natural Born Killers in 1994, Nixon in 1995, Any Given Sunday in 1999, Alexander in 2004 and W. in 2008, a portrait of President George W. Bush. In recent years, Stone has focused increasingly on documentaries, including films about Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez and Edward Snowden, and he continues to write and speak about American foreign policy.
Facts About Oliver Stone
- Oliver Stone has won three Academy Awards, for Midnight Express, Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July.
- He served as an infantryman in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
- He studied film at New York University under Martin Scorsese.
- He has been married to Sun-jung Jung since 1996, and they have children together.
- His film Wall Street gave the world the famous line, greed is good.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Oliver Stone?
Oliver Stone was born on September 15, 1946, which makes him 80 years old as of November 2026.
How tall is Oliver Stone?
Oliver Stone is 6 feet 1 inch tall (1.85 metres).
Who is Oliver Stone married to?
Oliver Stone has been married to Sun-jung Jung since 1996. He has three children.
What is Oliver Stone’s net worth?
Oliver Stone’s net worth is estimated at approximately $65 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth in 2025.
What is Oliver Stone best known for?
Oliver Stone is best known for directing Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK and Wall Street.