Classmates at USC School of Cinema included George Lucas, John Milius and others.

His first wife, Mary Ellen Trainor, appeared in four of his films: Romancing the Stone (1984) (as Joan Wilder's kidnapped sister, Elaine), Back to the Future Part II (1989) (as Officer Reese), Death Becomes Her (1992) (as Vivian Adams), and Forrest Gump (1994) (as Jenny's babysitter).

Owns two production companies - ImageMovers, and DarkCastle Entertainment, which he co-owns with Joel Silver.

Often casts Christopher Lloyd.

Interviewed in "Directors Close Up: Interviews with Directors Nominated for Best Film by the Directors Guild of America," ed. by Jeremy Kagan, Scarecrow Press, 2006.

First television script that he and Bob Gale sold in Hollywood was for "Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Chopper (#1.15)" (1975).

Shares the same birthday as George Lucas.

Was initially signed to direct Cocoon (1985) but changed his mind when Michael Douglas hired him to direct Romancing the Stone (1984).

Announced through his company ImageMovers in August 2002 that he will direct a film adaptation of the popular horror/fantasy comic book "Route 666." The comic, published by CrossGen Comics, centers on a young woman who is besieged by demons and other strange creatures during the Cold War.

2007 - Ranked #18 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Is a good friend of director Peter Jackson. The two of them have used four of the same actors: Michael J. Fox, who appeared in the Back to the Future trilogy, played the lead role in Jackson's The Frighteners (1996), which Zemeckis produced; Peter Dobson, who also appeared in The Frighteners, also played Elvis Presley in Forrest Gump (1994), although Kurt Russell provided the voice; Elijah Wood made his film debut in Back to the Future Part II (1989), then went on to play Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy; Miranda Otto, who played a distraught neighbor in What Lies Beneath (2000), played Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).

Three of the actors he has worked with have acted on camera for one of his films and provided a character voice in another film. Kurt Russell, who appeared in Used Cars (1980), provided the voice of Elvis Presley in Forrest Gump (1994). He has also played Elvis in a made-for-TV film for John Carpenter. Charles Fleischer, who voiced Roger Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), also played a mechanic in the past and future sequences of Back to the Future Part II (1989). Kathleen Turner, the voice of Jessica Rabbit, played the lead role in Romancing the Stone (1984).

Has in his archives a letter of rejection from every studio rejecting Back to the Future (1985), because they thought it was too soft for the type of teen movie at the time, except for Disney who thought it was too racy.

Is of Lithuanian Heritage.

Father, with Mary Ellen Trainor, of Alexander Zemeckis.

Received Student Academy Award for his film, A Field of Honor (1973).

Attended University of Southern California, School of Cinema.

Sits on USC School of Cinema-Television`s Board of Councilors.

Frequently casts Tom Hanks.

Often uses Alan Silvestri for his pictures. [music]

Almost never makes a fixed shot, his camera always moves.

Spouse: Leslie Zemeckis (4 December 2001 - present); Mary Ellen Trainor (26 July 1980 - 2000) (divorced) 1 child