Before entering the Hollywood big leagues, filmmaker James Gunn cut his teeth working with cult-favorite Troma Entertainment, writing 1996's Tromeo and Juliet and even co-authoring a book with Troma president Lloyd Kaufman. Beginning with 2002's Scooby Doo, Gunn became a sought-after screenwriter, penning scripts for such hits as 2004's remake of Dawn of the Dead and the 2006 horror sleeper Slither (which he also directed). In 2000, Gunn married actress Jenna Fischer, who would later go on to find fame on NBC's The Office; the couple subsequently divorced.
James Gunn
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- Started making movies with his brothers at age 12.
- Applied for a filing job at Troma studios, was hired to write Tromeo and Juliet for them instead.
- First screenwriter to write two movies that achieved #1 at the box office in consecutive weeks: Dawn of the Dead on March 19, 2004, and Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed on March 26, 2004.
- Directed several Stan Lee cameos in Marvel movies other than his own.
- Based Guardians of the Galaxy's Groot on his own dog, Dr. Von Spears.