Boyle takes place at the top

WINNING an Oscar marks the high point in a directorial career that has seen Danny Boyle go from low-budget movies to films of international acclaim.

It comes 14 years after his debut on the big screen with Shallow Grave.

The 52-year-old began his directing career on stage before moving onto television projects. He directed two episodes of Inspector Morse among other work on the small screen.

In 1994 he made his first feature film, working with up-and-coming actor Ewan McGregor on Shallow Grave. He teamed up with McGregor again two years later for Trainspotting, a cult hit that saw Doyle honoured with a number of awards, including best director at the Empire Awards.

He followed it up with the big-screen version of Alex Garland’s The Beach. Doyle paired up with the writer again for 28 Days Later. The horror movie, with its images of a post-apocalyptic London, further cemented Doyle’s position as one of Britain’s leading movie makers.

But nothing could have prepared him for the reception Slumdog Millionaire has had. Accepting his Oscar, Doyle jumped up and down excitedly in front of Hollywood’s finest. He explained it was to honour a pledge he made to his children. “I swore to them that if this miracle would ever happen, I would receive it in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh,” he said.