John G. Avildsen

John G. Avildsen
Avildsen in 1975
Born	John Guilbert Avildsen (1935-12-21)December 21, 1935 Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 16, 2017(2017-06-16) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Johnny Avildsen
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1969–2017
Spouses	Marie Olga Maturevich (Melissa McCall) Tracy Brooks Swope ​ ​ (m. 1987; sep. 2006)​
Children	6
Signature

John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He is best known for directing Rocky (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director. He is also renowned for directing the first three films in The Karate Kid franchise (1984–1989). Other films he directed include Joe (1970), Save the Tiger (1973), The Formula (1980), Neighbors (1981), Lean on Me (1989), Rocky V (1990), 8 Seconds (1994), and Inferno (1999).