1988 Graduate of Episcopal Academy.

Graduated from New York University.

Favorite film of all time is Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Made many films using a video camera when he was young. When his theatrical films go to DVD, he puts in a scene from one of his childhood films that marks his first attempt at the same kind of movie. The Sixth Sense (1999) includes the ghost story Nightmare on Old Gulf, Unbreakable (2000) includes the action movie Millionaire, Signs (2002) includes the monster movie Pictures, and The Village includes an untitled period piece.

Father of Saleka Shyamalan.

Recipient of Episcopal Acamemy's 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award.

His parents, wife and 9 other family members are MDs and/or Ph.Ds.

Episcopal Academy, the private school in Lower Merion, PA (one of the wealthiest suburbs in the U.S., and home at one time or another to the likes of Kobe Bryant and Blythe Danner, among others) where Shymalan was sent, is actually a private academy that is affiliated with the Episcopalian Church.

Son of Jayalakshmi Shyamalan and Nelliate C. Shyamalan

Has in his office posters from 3 of his most favorite movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Exorcist (1973), and Die Hard (1988).

Aside from Wide Awake (1998), Shyamalan has a credited appearance in each of the feature films he has directed.

His inspiration for The Sixth Sense (1999) was based on an episode from "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" (1991). The Tale of the Dream Girl directed by David Winning.

Ranked #30 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. Had ranked #23 in 2004.

Completed 45 homemade movies by age 17.

Has worked with two Academy Award-nominated child actors. He led the first one to a nomination (Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense" (1999)), and he discovered the second (Abigail Breslin in "Signs" (2002)), who was nominated for "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006).

His middle name "Night" was made up during college.

Became the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood when Disney gave him $5 million to write Signs (2002).

Shymalan lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania, part of the affluent "Main Line" suburban region of Philadelphia that includes communities like Lower Merion, Upper Merion, Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, and Villanova.

Ranked #21 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #64 in 2002.

Name pronounced "SHAH-ma-lawn".

His Wide Awake (1998) was one of the year's lowest-grossing, least- profitable films; in contrast, The Sixth Sense (1999) was 1999's No.2 box-office phenomenon, surpassed only by Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

The silver charm worn around his neck was given to him by his father and contains Sanskrit proverbs to keep him safe.

His three supernatural thrillers, The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), and Signs (2002), grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.

One of the first scripts he sold was called "Labor of Love" about a man who walks across country to prove his love for his recently deceased wife. As of March 2001, it has still not been made.

Has a reputation for attaining A-list actors of his first choice to star in his films, in roles specifically written for them. Shyamalan was able to cast Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense (1999), Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable (2000), Mel Gibson in Signs (2002), Joaquin Phoenix in The Village (2004), Paul Giamatti in Lady in the Water (2006), and Mark Wahlberg in his next project, The Happening (2008).

He is an avid comic book fan, which was made apparent in his film Unbreakable (2000).

He and Dan Aykroyd, are the only two men to direct themselves in performances that "won" them a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor. Shyamalan "won" the award for, and also directed, the film Lady in the Water (2006).

Said in the bonus disk that the movie Unbreakable (2000) was made from what started as only the first third of the original script. He said he felt no connection to the last two thirds of the text and decided to discard them.

Ranked #23 in Premiere's 2004 annual Power 100 List. He was the 5th-highest ranked director. Had ranked #21 in 2003.

Graduate of Waldron and Episcopal academies; NYU (1992) Tisch School of the Arts.