Paul Hirsch, A.C.E. has edited over 40 films, among them the first "Star Wars" written and directed by George Lucas, for which he received an Academy Award in 1978, and "The Empire Strikes Back"; 11 films for Brian De Palma, including "Carrie", "Blowout" and "Mission: Impossible"; four for Herbert Ross, including "Footloose", "The Secret of My Success" and "Steel Magnolias"; three for John Hughes, including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Planes, Trains & Automobiles"; and "Falling Down" for Joel Schumacher. In 2005, he received his second Academy Award nomination for "Ray", a biopic based on the life of Ray Charles, directed by Taylor Hackford. The various genres in his resume include drama, action, horror, musical comedy, fantasy, suspense, mystery and comedy. In 2008, he reunited with Hackford on "Love Ranch", a character drama starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci. More recently, he edited "Source Code", directed by Duncan Jones and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, before segueing to "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol", directed by Brad Bird. He has just completed "Warcraft", his second picture with director Duncan Jones, which will be released in June 2016.Born in NYC, his father, Joseph Hirsch, was a well-known painter whose works are in the permanent collections of major museums in the US, including the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum. His mother and stepfather, Ruth & Leonard Bocour, were important collectors of 20th Century American painting. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Paris and is fluent in French, as well as somewhat conversant in Italian and British. He studied music at the High School of Music & Art in NYC, where he played the tympani, and developed a musical sensibility which has served him well in his chosen profession. He majored in Art History at Columbia University, which started him out on a life of sitting in dark rooms critiquing images projected on a screen. He is married, with two grown offspring both in the film business, and has lived for the last 32 years in Pacific Palisades.