Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) was an American film director. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and studied theater acting at the Professional Children's School of New York and Columbia University. He is probably most famous for his debut film, 12 Angry Men and the films Dog Day Afternoon and Network. He started out in the theater acting, then becoming a director of stage and then live dramas in the "Golden Age Of Television" in the 1950s. Known as an "actor's director", several actors who've starred in his films have been nominated and won Academy Awards for their performances.