Ed Wood  (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, writer, producer, and director.  In the 1950s, Wood made a number of low-budget films in the science fiction, comedy, and horror genres, intercutting stock footage.  In the 1960s and 1970s, he made sexploitation movies and wrote over 80 pulp crime, horror and sex novels.  Wood's career and camp approach has earned him and his films a cult following.  Director Tim Burton's biopic of Wood's life, Ed Wood (1994), was a critically acclaimed film starring Johnny Depp as Wood that earned two Academy Awards.  (More from Wikipedia)