David Yates

British film and television director; best know for directing the last four Harry Potter films. He has directed more Potter films than anyone else, as Chris Columbus directed two while Alfonso Cuaron and Mike Newell both did only one. This means Yates has literally directed half of the series. For actors who joined the series on the fifth installment or later, such as Evanna Lynch or Helena Bonham Carter, he is the only director they have ever worked with on Potter.

Yates is unique amongst the Harry Potter directors in that he is the only one who did not previously have a mainstream motion picture career. His work prior to the Potter series was mostly in television, which included directing State of Play and Sex Traffic, though he also did some small independent films. Yates' approach to the Potter series is known for its gritty realism (appropriate for the closing installments, which are the darkest in the series) and focus on characters. It is sometimes felt that his weakness lies with action scenes. In any case, Yates' work on Potter seems to have "put him on the map", so to speak, and it is likely he will direct many more blockbusters in the future.


 * The Tichborne Claimant (1998)
 * State of Play (2003) (television)
 * Sex Traffic (2004) (television)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010/2011)