Most movie fans would probably be aware of Jack Fisk’s work with several award-winning stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Lila Neugebauer. In 2022, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker embarked on a character-driven voyage of discovery in Causeway.
The movie had good ratings and scored some award nominations, becoming another successful film that Jack worked on. But who is the man aside from being a hotshot production designer? Keep reading to find out.
Who Is Jack Fisk?
Jack Fisk was born on December 19, 1945, in Canton, Illinois, USA. He is a production designer and art director known for There Will Be Blood (2007), The Tree of Life (2011), and The Revenant (2015). He has been married to Sissy Spacek since April 12, 1974. They have two children.
Multiple Oscar nominee Sissy Spacek was one of Hollywood’s leading actresses during the 1970s and 1980s, initially gaining attention for the startling character transformations in “Badlands” (1973) and the blood-drenched “Carrie” (1977).
As of 2023, Jack has contributed to the art direction/production design of four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Thin Red Line (1998), The Tree of Life (2011), There Will Be Blood (2007), and The Revenant (2015).
Fisk has become more popular since the production of The Revenant. Regarding his experience making the film, Jack Fisk described himself as “the luckiest designer I know.”
Jack Fisk’s Career
Jack was the art director on Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976), in which his wife, Sissy Spacek, played the titular role. He frequently collaborates with directors Terrence Malick and David Lynch (whom he has known since childhood). His production design and art director credits include Malick’s first eight feature films and Lynch’s The Straight Story (1999) and Mulholland Drive (2001).
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. He received his second Academy Award nomination for the film The Revenant.
His other credits include Phantom of the Paradise (1974), Carrie (1976), Eraserhead (1977), Heart Beat (1980), The Straight Story (1999), Mulholland Drive (2001), Water for Elephants (2011), and The Master (2012).
Jack made his directorial debut with Raggedy Man (1981) and went on to direct the films Violets Are Blue (1986), Daddy’s Dyin’: Who’s Got the Will? (1990), Final Verdict (1991), and two episodes of the television series On the Air (1992).
Who Is Jack Fisk’s Wife?
Jack met his wife, Sissy Spacek while working on Terrence Malick’s 1973 film Badlands. Spacek’s character embodied a reserved and remote interpretation of Caril Ann Fugate in the movie. Eventually, they developed a connection and tied the knot on April 12, 1974.
They have two daughters, Schuyler Fisk (born 1982), an actress, and Madison Fisk (born 1988), a painter. According to a report, Spacek and her husband left Los Angeles years back and raised their two children in Virginia. The couple now have two grandchildren as well.
In an interview, Spacek spoke about how her over 40 years marriage to Jack still endures. She said, “Just pick your battles.” Spacek pulled from her own life when finding inspiration for the role of Irene York. She recognized that Irene was a woman grieving the loss of her son and husband.
“I recognized in Irene that when you’ve been married that long, sometimes you want to bop them on the head.” She said, “That’s just part of the long-term relationship. You go through so many things that it just deepens and deepens and deepens.”
Spacek said she has learned much from her husband, a “wonderful artist.” “He’s phenomenal, and I learned so much from him about the artist’s life, work, what it involves, and how much you have to give.”
Who Is Schuyler Fisk, Jack Fisk’s Daughter?
Schuyler Fisk was born in Los Angeles, California. However, she was raised in Virginia, where her parents established their home.
Schuyler began acting in school plays as a child and eventually progressed to film, becoming an actress. She is also a singer-songwriter, signed to Universal Records. Her song “Paperweight” is featured in The Last Kiss (2006) soundtrack.
Jack’s other daughter, Madison Fisk, was born on September 21, 1988, in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. She is a production designer and art director known for Time Trap (2017), To the Wonder (2012), and Song to Song (2017).