Jay Roach made his name overnight in Hollywood with his successful directorial debut of the sleeper hit, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and with its sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. A struggling screenwriter and producer before comedy star Mike Myers lobbied to have him direct the movie, Roach has since directed two more popular comedies, Mystery, Alaska, and the box office and critical hit, Meet the Parents, starring Robert De Niro. After the unexpected success of Austin Powers, the amazed Roach told Bernard Weinraub of the New York Times, "It was an incredible act of blind faith on the part of Mike [Myers]. He put his whole career on the line for me."

Born in 1957 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Roach attended the prestigious School of Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California, earning a master's degree in film production in 1986. During his university years...