James Cameron’s Complicated Love Life — And the Oscar Night He Lost to His Ex
Exes turned rivals, James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow went head to head at the 2010 Oscars as Avatar faced The Hurt Locker, and Bigelow walked away with the win.
James Cameron has never exactly had a quiet career or a quiet personal life. Case in point: the guy behind the Avatar juggernaut ended up going head-to-head at the 2010 Oscars with his ex-wife, filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow. Her movie The Hurt Locker beat his Avatar for Best Picture and Best Director. Awkward on paper, sure, but they kept it professional.
The relationships, in order
- Sharon Williams (1978-1984): Cameron married Williams before he was a Hollywood name. The marriage stayed mostly out of the spotlight and ended as his career took off.
- Gale Anne Hurd (1985-1989): A producer who teamed with him on The Terminator and Aliens. For a while they looked like a power duo blending work and life, but they eventually divorced.
- Kathryn Bigelow (1989-1991): His third marriage, and probably the most talked about creatively. They respected each other as filmmakers even after splitting, which made that 2010 Oscar showdown a very specific kind of Hollywood moment.
- Linda Hamilton (1997-1999): He married his Terminator star not long after Titanic conquered the world in 1997. The marriage was brief, ending within two years, and was reportedly one of the most expensive divorces in Hollywood at the time.
- Suzy Amis (2000-present): Cameron met Amis while making Titanic, married her in 2000, and that is where he finally found long-term stability. They have a family together and put a lot of energy into social causes. (As widely reported, including by Hello! Magazine.)
Where he is now
Professionally, he is still all-in on Pandora. After Avatar: Fire and Ash, Cameron wants to keep expanding the Avatar universe with a heavier emotional core and even stronger environmental themes. In other words: still pushing tech, but aiming for feelings first.
What is driving him next
Outside the movie set, Cameron is deep into ocean exploration and climate advocacy, which absolutely bleeds into his storytelling. He has hinted he might slow down physically, but he is not stepping away creatively. The plan is meaningful, purpose-driven cinema that blends technology, emotion, and responsibility — not just chasing box-office records, even though he tends to set those anyway.
What do you make of where Cameron is headed? Rooting for more blue aliens, deep-sea docs, or both?