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Mimi Leder (born January 26, 1952) is an American film director. She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory in 1973. Born in New York City to parents Paul and Etyl Leder. Leder began her career as a television script supervisor, working on such projects as Spawn of the Slithis (1978) and Hill Street Blues (1981). Shortly after working on the television drama Under the Influence in 1986, Leder began directing L.A. Law. Leder continued television work during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including work on the 1988 television movie Nightingales and the series China Beach, for... MORE

Mimi Leder (born January 26, 1952) is an American film director. She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory in 1973. Born in New York City to parents Paul and Etyl Leder. Leder began her career as a television script supervisor, working on such projects as Spawn of the Slithis (1978) and Hill Street Blues (1981). Shortly after working on the television drama Under the Influence in 1986, Leder began directing L.A. Law. Leder continued television work during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including work on the 1988 television movie Nightingales and the series China Beach, for which she was nominated for several Emmy awards. In 1994, she directed and co-produced nearly a dozen episodes of ER, which earned her Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series in 1995 and 1996. She returned to direct an episode of the series during its final season in 2009. Throughout the late 1990s and the 2000s, Leder has directed several dramatic films including The Peacemaker, Deep Impact, Pay It Forward, and Thick as Thieves. In 2005, she began work as director on the action/comedy series Jonny Zero, which ran for twelve episodes. Leder has one daughter, Hannah, with husband Gary Werntz. LESS